Talladega Superspeedway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Dega" | ||
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| Aerial view of Talladega Superspeedway in 2007. | ||
| Location | 3366 Speedway Boulevard, Eastaboga, Alabama 35096, United States | |
| Time zone | GMT-6 | |
| Capacity | 175,000 | |
| Owner | International Speedway Corporation | |
| Operator | International Speedway Corporation | |
| Broke ground | May 23, 1968 | |
| Opened | September 13, 1969 | |
| Construction Cost | $4 million USD | |
| Architect | Bill Ward and William France Sr. | |
| Former Names | Alabama International Motor Speedway(1969-1989) | |
| Major Events | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499, AMP Energy 500 NASCAR Nationwide Series Aaron's 312 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Mountain Dew 250 ARCA RE/MAX Series |
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| Tri-oval | ||
| Surface | Asphalt | |
| Circuit Length | 2.66 mi (4.28 km) | |
| Turns | 3 | |
| Banking | Turns 1&2: 33° Turn 3: 32.4° Turn 4: 32.5° Tri-oval16.5° Back straight: 3° |
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| Lap Record | 0:44.998 (Bill Elliott, Melling Racing, 1987, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) | |
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located in Eastaboga, Alabama, United States. It was constructed in the 1960s in place of the abandoned Anniston Army Airfield by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by NASCAR's founding France family along with Daytona International Speedway and several other racetracks. At 2.66 miles (4.28 km) long, Talladega is the largest (and most steeply banked) oval track in the Sprint Cup Series and has seating provisions for over 175,000 patrons.
The start/finish line is placed after the pit exit because Bill France wanted to have higher ticket sales towards that side, as well as centered with pit road. The unusual placement has affected the outcome of several races (the start/finish line is normally placed across from the center of pit road). The track is adjacent to and visible from Interstate 20.
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is adjacent to the Talladega Superspeedway.
Contents |
[edit] History
In the early days of NASCAR, a one-mile, oval track was originally planned to be built in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Local religious leaders opposed the construction of such a large track, and NASCAR founder Bill France decided to instead build the track in Alabama, about 15 miles North of Talladega.[1]
Talladega got off to a controversial start when the Professional Drivers Association, a union of drivers led by Richard Petty, went on strike the night before the inaugural Talladega 500. The union was concerned with the speed which could be attained due to the track's length and steep banking, and the perceived threat to driver safety that this posed. Bill France took to the track himself in a car and drove around it at high speeds. NASCAR also ran a successful support race, but it was not enough, and the PDA drivers went on strike. Replacement drivers from the previous day's race were asked to race, and tickets were good for future races. The race was the only win for Richard Brickhouse and was the debut race for six-time championship team owner Richard Childress.
Since 1970, the year after the track opened, Talladega has held two Sprint Cup races per year. Traditionally the first race was in the spring (April/May) and the second was at the end of July. In 1997, the track moved the summer race back to October, responding to the requests of fans because of the uncomfortably hot summer temperatures at the track and the unpredictability of summer thundershowers in the area. Since then, the fall race has become a part of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup.
[edit] Restrictor Plates and "The Big One"
Speeds well in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h) were commonplace at Talladega. Talladega Superspeedway has the record for the fastest recorded time by a NASCAR stock car in a closed oval course, with the record of 216.309 mph set by Rusty Wallace on June 9, 2004.[2]. Wallace circled the 2.66-mile (4.28-km) trioval in 44.270 seconds, which surpassed the previous record held by Bill Elliott (212.809 mph) set in 1987, but doesn't replace the record due to the fact it was practice. Buddy Baker was the first driver to qualify at a speed over 200 mph, with a 200.447 mph lap during testing on March 24, 1970. Baker's record was set while driving the #88 Chrysler Engineering Charger Daytona, which is currently undergoing restoration in Detroit, after being found in the late 1990s in Iowa.
