On an unassuming stretch of land suited for soybean farming located next to a couple of abandoned airport runways, crews constructed the biggest superspeedway in NASCAR, Talladega Superspeedway.
Since Alabama International Motor Speedway (as it was called until 1989) opened its gates in September 1969, the track has surpassed every initial expectation.
Talladega, Ala., emerged as the top choice among several possible sites in the Southeast, with the main criteria for selection being availability of land, access to the interstate system and a population base of at least 20 million people within 300 miles.
Anniston insurance executive Bill Ward, a race driver and fan himself, helped NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation founder William H.G. (Bill) France find the land in Alabama, following a casual conversation with France in Daytona in the mid-1960s. Ward found what he thought was the perfect site in north Talladega County near an airport that the U.S. Government had sold to the City of Talladega after World War II.
Several obstacles had to be overcome, including financing. With France as the guiding force, however, construction began on the 2,000-acre site on May 23, 1968, with the first race being the ‘Bama 400 Grand Touring race on Saturday, Sept. 13, 1969. Ken Rush drove his Camaro to Victory Lane in that event. The next day, Richard Brickhouse won the first Grand National (now Nextel Cup) race, the Talladega 500, edging Jim Vandiver and Ramo Stott.
In 1987, Bill Elliott established a world stock car record when he posted a speed of 212.809 mph in qualifying. Mark Martin established a 500-mile stock car record in 1997 when he won the caution-free spring race with an average speed of 188.354 mph.
But the track’s true dominator was Dale Earnhardt, who posted 10 Cup wins at Talladega.
The grandstands seating capacity is 143,231 including the most recent expansion of the O.V. Hill South Tower. The 212-acre all-reserved infield holds many thousands more.
Perhaps the greatest 1-2-3 finish in motorsports occurred in a 1981 race, when rookie Ron Bouchard passed both Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte in the final 500 yards to win by less than a foot over Waltrip and two feet over Labonte.
(Courtesy of NASCAR)
Things couldn’t be tighter in NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship, and there’s no margin for error now. Jeff Gordon has run well at Talladega in the past and should be favored, along with Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. Jeff Burton could surprise, although he doesn’t have a good history here, and young Clint Bowyer could also make noise. -MR