Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway, formerly known as Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969-89, is a motorsports complex north of Talladega, Alabama.
The tri-oval track was built in 1969 and hosts races for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and ARCA Menards Series. No oval in NASCAR is longer than the 2.66-mile track that has played host to so many memorable moments since its debut, ranging from Rusty Wallace’s record-setting speed on an oval in 2004 to Bobby Allison’s 1987 crash to the events that have led to the belief in a curse at Talladega.
In the Cup Series, the GEICO 500 and YellaWood 500 are both hosted at Talladega, as are the Unhinged 300 and Ag-Pro 300 in the Xfinity Series. The Chevrolet Silverado 250 of the Truck Series takes place on the oval, and the same is true of the ARCA Menards Series’ General Tire 200.
Though many drivers have earned their first career victories at Talladega, the legendary Dale Earnhardt has enjoyed more success than anyone else (10 wins, 23 top-5s, 27 top-10s, 1,377 laps led) throughout the track’s history.
Wendell Scott got caught up in a huge wreck at Talladega in 1973, all but ending his pioneering NASCAR career.
Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson were key contributors to the Talladega wreck involving Kyle Larson and Ryan Preece.
Every Kyle Busch victory is a reminder to JGR owner Joe Gibbs of what he let get away.
Talladega comes with certain risks, but the superspeedway also can provide drivers with a bit of a physical breather. That could be important for Chase Elliott and Chase Briscoe.
The number of superspeedway races that end in overtime is startling and detracts from the rest of the race.
While it’s always tough to predict what will happen at Talladega Superspeedway, here are five drivers worth watching.
Carl Edwards jogged away from a dangerous wreck at Talladega to cross the finish line on foot.
Circuit of the Americas is the venue for NASCAR’s first Cup Series race without stage cautions since 2016.
The Talladega playoff race winner has yet to go on to win a Cup series championship.
Erik Jones and new ownership jump-started Petty GMS in 2022, creating big expectations for next season.