In May 1987 Bobby Allison experienced a tire failure while going through the tri-oval portion of the track, which sent his car airborne. His car tore out a portion of the frontstretch catch fence, nearly entering the crowd. NASCAR imposed rule changes to slow the cars after the incident, with a 1988 rule requiring cars running there and at Daytona to use restrictor plates. The most often cited reason is a fear that the increasing speeds were exceeding the capabilities of the tires available at the time, as high-speed tire failure had led to some gruesome crashes at slightly lower speeds. The plates limit the amount of air and fuel entering the intake manifolds of the engine, greatly reducing the power of the cars and hence their speed. This has led to the style of racing held at Talladega and Daytona to be somewhat different from that at other superspeedways and to be referred to by NASCAR fans as "restrictor-plate racing".
The reduced power affects not only the maximum speed reached by the cars but the time it takes them to achieve their full speed as well, which can be nearly one full circuit of the track. The racing seen at Talladega today is extremely tight; often in rows of three or four cars, and sometimes even 5 wide on the straightaways throughout most of the field, as the track is wide enough to permit such racing. Breaking away from the pack is very difficult as well.
Such close quarters, however, makes it extremely difficult for a driver to avoid an incident as it is unfolding in front of him, and the slightest mistake often leads to massive (and often frightening) multi-car accidents – dubbed "the Big One" by fans and drivers – and Talladega is notorious for such, and always has been. It is not uncommon to see 20 or more cars collected in the crashes. Such huge crashes are less frequent at Daytona, which is a more handling-oriented track, and the number of cars involved has generally dropped with the addition of gigantic escape lanes on the bottom of the backstretch as well as on the short chutes of the frontstretch.
The danger of "The Big One" not only can cause extensive damage to cars during a race, but it can affect points standings overall, especially since the second race was moved from July to October because of the Alabama heat, and the development of NASCAR's playoff system that incorporates the second race, currently the AMP Energy 500, although such big wrecks periodically occurred even before the restrictor plates were introduced as well.
[edit] The Talladega Jinx
The high number of crashes over the years, along with other factors, have led to rumors of Talladega Superspeedway being cursed. Stories of the origin of the curse vary. Some claim that a local Native American tribe held horse races in the valley where the track currently resides and a chief was killed when he was thrown from his horse. Others say that the site of the superspeedway was once an Indian burial ground. Still another version says that after the local tribe was driven out by the Creek nation for their collaborating with the forces of Andrew Jackson, a shaman put a curse on the valley. However, none of these rumors can be proven.
Since the construction of the track, many strange happenings and untimely deaths have fueled the rumors of a curse. In 1973, Bobby Isaac left his car during the race on lap 90 because of voices he claimed to have heard which told him to park his car and get out. Earlier on lap 14 in the same race, young driver Larry Smith died in a seemingly minor wreck.
To some, Bobby Allison's 1987 wreck described above was yet another reminder of the curse. In 1993, Bobby's son, Davey Allison, died in a helicopter crash in the infield of Talladega.[3]
[edit] Facelift
Talladega Superspeedway went under heavy re-construction on the pavement of the racing surface and down on the apron (trouble lane). Construction began on May 1, 2006 and ended September 18, 2006. The first NASCAR race after the face-lift was the John Deere 250, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on October 7th. Mark Martin qualified on the pole for the race, and turned out to be the winner in the end after the hard crash on the last lap in turn 3 involving Mike Wallace in the GEICO Chevrolet and Derrike Cope in the Key Motorsports Chevrolet.
[edit] Scheduled races
Talladega hosts two Sprint Cup Series races and one Nationwide Series race annually. Both of the Sprint Cup Series races are 500.08 miles (188 laps) (800 km) in length. The names by which the races are called now vary due to the purchase of naming rights, with the spring Sprint Cup Series race since spring 2002 (2002) being referred to as the Aaron's 499 after the Atlanta-based rent-to-own chain. The Nationwide Series race has historically been a 500 kilometer race (117 laps) since its 1992 inception, but was cut to 300 miles (483 km – 113 laps) in 1998 because of a spectator's letter questioning the metric distance, but restored to 500 kilometers by its current sponsor. The Craftsman Truck Series race is 250 miles (94 laps) and the ARCA race, once a 500 kilometer affair, was shortened to 300 miles in 1998, and to 250 miles in 2006 when it was moved to Friday.
