Twice a year the argument is always the same: get rid of or change Talladega Superspeedway.
Which leaves the president of Talladega Superspeedway saying the same thing: It’s not going to happen.
“We get this question every Monday morning twice a year. No. We’re not going to tear up the banking,” says Rick Humphrey.
“It’s disappointing on Monday morning to hear all the complaints from everybody, but I really don’t know who much it [the race] differed from the last several races we had.”
The reason that Humphrey hears all the complaints is because Talladega has a rich history of sending drivers on some of the wildest and most horrifying accidents.
Many of which see the car go flipping through the air.
After the dust settles and the driver is checked and found to be OK, they then go in front of the camera and talk about how much they hate plate racing. That sentiment is then rehashed for the next week by some media, fans, and drivers alike.
However, instead of getting rid of one of the historical tracks of NASCAR, it should be embraced. Don’t misunderstand, the horrifying accidents shouldn’t be embraced nor should they be wanted.
Embrace that the accident happened and everyone is fine.
Then, maybe the accidents should be looked back upon as a “Welcome to Talladega” moment for the driver that were apart of it. Until they’ve gone flipping at the Superspeedway, they've only ever talked about how crazy the racing is.
Some may even consider it a badge of honor, maybe not at the time, but to make the highlight reel later on.
Some of the best in the business have taken the “Talladega Tumble,” and they’ve all ended up coming out stronger in the end or their crash benefited NASCAR in some way.
Take Bobby Allison’s 1987 crash near the start-finish line.
Allison’s car lifted in the air and not only tore the car apart, but took the catch fence with it. His brother Donnie came over to check on Bobby to make sure he was all right. “Yes,” Bobby said. “But you won’t believe the ride I just took.”
NASCAR implemented the restrictor plate after Allison’s crash to keep such an event from happening again.
Not only did the accident happen again, it happened over... and over... and over... and it happened in the same place, over… and over… and over. Just like the car that went over, and over, and over.
Neil Bonnet got spun around in 1993 in the tri-oval before lifting into the air, flipping on his roof, and then making contact with the catch fence. Just like Allison before him, Bonnet would be able to walk away sore but unhurt.
But the frontstretch fun wasn’t over.
Rewind to earlier this year when Carl Edwards went spinning and flipping into the fence. The same fence that took the beating from Allison and Bonnet’s wrecks all those years ago.
Edwards accident injured fans and angered drivers but he did walk away unhurt.
Others that have gone for a wild ride down the frontstretch or into turn one would be Trevor Boys in 1984. Boys got spun coming off turn four, went spinning toward pit road, and soon was flipping through the infield grass.
He popped right out of his demolished No.48 and seemed to be fine.
That was until he bent over and went to his knees, but only to tie his shoe before heading the care center.
Then there was Rusty Wallace in 1993, which went flying across the finish line and then tumbled into turn one.
He too, walked away.
As did Dale Earnhardt in 1996 after his famous black No.3 went head on into the wall and then flipped toward the start-finish line. Earnhardt did walk away on his own power even though he suffered a broken collarbone.
Two weeks later though, the Intimidator went to Watkins Glen and sat on the pole.
That same year saw Ricky Craven bouncing off poles, cars, fences and everything in between when he went for a tumble in turn one. Craven was collected, and then sent flipping, after Jeff Gordon made contact with Mark Martin.
In 1998 Bill Elliott wrecked in the same spot that Allison, Bonnet, and Wallace did before him. And just like his fellow competitors before him, he too walked away.
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