It doesn't matter where you are in the Chase going into this weekend at Talladega because it can all change in a split second.

This place is big and fast and it's definitely the wild card of the Chase races. We saw in the spring when Carl Edwards went up in the fence that anything can happen. It's known for having big accidents because we're all grouped together and when somebody gets a flat tire or something happens, it can cause a big accident.

I don't anticipate things being any different as far as the kind of racing we're going to see, but we're really optimistic because we're going to bring the new Ford 'FR9' engine in two of our restrictor-plate cars, so we're really excited to see how those cars run. I'm probably more excited about that than anything, including my own race. I have that much energy and excitement to see this new engine in a restrictor-plate format because it means the Daytona 500 is right around the corner.

This weekend the restrictor plate is going to be 1/64th smaller than the spring race, but I don't think it will make a big difference. We've gone back and forth with that before and it really doesn't change anything. I think NASCAR is going to have to make a decision on how aggressive they're going to be about bump drafting. We continue to have accidents because we're pushing each other around the corners and they're going to have to make the determination whether they will allow that or not.

Bump drafting is a necessary evil, but NASCAR is going to have to really draw the line. They keep saying, 'We're going to penalize you. We're going to penalize you.' But technically you have to protect us from ourselves. If you tell us, 'Hey, you can't bump draft in the corner and we're going to send you down pit road if you do,' well then we're not going to do it. But if you warn us and say, 'We're going to be watching you,' well, we're going to do it until one guy gets busted for it.

I think guys are going to race as hard as they can and when that big wreck happens, it collects all those cars like the garbage disposal. It's not looking for numbers, it's just looking for who is in the way and if you're there, you're there. It's that simple. What I have noticed, though, is that a lot of guys are learning and figuring out that it doesn't matter what happens the first 495 miles. As long as your car is still in good shape, you can race for the win. What happens is the last five laps of this race gets ridiculous, but more and more guys are figuring that out and we're having more and more guys challenging at the end.

I've won one restrictor-plate race at Daytona and if you're not involved in the wreck, it's fun. You love it no matter where you finish, but when you're involved in the wreck, which is about 50-60% of the time, that's not fun because you're going home bumped and bruised, with no points, and you're wrecked out of the race. It can be fun and exciting, but at the same time it can be disappointing.

Avoiding the big one is probably harder to do because when you're in the middle of four-wide, there's not really anyplace you can go unless you all of a sudden have wings and can get over the top of everyone. It's a helpless feeling when they're spinning and wrecking everywhere, so a lot of times you don't have much opportunity to try and avoid what's happening in front of you or beside you. A lot of times you're along for the ride in those big wrecks.

We know this weekend is going to be an exciting race, but even at the non-restrictor tracks I really think we're putting on better and better races. This new car took a lot of criticism, and we were real verbal about it when it first came out, because nobody likes change. Nobody likes to upset the apple cart, but the reality is we did and now we're getting back in the groove where the races are turning out to be so exciting and so competitive. I think we're going see some of the most exciting racing at the end of this year and next year because it just continues to get better and better.

Unfortunately, Martinsville just isn't one of my most favorite places. I've run good there three times. I've had three good cars there and when the car is good and turns in the center of the corner, and you can put the gas down like Denny Hamlin's car, it's fun. Let's face it, any race track is fun if you do well at it. There are just some race tracks drivers don't do well at, and then there are some race tracks that if the car is right, or we get it going good, then we're feeling pretty good and Martinsville is one of those race tracks for me.

Our top priority is still to win some races and finish as high as we can in the points. We'd certainly love to get in the top five and that's really our goal right now, in addition to learning some things for next year.

Enlarge By Sam Sharpe, US Presswire Greg Biffle gets buckled in before qualifying at Martinsville Speedway last week.