The Aaron's 499, then sponsored by Winston, was known as one of the sport's four legs of the traditional "Winston Million", with the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500 being the other three. With the demise of the Southern 500 by a lawsuit, there are only three majors remaining. (From 1985 until 1997, a driver who won three of the four majors won a one million dollar bonus.)
[edit] NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats
[edit] NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Records
- Most Wins – (10) – Dale Earnhardt
- Most Top 5's – (23) – Dale Earnhardt
- Most Top 10's – (27) – Dale Earnhardt
- Starts – (61) -Dave Marcis
- Poles – (8) – Bill Elliott
- Laps Led – (1377) – Dale Earnhardt
- Avg Start (Minimum 10 starts) – (5.3) – Davey Allison
- Avg Finish (Minimum 10 starts) – (10.0) – Kurt Busch
[edit] NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Winners
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Car # | Sponsor | Make | Avg Speed | Margin of Victory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | September 14 | Richard Brickhouse | 99 | Nichels Engineering | ’69 Dodge | 153.778 mph (247.482 km/h) | 7 sec |
| 1970 | April 12 | Pete Hamilton | 40 | Petty Enterprises | ’70 Plymouth | 152.321 mph (245.137 km/h) | 44 sec |
| 1970 | August 23rd | Pete Hamilton | 40 | Petty Enterprises | ’70 Plymouth | 158.517 mph (255.108 km/h) | 10 sec |
| 1971 | May 16 | Donnie Allison | 21 | Wood Brothers | ’69 Mercury | 147.419 mph (237.248 km/h) | 6 cl |
| 1971 | August 22 | Bobby Allison | 12 | Holman-Moody | ’69 Mercury | 145.945 mph (234.876 km/h) | 2.1sec |
| 1972 | May 7 | David Pearson | 21 | Wood Brothers | ’71 Mercury | 134.4 mph (216.296 km/h) | 4.9 sec |
| 1972 | August 6 | James Hylton | 48 | Hylton Engineering | ’71 Mercury | 148.728 mph (239.355 km/h) | 1 cl |
| 1973 | May 6 | David Pearson | 21 | Purolator | ’71 Mercury | 131.956 mph (212.363 km/h) | 1 lap |
| 1973 | August 12 | Dick Brooks | 22 | Eastern Airlines | ’72 Plymouth | 145.454 mph (234.086 km/h) | 7.2 sec |
| 1974 | May 5 | David Pearson | 21 | Purolator | ’73 Mercury | 130.22 mph (209.569 km/h) | 0.17 sec |
| 1974 | August 11 | Richard Petty | 43 | STP | ’74 Mercury | 148.637 mph (239.208 km/h) | UC |
| 1975 | May 4 | Buddy Baker | 15 | Sunny King | ’75 Ford | 144.948 mph (233.271 km/h) | 1 cl |
| 1975 | August 17 | Buddy Baker | 15 | Sunny King | ’75 Ford | 130.892 mph (210.650 km/h) | 5 feet |
| 1976 | May 2 | Buddy Baker | 15 | Norris Industries | Ford | 169.887 mph (273.407 km/h) | 35 sec |
| 1976 | August 8 | Dave Marcis | 71 | K&K Insurance | Dodge | 157.547 mph (253.547 km/h) | 29.5 sec |
| 1977 | May 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 88 | Gatorade | Chevrolet | 164.877 mph (265.344 km/h) | 0.29 sec |
| 1977 | August 7 | Donnie Allison | 1 | Hawaiian Tropic | Chevrolet | 162.524 mph (261.557 km/h) | UC |
| 1978 | May 14 | Cale Yarborough | 11 | First National City | Oldsmobile | 155.699 mph (250.573 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1978 | August 6 | Lennie Pond | 54 | W.I.N. | Oldsmobile | 174.7 mph (281.15 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1979 | May 6 | Bobby Allison | 15 | Hodgdon/Moore | Ford | 154.77 mph (249.078 km/h) | 1 lap + 50 sec |
| 1979 | August 5 | Darrell Waltrip | 88 | Gatorade | Oldsmobile | 161.229 mph (259.473 km/h) | 62 sec |
| 1980 | May 4 | Buddy Baker | 28 | NAPA | Oldsmobile | 170.481 mph (274.363 km/h) | 3 feet |
| 1980 | August 3 | Neil Bonnett | 21 | Purolator | Mercury | 166.894 mph (268.590 km/h) | 6 cl |
| 1981 | May 3 | Bobby Allison | 28 | The 5 Racers | Buick | 149.376 mph (240.397 km/h) | 0.1 sec |
