Talladega Superspeedway, nicknamed “Dega”, and formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. [16] Wallace circled the 2.66-mile (4.28-km) trioval in 44.270 seconds, which surpassed the previous record held by Bill Elliott (212.809 mph (342.483 km/h)) set in 1987, but did not replace the record because it was a radio test and not a NASCAR sanctioned event. Talladega has the record for the fastest recorded time by a NASCAR vehicle on a closed oval course, with the record of 216.309 mph (348.116 km/h) set by Rusty Wallace on June 9, 2004. Mark your calendars to join us next year on April 25 for the GEICO 500 and October 3 for the YellaWood 500! The track is 48-feet wide with an apron that is an additional 12 feet in width. We visited the racetrack and Hall of Fame, What a great place to experience a NASCAR Race, always friendly people and fans, we usually camp for a few days just outside the track in one of the speedway campgrounds, so close you can see the trac, have to say i have never been to any kind of a car race, (not a fan of racing) but it blew me away when i saw and heard the roar of those things speeding around the track. As I watched the race on t.v. you really must see it in person to take in the scope, the magnitude and the sheer … It was more of a racing car city. you just can't imagine that tucked in the woods of NE alabama with one single small interstate on/off ramp, lies the biggest racetrack ever built. We were going from Atlanta to Leeds when we passed Talladega. This was also a world record at the time for any vehicle on a closed course. The car was vaulted airborne. There is no other race track on the planet like Talladega… After the first race, Talladega hosted two Cup Series races a year, one of which would become part of the 10-race NASCAR Cup Series playoff format. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. He would end up breaking ground on an old airfield 47 miles east of Birmingham and 100 miles west of Atlanta on May 23, 1968. The track currently[when?] What hotels are near Talladega Superspeedway? In May 1987, Bobby Allison, after contacting debris from a blown engine, cut his right-rear tire while going through the tri-oval section of the track. A superspeedway master in the making, the Kaulig Racing driver gets another Hammer & Anvil Trophy! The other? The total peak capacity of Talladega is around 175,000 spectators,[4][5][6] with the main grandstand capacity being about 80,000. [11] The International Motorsports Hall of Fame museum was opened in 1983. Please choose a different date. Haley only led two of 113 laps, but they were the most important laps as he notched his third win of the Xfinity Series season. The Cup Series races include the GEICO 500 and the YellaWood 500, which are both 188 laps each or 500.08 miles (804.80 km). The ARCA race, once a 500 kilometer affair, was shortened to 300 miles in 1998 and to 250 miles in 2006 when it was moved to Friday. A must for NASCAR fans! Cheaha Unveiled at Talladega Superspeedway, Justin Haley Emerges From “Darkhorse” to Victor in Chaotic Finish to Ag-Pro 300 At TALLADEGA, Canadian Raphaël Lessard Records First Career Victory In Chevy Silverado 250 At Talladega, This Is It: Brendan Gaughan, a Fan Favorite, Makes His Final NASCAR Start in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, From Fifth to First in Seconds: Jimmie Johnson’s 2011 Victory at Talladega Superspeedway Remains Special Part of Legendary Career, Jimmy Rane - Great Southern Wood Preserving Founder, President and CEO - to serve as Grand Marshal of Sunday’s YellaWood 500. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln.A tri-oval, the track was constructed in 1969 by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family. Official Facebook Page for Talladega Superspeedway. May 10, 1997: Mark Martin won the Winston Select 500, a race which had no caution flags, at a NASCAR 500-mile record speed of 188.354 mph (303.126 km/h), nearly ten years after the introduction of restrictor plates. Talladega hosts many NASCAR events, which include two Cup Series races, one Xfinity Series race, and one Truck Series race. In one of the wildest races in Talladega Superspeedway’s history, Denny Hamlin, one of the few playoff drivers that survived the afternoon mayhem, emerged victorious – coming from fifth through turn four on the last lap – to take home the checkered flag in triple overtime to win Sunday’s YellaWood 500. A tri-oval, the track was constructed in 1969 by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family. [23] ARCA team owner James Hylton was killed in a highway accident following the 2018 ARCA race, 22 years and one day after former ARCA president Bob Loga died.