So much discussion this week as we enter the second round of NASCARs playoffs has been about the effects the third and final race of this round on competitors.That race, of course, is Talladega!No team wants to pin its hopes on a perfect restrictor-plate performance, because most know perfect doesnt exist at NASCARs largest track.Talladega can be summarized by this: 95 percent of the race is rehearsal and the last 5 percent is where the chess match is played, and settled.Because of this unique form of competition, there is an elevated urgency to capitalize at Charlotte and Kansas leading up to Talladega.Martin Truex Jr. demonstrated in May at this track how one can control their own destiny. A fast car, a precise pit crew, a focused driver guided by a very wise crew chief.It resulted in a dominant win.All of those same ingredients guarantee little at Talladega, where a spotter might actually become the key component in determining a drivers fate.Those considered the fastest of the fast, Truex, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, need to capitalize this week and next to avoid entering Alabama with the same mindset one would carry to Las Vegas.Who Wins??This will be a heavyweight match between Harvick and Truex.Both teams are peaking at the most critical time, both drivers are the envy of others because it seems as though the No. 4 and the No. 78 carry speed and authority to each track regardless of its size and personality.The 1.5-mile racetracks are the most abundant on the schedule, they make up half of the Chase races and they are the strength of Harvick and Truex.Harvick gets the nod, barely, in what I believe will represent a preview between the two drivers most likely to battle for the title at a similar track in Miami.Austin Dillon will be the surprise transfer to round three. Surprise because hes never won a Sprint Cup series race, and hes a driver few expected to make it out of Round 1.The No. 3 team didnt qualify for the Chase by mistake. It has had moments of brilliance and thats come at high-speed racetracks.Their finishes at these three tracks this year were strong, and Dillon with more than 100 cup races under his belt appears comfortable and confident.Because it has led only eight laps all season, its hard to make a statistical case for the 3 team being one of the eight best teams.But Im going with my gut on this one as I believe the team has enough inertia to power into the next round.As I so often say, the Chase format depends on an underdog being in the equation to be most entertaining. We had that with Chris Buescher to begin the playoffs.The role now belongs to the 26-year-old Dillon in the second round.The Bottom LineIn sports youre taught dont look too far ahead, focus on whats in front of you: this game, this matchup, this race.The risk with worrying about a particular event down the road usually comes in the form of making mistakes in the near term?This time of the season requires laser focus; you must plan your work and work your plan.The vulnerability of competing at Talladega in two weeks will more than likely lead to teams making some extreme decisions during the Charlotte and Kansas races.Some will be rewarded, while others will lead teams to exactly what they were attempting to avoid ... depending on a Talladega win to advance to the next round. Troy Loney Jersey .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. Jari Kurri Jersey . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. https://www.cheapducks.com/577c-stu-grimson-jersey-ducks.html . After a replay, the winner will meet Sunderland in the quarterfinals. Sagbo did well to control Sone Alukos right cross and fire past Brighton goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. Aluko was making his first start in four months after recovering from an Achilles injury. Teemu Selanne Jersey . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Ruslan Salei Jersey . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St.EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers didnt have a place for Shawn Horcoff in their youth movement, so they have traded him to the Dallas Stars. Horcoff was the Oilers captain but at 34 the centre was out of place as part of a young core featuring Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov. General manager Craig MacTavish said at the end of the season he planned to trade Horcoff and gave the veteran the opportunity to talk to other teams. The Oilers received defenceman Philip Larsen and a 2016 seventh-round pick in the trade. The Stars got Horcoff as part of a revamp by general manager Jim Nill, who acquired centres Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley from the Boston Bruins in a deal earlier Thursday that sentt Loui Eriksson and others to the Boston Bruins.dddddddddddd Nill said centre was Dallas weakest position, and this trade further addressed that concern. Horcoff has two seasons left on a contract that counts US$5.5 million against the salary cap and pays him a total of $7 million. Horcoff was a career member of the Oilers, who took him 99th in the 1998 draft. In 796 NHL games -- all with Edmonton -- Horcoff had 162 goals and 285 assists. He had seven goals and 12 assists in the Oilers run to the Stanley Cup final in 2006. The 23-year-old Larsen played in 32 games for the Stars this past season, recording two goals and three assists. Hes an RFA who previously counted $1.025 million against the salary cap. ' ' '