| 1981 | August 2 | Ron Bouchard | 47 | Race Hill Farm | Buick | 156.737 mph (252.244 km/h) | 2 feet |
| 1982 | May 2 | Darrell Waltrip | 11 | Mountain Dew | Buick | 156.597 mph (252.018 km/h) | 3 cl |
| 1982 | August 1 | Darrell Waltrip | 11 | Mountain Dew | Buick | 168.157 mph (270.622 km/h) | 1 cl |
| 1983 | May 1 | Richard Petty | 43 | STP | Pontiac | 153.936 mph (247.736 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1983 | July 31 | Dale Earnhardt | 15 | Wrangler | Ford | 170.611 mph (274.572 km/h) | 4 cl |
| 1984 | May 6 | Cale Yarborough | 28 | Hardee’s | Chevrolet | 172.988 mph (278.397 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1984 | July 29 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Wrangler | Chevrolet | 155.485 mph (250.229 km/h) | 1.66 sec |
| 1985 | May 5 | Bill Elliott | 9 | Coors | Ford Thunderbird | 186.288 mph (299.801 km/h) | 1.72 sec |
| 1985 | July 28 | Cale Yarborough | 28 | Hardee’s | Ford Thunderbird | 148.772 mph (239.425 km/h) | 0.66 sec |
| 1986 | May 4 | Bobby Allison | 22 | Miller American | Buick Regal | 157.698 mph (253.790 km/h) | 0.19 sec |
| 1986 | July 27 | Bobby Hillin Jr | 8 | Miller American | Buick Regal | 151.522 mph (243.851 km/h) | 3 cl |
| 1987 | May 3 | Davey Allison | 28 | Texaco Havoline | Ford Thunderbird | 154.228 mph (248.206 km/h) | 0.78 sec |
| 1987 | July 26 | Bill Elliott | 9 | Coors | Ford Thunderbird | 171.293 mph (275.669 km/h) | 0.15 sec |
| 1988 | May 1 | Phil Parsons | 55 | Crown Petroleum / Skoal Classic | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 156.547 mph (251.938 km/h) | 0.21 sec |
| 1988 | July 31 | Ken Schrader | 25 | Folgers | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 154.505 mph (248.652 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1989 | May 7 | Davey Allison | 28 | Texaco Havoline | Ford Thunderbird | 155.869 mph (250.847 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1989 | July 30 | Terry Labonte | 11 | Budweiser | Ford Thunderbird | 157.354 mph (253.237 km/h) | 0.2 sec |
| 1990 | May 6 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Lumina | 159.571 mph (256.805 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1990 | July 29 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Lumina | 174.43 mph (280.718 km/h) | 0.26 sec |
| 1991 | May 6 | Harry Gant | 33 | Skoal Bandit | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 165.62 mph (266.540 km/h) | 11 sec |
| 1991 | July 28 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Lumina | 147.383 mph (237.19 km/h) | 1.5 cl |
| 1992 | May 3 | Davey Allison | 28 | Texaco Havoline | Ford Thunderbird | 167.609 mph (269.741 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1992 | July 26 | Ernie Irvan | 4 | Kodak Film | Chevrolet Lumina | 176.309 mph (283.742 km/h) | 0.19 sec |
| 1993 | May 2 | Ernie Irvan | 4 | Kodak Film | Chevrolet Lumina | 155.412 mph (250.111 km/h) | 2 cl |
| 1993 | July 25 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Lumina | 153.858 mph (247.610 km/h) | 0.005 sec |
| 1994 | May 1 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Lumina | 157.478 mph (253.436 km/h) | 0.06 sec |
| 1994 | July 24 | Jimmy Spencer | 27 | McDonald’s | Ford Thunderbird | 163.217 mph (262.672 km/h) | 0.025 sec |
| 1995 | April 30 | Mark Martin | 6 | Valvoline | Ford Thunderbird | 178.902 mph (287.915 km/h) | 0.18 sec |
| 1995 | July 23 | Sterling Marlin | 4 | Kodak Film | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 173.188 mph (278.719 km/h) | 0.05 sec |
| 1996 | April 28 | Sterling Marlin | 4 | Kodak Film | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 149.999 mph (241.400 km/h) | 0.22 sec |
