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Attitude determines altitude. That’s what one of my old sales managers used to say. What he meant was is that I could if I thought I could. Based on recent events in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, I’d say that I’ve come to appreciate all the more the difference a driver’s attitude makes.

Now that attitude can come in all shapes and sizes. If a “sunny” personality like Carl Edwards is down, that’s bad. You’ll note, you’d have to go back a ways to find when he was down in the mouth. No reason to think he would be, as Edwards hold down the number two spot in the points. Now here’s Kyle Busch as exhibit “B.” Rowdy is not one to mince words, so when he’s up, we know it. Life is good and his emotions reflect it. Lately, things have really gone gunny bag on Busch and his words and demeanor don’t hide it.

Then there are guys like Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. For the most part, these guys never look especially joyful, even when things are going great. When they’re going really bad, there’s not necessarily a huge difference, although they really, really look down- although by most of the field’s standards they’re not that bad. It’s almost like Junior and Matty thrive on adversity. What can I say? That works for some guys.

Talladega is a wild place, and that goes for more than just the fan camps littered about campus. The 2.66 mile track inspires drama, fear and excitement. Commentator Krista Voda likened racing here to a “pinball on Red Bull.” That’s what made the young Busch’s run all the more meaningful. Until the spring race, Shrub had always struggled here. Usually, Talladega is much like a road course….either you do exceptionally well here, or you just hope to survive and get it over with quickly.

When it comes to prowess on a super speedway, some interesting names come to mind. All of Michael Waltrip’s Cup wins come on the big speed tracks. Bill Elliott was always good on a speedway. And then there’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. No doubt an ingredient in his insane popularity was his 4-race winning streak in in ‘Tide Country between 2001 and 2003. Though “Lil E” is in many ways different from his progener, he did pick up Dale Sr.’s penchant for excellence at Talladega.

With 5 wins at ‘Dega, Junior has to be considered a favorite to win tomorrow.
“Are you kidding?” the skeptics may say. Isn’t he starting in the back of the grid with a back-up car after yesterday’s practice mishaps? True that. Yet consider this: the starting grid doesn’t mean much here. What makes racing at the Alabama mecca such a wild card is the drafting, the speeds and the wrecking. In just a matter of a turn, you can go from checker to wrecker. This track is one place where a great starting position is really pretty meaningless.

What Junior also has going for him is his study of restrictor plate racing. He KNOWS he’s good on the high speed tracks, and he’s gone to great pains to maintain his reputation. It also seems Junior has gained as much popularity in the draft as he has on among the fans. Junior and Smoke ran together nicely in the spring. Earnhardt also has HMS teammates Gordon, Johnson and even Mears (who qualified second) to keep up with him and lend support.

And then there’s that attitude. In spite of some recent bumpy spots, Junior seems much more relaxed and confident. On top of that,the “88″ team seems to thrive on adversity. It’s a lot like other sports teams who seem to be at their best when they’re coming from behind. Dale Sr. was never a good qualifier and had all those come from behind wins. Heck, his old buddy Tony Stewart has never been much of a qualifier either, and Tony’s two Cup collection suggests it hasn’t hurt him any.

Junior will get plenty of challenge from his teammates. Mears looks poised to give him a run, though if his girlfriend goes into labor, it may be Brad Keselowski who takes the wheel. Jeff Gordon also has a history of success at ‘Dega. Call it a hunch, but I’m looking for Jimmie Johnson to struggle. Johnson has reported a rattle in his car, and at these speeds, it suggests something may break on the Lowe’s Chevy.

It may not be the most “fearless’ forecast I’ve ever made, it’s looking like Junior has all the pieces in place to pick up his second win of 2008 and the 19th of his Sprint Cup career.