Talladega Superspeedway facts for kids
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Aerial view of Talladega Superspeedway in 2007. The runways of the defunct Anniston Air Force Base are visible just to the south of the active Talladega Municipal Airport
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| Location | 3366 Speedway Boulevard, Lincoln, Alabama 35096, United States |
| Time zone | UTC−6 / −5 (DST) |
| Coordinates | 33°34′01.06″N 86°03′57.85″W / 33.5669611°N 86.0660694°W |
| Capacity | 80,000–175,000 (depending on configuration) |
| Owner | NASCAR |
| Operator | NASCAR |
| Broke ground | May 23, 1968 |
| Opened | September 13, 1969 |
| Construction cost | US$4 million |
| Architect | Bill Ward and William France Sr. |
| Former names | Alabama International Motor Speedway (1969–1989) |
| Major events |
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| Tri-oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.66 mi (4.281 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | Turns 1 & 2: 33° Turn 3: 32.4° Turn 4: 32.5° Tri-oval: 16.5° Back straight: 3° |
| Race lap record | 0:44.998 (Bill Elliott, Melling Racing, 1987, NASCAR Cup Series) |
Talladega Superspeedway, often called “Dega”, is a famous place for car races in Talladega, Alabama. It used to be known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS). This race track is built on what was once the Anniston Air Force Base in Lincoln.
The track is shaped like a tri-oval and was built in 1969. It was created by the International Speedway Corporation, a company run by the France Family. Talladega is the longest oval track in NASCAR, stretching out to 2.66 miles (4.28 km). For comparison, Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. Talladega can hold a huge crowd, with space for up to 175,000 fans. The main seating area alone fits about 80,000 people. Today, it hosts exciting races from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
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History of Talladega Superspeedway
In the 1960s, William "Bill" France, Sr. had a big dream. He wanted to build a race track that was even faster and longer than Daytona International Speedway. After looking at different places, he found an old airfield between Atlanta and Birmingham.
Construction began on May 23, 1968. The track officially opened on September 13, 1969, costing about $4 million to build. It was first called the "Alabama International Motor Speedway." This name stuck for 20 years until 1989, when it became "Talladega Superspeedway."
In the very first race at Talladega, something unusual happened. Many original drivers left the track because of tire problems. This led Bill France to find new drivers quickly. Richard Brickhouse ended up winning that first race. Since then, Talladega has hosted two Cup Series races each year. One of these races is now part of the 10-race playoff format.
Over the years, Talladega has seen many races and has been repaved four times to keep it in top condition. It's also a place where many drivers have won their first big race. Some of these first-time winners include Richard Brickhouse, Ron Bouchard, Bobby Hillin, Davey Allison, Brian Vickers, Brad Keselowski, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
From its start until 1983, Talladega also had a 4-mile (6.4 km) road course inside the main oval. In the 1970s, it even hosted six IMSA GT Championship races. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame museum, which celebrates racing legends, opened at the track in 1983.
In May 2006, the track began a major project to resurface the main track and its edges. This work started on May 1 and finished on September 18. The first race on the new surface was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on October 7.
In 2013, the track changed its seating. About 18,000 seats were removed from the backstretch grandstand. This reduced the track's seating capacity to 80,000. The long back straightaway, which is 4,000 feet (1,219 m) long, was renamed the "Alabama Gang Superstretch" in 2014.
The "Big One" at Talladega
At Talladega, cars often reach speeds over 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). This track holds the record for the fastest lap by a NASCAR car on an oval course. Rusty Wallace set this record on June 9, 2004, at 216.309 mph (348.116 km/h). He completed the 2.66-mile (4.28 km) track in just 44.270 seconds. This was a test run, not an official race.
The first driver to officially go over 200 mph (320 km/h) was Buddy Baker. He did it during a test on March 24, 1970, with a lap of 200.447 mph (322.588 km/h). Benny Parsons was the first to qualify at over 200 mph (320 km/h) in 1982.
In May 1987, Bobby Allison had a very serious crash. His car went airborne and hit the safety fence. Luckily, it did not go into the stands. After this crash, NASCAR made new rules to slow the cars down. They started using restrictor plates, which limit how much air and fuel can go into the engine. This greatly reduces the cars' power and speed.
More recently, NASCAR has used "tapered spacers" instead of restrictor plates. These also limit airflow but allow for more horsepower and slightly higher speeds. This makes racing at Talladega and Daytona very close and exciting.
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Because the cars are so close in speed, they often race in tight groups, sometimes three or four cars wide. The track is wide enough for this, but it also means drivers have little time to react if something goes wrong. A small mistake can cause a huge pile-up involving many cars. Fans and drivers call these big crashes "the Big One." It's not uncommon to see 20 or more cars crash at once. Sometimes, cars even flip over or slide on their roofs. NASCAR has made many safety improvements over the years to make these crashes less dangerous.
The Talladega Curse
Many strange things have happened at Talladega, leading to rumors that the track is cursed. There are different stories about how the curse started. Some say a Native American chief died there during a horse race. Others believe the track was built on an old Indian burial ground. Another story says a shaman put a curse on the valley after his tribe was forced out by the Creek nation.
Since the track opened, unusual events and sad deaths have added to these rumors.