| 1996 | July 28 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont Refinishes | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 133.387 mph (214.666 km/h) | 0.146 sec |
| 1997 | May 10 | Mark Martin | 6 | Valvoline | Ford Thunderbird | 188.354 mph (303.126 km/h) | 0.146 sec |
| 1997 | October 12 | Terry Labonte | 5 | Kellogg's | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 156.601 mph (252.025 km/h) | 0.146 sec |
| 1998 | April 26 | Bobby Labonte | 18 | Interstate Batteries | Pontiac Grand Prix | 144.428 mph (232.434 km/h) | 0.167 sec |
| 1998 | October 11 | Dale Jarrett | 88 | Quality Care/Ford Credit | Ford Taurus | 159.318 mph (256.397 km/h) | 0.14 sec |
| 1999 | April 25 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 163.395 mph (262.959 km/h) | 0.137 sec |
| 1999 | October 17 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 166.632 mph (268.168 km/h) | 0.114 sec |
| 2000 | April 16 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 161.157 mph (259.357 km/h) | 0.189 sec |
| 2000 | October 15 | Dale Earnhardt | 3 | Goodwrench | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 165.681 mph (266.638 km/h) | 0.119 sec |
| 2001 | April 22 | Bobby Hamilton | 55 | Square D | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 184.003 mph (296.124 km/h) | 0.163 sec |
| 2001 | October 21 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 8 | Budweiser | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 164.185 mph (264.230 km/h) | 0.388 sec |
| 2002 | April 21 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 8 | Budweiser | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 159.022 mph (255.921 km/h) | 0.060 sec |
| 2002 | October 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 8 | Budweiser | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 183.665 mph (295.580 km/h) | 0.118 sec |
| 2003 | April 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 8 | Budweiser | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 144.625 mph (232.751 km/h) | 0.125 sec |
| 2003 | September 28 | Michael Waltrip | 15 | NAPA | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 156.045 mph (251.130 km/h) | 0.095 sec |
| 2004 | April 25 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont/Pepsi | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 129.396 mph (208.243 km/h) | UC |
| 2004 | October 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr | 8 | Budweiser | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 156.929 mph (252.55 km/h) | 0.117 sec |
| 2005 | May 1 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 146.904 mph (236.419 km/h) | 0.193 sec/GWC |
| 2005 | October 2 | Dale Jarrett | 88 | UPS | Ford Taurus | 143.818 mph (231.453 km/h) | UC/GWC |
| 2006 | May 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 48 | Lowe’s | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 142.891 mph (229.961 km/h) | 0.120 sec |
| 2006 | October 8 | Brian Vickers | 25 | GMAC | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 157.602 mph (253.636 km/h) | UC |
| 2007 | April 29 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | DuPont | Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 154.167 mph (248.108 km/h) | UC/GWC |
| 2007 | October 07 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | Pepsi | Chevrolet Impala SS | 143.445 mph (230.852 km/h) | 0.066 |
| 2008 | April 27 | Kyle Busch | 18 | M&M's | Toyota Camry | 157.409 mph (253.325 km/h) | UC |
| 2008 | October 5 | Tony Stewart | 20 | Subway | Toyota Camry | GWC | |
| 2009 | April 26 | Brad Keselowski | 09 | Miccosukee | Chevrolet Impala SS |
UC = Race finished under caution GWC = Race extended by green-white-checkered finish. Starting in 1993, timing has been scored by electronic means.
