YellaWood 500 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
YellaWood 500

NASCAR Cup Series
Venue	Talladega Superspeedway
Location	Lincoln, Alabama, United States
Corporate sponsor	YellaWood
First race	1969 (1969)
Distance	500.08 miles (804.801 km)
Laps	188 Stage 1: 98 Stages 2 & 3: 45 each
Previous names	Talladega 500 (1969–1987) Talladega DieHard 500 (1988–1989) DieHard 500 (1990–1997) Winston 500 (1998–2000) EA Sports 500 (2001–2004) UAW-Ford 500 (2005–2007) AMP Energy 500 (2008–2009) AMP Energy Juice 500 (2010) Good Sam Club 500 (2011) Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 (2012) Camping World RV Sales 500 (2013) GEICO 500 (2014) CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega (2015) Hellmann's 500 (2016) Alabama 500 (2017) 1000Bulbs.com 500 (2018–2019)
Most wins (driver)	Dale Earnhardt (7)
Most wins (team)	Richard Childress Racing (8)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Chevrolet (24)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.66 mi (4.28 km)
Turns	4

The YellaWood 500 is an exciting stock car race in the NASCAR Cup Series. It takes place at the famous Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. This event is part of the playoff championship known as The Chase. Drivers speed around a massive banked track made of smooth asphalt. They race for over 500 miles, which equals 188 laps. The track has four steep turns that allow cars to go very fast. Kyle Larson won this big race in 2026.

This competition is famous for close finishes and huge packs of cars. Talladega is one of the fastest tracks in the entire world. Because the cars can go dangerously fast, NASCAR uses special engine rules to control speed. The event is one of four races that famously used restrictor plates. The others are the Daytona 500, the Jack Link's 500, and the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Fans from all over love watching the incredible teamwork and clever passing here.

High-Speed Racing History at Talladega

The very first running of this 500-mile autumn race took place in 1969. In its early days, the race happened in late July or early August. Summers in the American South can get extremely hot. High temperatures made it tough on the drivers inside their warm racing suits. Hot weather also brought unpredictable summer thunderstorms across Alabama. In 1997, officials moved the race to October to give fans cooler weather.

The schedule changed again in 2009. Talladega swapped dates with Atlanta Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California. The race was held on November 1 that season. In 1998, organizers swapped event names with the spring track race. The autumn race was called the Winston 500 to support the Winston No Bull 5 program. That special contest gave drivers a chance to win a huge million-dollar bonus prize.

Famous Sponsors and Name Changes

Many popular companies have sponsored this major stock car competition over the decades. In the early 2000s, video game creator EA Sports backed the exciting race. Car manufacturing unions joined with Ford to support it too. Later sponsors included energy drink brands, camping companies, and lightbulb sellers. Insurance giant GEICO also sponsored the race before moving to support the track's spring race. Food company Hellmann's took a turn as well. Today, building materials company YellaWood serves as the proud title sponsor.

What Makes Superspeedway Racing Unique?

Racing at Talladega requires different skills than racing on smaller short tracks. Drivers must use aerodynamic drafting, where cars line up bumper-to-bumper to cut through wind resistance. Two or three cars working together can push past a single car easily. Because everyone travels at similar speeds in a giant pack, sudden wrecks can happen. NASCAR calls these massive multi-car pileups "The Big One." Safety rules, like special roof flaps, help keep cars on the ground if they spin out. Drivers also use the NASCAR overtime rule to finish under green flags.

Memorable Moments and Classic Races

This speedway is legendary for surprising upsets by dark horse drivers. A dark horse is an underdog who is not expected to win. Seven different racers earned their very first Cup Series trophy at this event. Famous surprise winners include James Hylton, Dave Marcis, Jimmy Spencer, Jamie McMurray, and Bubba Wallace. Talladega creates opportunities for smaller teams to beat the biggest organizations in motorsports.

The Early Decades of Speed

The 1971 race brought wild drama on the very last circuit around the speedway. Bobby Allison battled wheel-to-wheel with racing legends Richard Petty and Pete Hamilton. The cars touched on the final lap, causing a spectacular finish. In 1972, James Hylton raced all the way from the middle of the field. He used older tire designs made by the Goodyear tire company. Many competitors suffered mechanical problems, but Hylton drove smoothly and edged Ramo Stott for victory.

In 1973, Dick Brooks drove a classic Plymouth called the Plymouth Roadrunner. He survived intense summer heat to beat fan favorites Buddy Baker and David Pearson. The lead changed 64 times during that single afternoon. In 1974, teams dealt with mystery car troubles in the garage before the green flag. NASCAR ordered inspection checks, and Richard Petty won by a nose in his Dodge.

Buddy Baker won a thrilling duel against Richard Petty in 1975. In 1976, Dave Marcis drove for clever crew chief Harry Hyde to grab the checkered flag. The 1977 contest saw a rare teamwork moment when Darrell Waltrip hopped in to finish for Donnie Allison. That marked the most recent time a relief driver won a premier series race. In 1978, Lennie Pond earned his first and only career victory in an Oldsmobile.