- In 1973, Larry Smith died in a crash that didn't seem severe enough to be fatal. In the same race, driver Bobby Isaac suddenly stopped his car and quit racing. He said "Something told me to quit."
- In 1974, a crew member, Don Miller, lost part of his leg in a pit lane accident. Later that year, ten top qualifying cars were secretly damaged the night before a race. The person who did it was never found.
- In 1975, Randy Owens, a crew member for Richard Petty's team, was killed when an air tank exploded in the pits.
- Many people saw Bobby Allison's 1987 crash as another sign of the curse. Then, in 1993, his son, Davey Allison, died in a helicopter crash right in the infield of Talladega.
- In 1996, Bob Loga, the president of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), died in a traffic accident in a parking lot. Years later, in 2018, ARCA team owner James Hylton died in a highway accident after a race, exactly 22 years and one day after Bob Loga's death.
A funny short film about the Talladega jinx, called The Legend of Hallowdega, was made in 2010.
Races at Talladega
Talladega hosts several exciting NASCAR races each year. These include two NASCAR Cup Series races, one NASCAR Xfinity Series race, and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
- The Cup Series races are the GEICO 500 and the YellaWood 500. Both are 188 laps long, covering about 500 miles (800 km).
- The Xfinity Series race is usually 113 laps, or about 300 miles (480 km).
- The Truck Series race is 94 laps, or 250 miles (400 km).
- The ARCA Menards Series also has a race there, which is 250 miles (400 km) long.
The infield of the track is also used for other events, like the Birmingham Ultimate Disc Association Mud Bowl tournament in the winter.
NASCAR Cup Series Records
Here are some records from the NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega:
| Most Wins | 10 | Dale Earnhardt |
| Most Consecutive Wins | 4 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| Most Top 5 Finishes | 23 | Dale Earnhardt |
| Most Top 10 Finishes | 27 | Dale Earnhardt |
| Most Starts | 61 | Dave Marcis and Terry Labonte |
| Most Poles | 8 | Bill Elliott |
| Most Laps Completed | 10,181 | Michael Waltrip |
| Most Laps Led | 1,377 | Dale Earnhardt |
*Records are for drivers with at least fifteen starts.
Amazing Records at Talladega
Talladega has been the site of many incredible records in racing history:
- March 24, 1970: Buddy Baker became the first NASCAR driver to break the 200 mph (320 km/h) barrier, with a lap of 200.447 mph (322.588 km/h). This was a world record for any vehicle on a closed course at the time.
- August 9, 1975: Mark Donohue set a world record in a Porsche 917-30 at 221.160 mph (355.923 km/h). This record stood for four years.
- May 6, 1984: The Winston 500 race set a motorsports record with 75 lead changes, meaning the lead position changed 75 times in one race!
- May 5, 1985: Bill Elliott won the Winston 500 at an average speed of 186.288 mph (299.792 km/h). He won even after losing two laps early in the race due to a problem.
- April 30, 1987: Bill Elliott set the all-time NASCAR qualifying record at 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h). This record still stands today because of the rules that require cars to use restrictor plates.
- October 11, 1988: Lyn St. James set a record for women on a closed course at 212.577 mph (342.110 km/h).
- December 14, 1989: Patty Moise broke that record, reaching 216.607 mph (348.595 km/h). She then broke her own record on January 23, 1990, at 217.498 mph (350.029 km/h).
- May 10, 1997: Mark Martin won a NASCAR 500-mile race at a record average speed of 188.354 mph (303.126 km/h). This race had no caution flags.
- October 15, 2000: Dale Earnhardt won his 10th race at Talladega, setting a record for most wins at the track. This was also his 76th and final win before his sad death in 2001.
- April 6, 2003: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won his fourth Cup race in a row at Talladega. This race also had NASCAR's biggest crash ever, with 27 cars piling up.
- April 25, 2010: The Aaron's 499 race broke the 1984 record for lead changes with 88! It also had a record 29 different drivers leading the race.
- October 7, 2012: A huge crash involving 25 cars happened on the final lap. Tony Stewart's car flipped over, and many other cars crashed into the blocked track.
First-Time Winners at Talladega
Many drivers have won their very first career race at Talladega. As of October 3, 2020, twelve drivers have achieved their first win here:
- Richard Brickhouse*
- Dick Brooks*
- Lennie Pond*
- Ron Bouchard*
- Bobby Hillin Jr.*
- Davey Allison
- Phil Parsons*
- Ken Schrader
- Brian Vickers
- Brad Keselowski
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Raphaël Lessard*
*These drivers had their only career win in the series at Talladega.
Talladega in Film and Television
Talladega Superspeedway has been featured in several movies and TV shows:
- 1983: Stroker Ace
- 2005: The Amazing Race: Family Edition
- 2006: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
- 2007: Postcards from Buster This Just In!
Images for kids
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Aerial view of Talladega Superspeedway in 2007.
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Talladega Superspeedway after the track was repaved.
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Denny Hamlin leading the 2008 Aaron's 499 alongside David Stremme.
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Joey Logano leading the 2019 GEICO 500 alongside Brad Keselowski.
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Bill Elliott's car that set the record for the fastest qualifying speed in a stock car – 212.809 mph.
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Lyn St. James' car that set a female closed circuit speed record.
Talladega Superspeedway race results at Racing-Reference
See also
In Spanish: Talladega Superspeedway para niños