[edit] Current races
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Aaron's 499
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: AMP Energy 500
- NASCAR Nationwide Series: Aaron's 312
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Mountain Dew 250
- ARCA RE/MAX Series: Food World 250
The circuit's infield also hosts the Birmingham Ultimate Disc Association Mud Bowl tournament in the winter.
http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/news/track_news/533313.html
[edit] Records
- March 24, 1970: Buddy Baker, driving the Chrysler Engineering #88 Dodge Charger Daytona, officially becomes the first driver in NASCAR history to break the 200 mph barrier by turning a lap of 200.447 mph (322.588 km/h). This was also a World Record at the time for any vehicle on a closed course. It was achieved using official Nascar Scoring and Timing equipment.
- August 20, 1971: Paula Murphy, "Miss STP" made a record closed course run for a female at 171.499 mph (276.001 km/h).
- August, 1974: A.J. Foyt tests an Indy car at a speed of 217.854 mph (350.602 km/h).
- August 9, 1975: Mark Donohue sets a closed-course world record in a Porsche 917-30 at 221.160 mph. It would stand as a world record for four years, and as a United States record until 1986.
- 1984: The Winston 500 set a still standing NASCAR record with 75 lead changes in a single race.
- May 5, 1985: Bill Elliott sets a 500-mile race record, winning the Winston 500 at an average speed of 186.288 mph. Elliott won the race despite losing nearly two laps during a lengthy early pit stop to fix a broken oil line, and despite the race only having two caution flags. Elliott made up the entire distance he lost under one lengthy, green-flag period. The record stood as the fastest 500-mile race of any kind until 1990, when Al Unser, Jr. broke it by winning the CART Michigan 500 at Michigan International Speedway at an average speed of 189.727 mph (305.336 km/h). Mark Martin later broke the record for fastest 500-mile NASCAR race (see below).
- November 26, 1985: Lyn St. James sets a record closed course run for a female, at over 200 mph (320 km/h).
- March 24, 1986: Bobby Unser sets a closed-course speed record for four-wheel drive vehicles with an Audi 5000CS Turbo Quattro at 206.825 mph (332.853 km/h) with a top speed over 350km/h (over 219mph) the car was complying with NASCAR rules!.
- 1986: The Saab Long Run – set of 2 world and 21 international records with three series SAAB 9000 Turbo – 100,000 km with an average speed of 213.299 km/h and 50,000 miles with an average speed of 213.686 km/h.
- April 30, 1987: Bill Elliott sets the all-time NASCAR qualifying record, winning the pole for the Winston 500 at a speed of 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h) (44.998 seconds). The record still stands due strictly to the use of the carburetor restrictor plate, mandated after the 1987 season.
- October 11, 1988: Lyn St. James sets a record closed course run for a female at 212.577 mph (342.110 km/h), driving a Ford Thunderbird.
- December 14, 1989: Patty Moise sets a record closed course run for a female at 216.607 mph (348.595 km/h), driving a Buick.
- January 23, 1990: Patty Moise sets a record closed course run for a female at 217.498 mph (350.029 km/h), driving a Buick.
- 1996 Saab set endurance and speed record-breaking runs in their 900.
- May 10, 1997: Mark Martin wins the Winston Select 500, a race which had no caution flags, at a NASCAR 500-mile record speed of 188.354 mph (303.126 km/h), nearly ten years after the introduction of restrictor plates.
- June 10, 2004: Rusty Wallace tests a stock car without a restrictor plate for series sponsor Nextel to test communication capabilities, and hits a speed over 228 mph (367 km/h) on the straights (some reports say the speeds were close to 235 mph / 378 km/h), and 221 mph (356 km/h) average speed for the lap.
[edit] Memorable races at Talladega
- 2007: Kyle Busch goes for a terrifying tumble into the 3rd turn during the spring Busch Series race, after making contact with Tony Stewart. Numerous other cars are involved in other small wrecks during the race that whittled the field down. Jeff Gordon wins the spring Cup race the next day, and, like the 2004 race, a few fans litter the track in debris (especially beer cans) in protest of Gordon passing Dale Earnhardt in career wins. Gordon won the fall race in the same year in the first ever COT restrictor plate race by passing teammate Jimmie Johnson and fellow competitor Tony Stewart to lead from the entrance of turn 3 to the finish line on the last lap with Johnson coming up short on a late pass attempt. This also marked a milestone as it was Gordon's 80th career win and a personal achievement.