Legends of the 1980s and 1990s

In 1980, Neil Bonnett drove a Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing. He held off a charging young talent named Dale Earnhardt. The 1981 finish was one of the closest three-way battles ever seen. Ron Bouchard slipped past Terry Labonte and Darrell Waltrip on the bottom groove to take the win. The television network CBS Sports even showed extra replays a week later so fans could study it.

Popular country music singer Marty Robbins made his final career race start at this track in 1982. In 1983, Dale Earnhardt got a big draft push on the final lap from Bobby Allison. Dale Earnhardt won again in 1984 driving for Richard Childress Racing. That 1984 event featured 68 lead changes and is considered one of NASCAR's best races. In 1986, young driver Bobby Hillin Jr. took the victory while 26 different drivers led laps.

Fast cars built by Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, and Sterling Marlin dominated throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. In 1989, Terry Labonte won the final race under the classic "Talladega 500" name. In 1991, Dale Earnhardt outdueled rival Davey Allison, Mark Martin, and Michael Waltrip. Earnhardt won again in 1993 in a photo-finish against talented racer Ernie Irvan. Following high-flying incidents that year, NASCAR introduced roof flaps in 1994 to prevent cars from going airborne.

Dramatic Finishes in the 2000s

Dale Earnhardt scored his 76th and final career victory here during the autumn of 2000. He made an astonishing charge from 17th place with just four laps left to win. Starting in 2001, his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. took over the track's spotlight. Earnhardt Jr. won four consecutive Talladega races driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. In his 2001 win, he held off Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart while a huge crash happened behind him.

In 2002, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won without a single caution flag slowing the action down. Mechanical troubles struck his rivals, including star Jimmie Johnson and veteran Joe Nemechek. In 2003, teammate Michael Waltrip won while Kurt Busch and Elliott Sadler battled for track position. Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured his fifth Talladega trophy in 2004 despite late-race pressure from Jeff Gordon.

Veteran racer Dale Jarrett drove his Ford to victory in 2005. That exciting race included filming for the Hollywood comedy movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. In 2006, young driver Brian Vickers won in an emotional finish under yellow flags. Jeff Gordon used a push from Tony Stewart on the last lap to win in 2007. That event was the first Talladega race for NASCAR's modern fifth-generation car.

Tony Stewart won in 2008 for team owner Joe Gibbs Racing, giving Toyota a big superspeedway victory. In 2009, Jamie McMurray survived a wild green-white-checkered sprint to bring home a trophy for Roush Fenway Racing.

Thrilling Battles of the 2010s

On Halloween in 2010, Clint Bowyer edged teammate Kevin Harvick in a finish verified by scoring loops. Bowyer defended his title in 2011 by slingshotting past Jeff Burton on the final lap. Drivers carried special decals honoring fallen competitor Dan Wheldon at that 2011 event. In 2012, Matt Kenseth stayed ahead of a giant multi-car crash on the final lap to take victory.

Jamie McMurray scored another emotional Talladega win in 2013 driving for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. In 2014, Brad Keselowski raced his Team Penske Ford into victory lane in an intense overtime finish. His teammate Joey Logano captured back-to-back autumn Talladega victories in 2015 and 2016.

Keselowski returned to victory lane in 2017 after surviving several chaotic pileups. In 2018, Aric Almirola won for Stewart–Haas Racing when his teammate ran low on fuel. In 2019, Ryan Blaney edged Ryan Newman by just 0.006 seconds at the start-finish line. That race had to finish on Monday because heavy rain interrupted Sunday's action.

Recent Races in the 2020s

The October 2020 race set a record with 13 caution flags and three overtime restarts. Denny Hamlin used the apron in turn four to grab the victory by a few inches. In 2021, rain forced the race to conclude on Monday after 117 laps. Bubba Wallace was leading when rain stopped the race, earning his first Cup win. Wallace became the first African-American driver to win a Cup race since pioneer Wendell Scott in 1963. That victory also gave 23XI Racing, co-owned by basketball icon Michael Jordan, its first team win.

Fan favorite Chase Elliott drove his Chevrolet to an exciting victory in 2022. In 2023, Ryan Blaney grabbed his second autumn Talladega win in a photo-finish for Team Penske. The 2024 running saw underdog Ricky Stenhouse Jr. take an upset victory in extra laps. In 2025, Chase Briscoe took the checkered flag for Joe Gibbs Racing. Most recently, superstar driver Kyle Larson mastered the draft to win the 2026 title.

Record-Breaking Drivers and Top Teams

Many great racing drivers have built their reputations on the high banks of Talladega. Winning here requires patience, quick reflexes, and strong communication with the spotter in the grandstand. Some drivers have found the victory lane path multiple times across their racing careers.

Top Winning Drivers

Championship Race Teams

Successful racing teams spend hours testing cars in wind tunnels to gain tiny speed advantages. Richard Childress Racing leads all organizations with eight total victories in this autumn race. Hendrick Motorsports ranks close behind with seven wins, including triumphs with Gordon, Vickers, Elliott, and Larson. Team Penske has earned six victories thanks to its fast Ford powerplants.

Winning Car Manufacturers

Car companies compete every week for the manufacturer championship trophy. Chevrolet is the most successful brand in the history of this race with 24 victories. Ford holds second place with 18 wins. Other famous car brands with wins at Talladega include Toyota, Buick, Mercury, Dodge, Plymouth, and Oldsmobile.