NASCAR at Talladega: 10 Most Famous Races in the Legendary Speedway's History
The dramatic sights and sounds of thunderous crashes and grinding sheet metal lurk around every turn at Talladega Superspeedway as the drivers each hope they will be the one to skate through the melee.
Bill France wanted to build a track that was bigger and better than Daytona International Speedway. He built the 2.66-mile track with 33-degree banking on an old abandoned airfield and opened it September 13, 1969.
Talladega Superspeedway was originally named Alabama International Speedway. It is rumored to be built on an old Indian burial ground.
The track allowed cars to reach dangerously high speeds, which led to the implementation of restrictor plates for certain cars in 1970. The race cars that had 358 cubic-inch engines were exempt.
Following a horrific crash with Bobby Allison at the Alabama track in 1987, NASCAR mandated the use of restrictor plates at Talladega and Daytona in 1988.
Restrictor plate racing reduces horsepower considerably and leads to tightly packed groups of cars. With one wrong move resulting in the famous "Big One" involving many wrecked cars.
Adding to the drama of the cars running close together is the fact they are able to easily run four-wide as opposed to basically three-wide racing on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt mastered racing at Talladega with a record 10 wins, a record 23 top-five finishes and a record of 1377 laps led.
Some of the most spectacular races in the history of NASCAR have taken place at Talladega. Most drivers walked away, while others were not as lucky.
Wild finishes with crashing cars and inches separating the winner from the runner-up are typical of racing at Talladega Superspeedway.
The violent crashes have resulted in injured fans in the grandstand when cars have gone airborne at Talladega. Safety changes, including roof flaps, have been mandated to keep the cars on the ground—or at least close to it.
In this slideshow, we will take a look at 10 of the races that, for a variety of reasons, hold a special place in the history of the track.
1. Richard Petty and the First Race
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It was the inaugural race at the Talladega track, and many of the drivers joined a group led by Richard Petty, known as the Professional Drivers Association.
The top drivers in the premier series of NASCAR boycotted the race and left the track because of the fear the tires would not grip at high speeds.
Bill France was determined to put on a good show for the fans and gathered a group of drivers who were lesser known but highly motivated to run the first Cup race on the high banks of the Talladega track.
Richard Childress was one of those drivers choosing to race, but it was Richard Brickhouse who was credited with the first win in 1969.
It was the only win for Brickhouse in NASCAR's top series. The Professional Drivers Association soon disbanded.
2. Way Too Many Cars
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The 1973 Winston 500 at Talladega was the site of the first really "Big One." It was decided to start 60 cars, the largest field in the modern era.
On the 11th lap, a mistake on the backstretch wrecked 21 cars and took out 19 for the remainder of the race. Driver Wendell Scott suffered broken ribs, cuts and a broken pelvis, injuries that kept him out of racing most of the season.
At the end of the race, only 17 cars were running. David Pearson captured the win with a lead of more than one lap.
Fans attending that race saw a memorable spectacle and most likely left the track covered in dirt that flew from the spinning cars in the infield.
3. Earnhardt Wins with Wrangler
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Dale Earnhardt returned to Richard Childress Racing after a two-year deal with Bud Moore. He brought the Wrangler sponsorship with him, though they temporarily continued to sponsor Ricky Rudd, who had replaced him with Moore.
The 1984 Talladega 500 was one of the most action-packed races at the track with 67 lead changes among 16 drivers.
On the final lap, Earnhardt made his trademark move past Terry Labonte after fighting off a pack of 10 hard-charging cars.
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4. Bill Elliott Fights Back
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The 1985 Winston 500 didn't look too good for "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" when smoke trailed from his car because of an apparent bad fitting on the oil line.
Under green flag conditions, Elliott went two laps down on the 2.66-mile track. Incredibly, the driver of the Coors No. 9 made up his five-mile deficit to take the win at warp speed.
5. Bobby Allison Has a Bad Day
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The 1987 Winston 500 at the Talladega track took a dramatic turn for the worse when Bobby Allison cut down a tire at an estimated 200 mph and went airborne into the catchfence separating the track from the fans.
A large section of the protective fencing was ripped out in an area beneath the flagman's stand, causing red flag conditions for the repairs.
Fans were injured by parts flying off of Allison's car.
For the balance of the season, NASCAR mandated smaller carburetors at Talladega and Daytona. The following year, restrictor plates were mandated for all cars on the two superspeedways.
It was for this same race that Bill Elliott set an all-time qualifying record speed of 212.809 mph. Davey Allison started the race third, with his father starting alongside Bill Elliott, who led the field.
With the wreck taking out the senior Allison and Elliott dropping out with engine troubles, the young Allison passed Dale Earnhardt on the backstretch to take the win.
The race was shorted 10 laps because of darkness.
6. Rusty Wallace Flips out
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The 1993 Winston 500 at Talladega was a race never to be forgotten by Rusty Wallace. He was racing Ernie Irvan with six laps remaining when a shower forced the race to be stalled for track drying.
The race resumed with two laps remaining; Irvan passed Dale Earnhardt, who was having fuel pick-up problems. Earnhardt made contact with Wallace coming out of the tri-oval, causing Wallace to flip 10-plus times. His car came to rest near Turn 1.
Considering the severity of the incident, Wallace had relatively minor injuries.
7. One Last Talladega Win
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Dale Earnhardt was never a fan of restrictor plate racing, but it hardly stopped him from going from 18th place to a win in four laps at the 2000 Winston 500.
It was said he could feel the air in the draft, and he worked it with precision. Earnhardt used the middle line as he slipped through the pack for his 10th and final win at Talladega Superspeedway.
It was Earnhardt's 76th and final career win. He also won a $1 million bonus from the series sponsor.
Earnhardt was trying to get his eighth Cup championship as he battled Bobby Labonte for points during the season. The win got him to second in the point standings, but Labonte remained 210 points ahead of him as the season was nearing an end.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets Four
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. did what even his father or other legends in the sport could never do when he won the fourth consecutive race in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega in 2003.
Earnhardt Jr. had won the pole, but an engine change caused him to start at the rear of the field. In the final laps of the race, Junior nearly violated the rule of dropping below the yellow line to gain advantage.
His pass was legal and he surged to the front for a win. A really happy Dale Jr. showed how proud he was of the record fourth win, holding four fingers high in Victory Lane.
The son of the "Intimidator" was voted the NMPA Most Popular Driver for the first of eight times in 2003.
9. Flying at Talladega
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Carl Edwards is a pilot, but he never expected to take his No. 99 Ford airborne in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway during 2009.
Edwards could see the finish line when his car made a spectacular flip into the catchfence. It was one of those moments when you just hope the driver walks away from the crash.
Edwards did walk away, and jogged down to the finish line. Unfortunately, some fans were taken away with injuries from the flying debris.
Many drivers were upset with the wreckage from not only the Edwards crash but others during the race. They blamed the restrictor plates for causing the cars to race in tight quarters that increased the possibility of the "Big One."
10. Record Setting Race Won by Kevin Harvick
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The 2010 Aaron's 499 race at Talladega Superspeedway may well be best known as a record breaker. It had the all-time highest number of lead changes (88) and the most different leaders of a race (29).
The excitement of the race lasted right up to the last lap when Kevin Harvick made his trademark move on the tri-oval to pass Jamie McMurray and take the win by a margin of 12 hundredths of a second.
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