- 2007 (Fall): Jeff Gordon had a pit-road penalty for taking pit equipment from his stall earlier in the race, went to the back, but made a charge to the front late in the race and on the final lap, he was running second behind teammate Jimmie Johnson until Tony Stewart led a group of cars on the outside, heading down the backstretch, Gordon went up in front of Stewart which gave him a draft push by Johnson and into the lead and held him, Stewart and Dave Blaney off for the win. This was Gordon's 80th career win, 6th at Talladega and 12th restrictor-plate win, passing Dale Earnhardt for the most restrictor-plate wins, he also sweeps the races at Talladega for 2007, becoming the 6th person to sweeps both races at Talladega on the same year and wins the first Car of Tomorrow race on a Superspeedway. Gordon won the race with a special Pepsi paint scheme designed by a fan, quoting after he won that "they should do this again next year.", this is Gordon's 3rd win at Talladega with a Pepsi paint scheme. Toyota was the spotlight of the weekend, celebrating its first pole on a Superspeedway courtesy of Michael Waltrip, five Toyotas in the top 6 starting spots, and drivers in outside the Top 35 in owners points qualifying unusually well. The Big One also happened in the race, involving 11 cars. Also the first appearance in victory lane by his new daughter Ella.
- 2009 Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski battle for the lead on the last lap coming into the tri-oval. Carl comes down on Brad, sending Carl Edwards spinning. The spinning car is hit by Ryan Newman, and the 99 of Carl Edwards flies into the air. He flips into the grandstand fence, injuring 11 fans because of flying debris. No serious injuries reported. Brad Keselowski wins his first Cup race, and James Finch gets his very first win in the Cup series as a car owner. At the end of the race, Carl Edwards car hadn't crossed the finish line. Carl got out of his car, and ran across the start finish line, mimicking Ricky Bobby from the movie Talladega Nights.
[edit] First-Time Winners
A large number of drivers won the first race of their careers at Talladega. In fact, the first race at the track was won by a first time winner (Richard Brickhouse). As of May 1, 2009, 9 drivers have won their first race at Talladega.
- Richard Brickhouse
- Dick Brooks
- Lennie Pond
- Ron Bouchard
- Bobby Hillin, Jr.
- Phil Parsons
- Brian Vickers
- Brad Keselowski
Interestingly, none of these drivers have won since their Talladega victory though Vickers and Keselowski are still active and expected to win again
[edit] Racing Schools
- Dale Jarrett Racing School
- Richard Petty Driving Experience
- Racing Experience, Inc
- Jeff Gordon Racing School
[edit] See also
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Racing vs. Religion". Historic Hillsborough. http://www.historichillsborough.org/images/Speedway-Complete.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-07-16.
- ^ http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/06/10/rwallace_talladega/index.html Accessed July 4, 2007.
- ^ "They're hearing voices at Talladega". ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/columns/story?columnist=hinton_ed&id=4090615. Retrieved on 2009-04-28.
[edit] Bibliography
- Bolton, Mike and Jim Nunn (October 7, 2006) "Talladega doesn't measure up." Birmingham News. – Updates previously published track dimensions with new measurements taken during 2006 repaving.
- Fielden, Greg. NASCAR Chronicle. Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International, Ltd., 2004.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Talladega Superspeedway |
- Interactive Talladega Superspeedway Map
- Talladega Superspeedway Official Site
- Talladega Superspeedway Page on NASCAR.com
- GNEXTINC.com: Talladega Superspeedway Page[dead link] – Local area information, track specs, mapping, news and more.
- Jayski's Talladega Superspeedway Page – Current and Past Talladega Superspeedway News
- Satellite picture by Google Maps
Coordinates: 33°34′01.06″N 86°03′57.85″W / 33.5669611°N 86.0660694°W
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