by David Smith

Created on: July 21, 2010   Last Updated: July 22, 2010

Located at 3366 Speedway Boulevard in Lincoln, Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway is the longest and widest track that NASCAR races are run at.  It is one of the two race tracks that NASCAR mandates restrictor plates to race.  A restrictor plate is a plate that goes between the intake manifold and carburetor to restrict the flow of air into the engine, thus creating less horse power.  The restrictor plates were introduced in 1988 after a 1987 crash by Bobby Allison due to tire failure at the extreme speeds possible at the track.

The history behind the track is a storied one.  Ground breaking for the track took place on May 23, 1968, and the track opened on September 13, 1969.  The architects behind the massive speedway were Bill Ward and William France, Sr.  The owners of the speedway is International Speedway Corporation.  With a seating capacity of 175,000, it is one of the largest venues that NASCAR goes to.  To add to the history, the fastest speed turned in a single lap was set at Talladega.  Bill Elliott turned a qualifying lap in 44.998 seconds and was traveling 212.809 mph when he crossed the finish line.  A faster lap was set by Rusty Wallace in 2004 at 44.270 seconds traveling 216.309 mph, but the lap doesn't go in the official record books because it was a practice lap and not run in an official capacity.

Just having a big race track isn't enough to generate the speeds that are detailed above, however.  The banking on the track is also a key element.  The track has banking that rivals Bristol Motor speedway.  In turns one and two, the banking is a whopping 33 degrees, while in turns three and four, it drops to 32.4 degrees and 32.5 degrees respectively.  The tri-oval (the front stretch of the race track to include the start/finish line) is banked at 16.5 degrees, while the back stretch is banked at a mere 3 degrees.  The track is wide enough to look like a five lane interstate, allowing for three wide, and often four wide, racing.

The tracks history repeatedly brings forth one name as the master of the track.  Dale Earnhardt holds several records at the track.  He has the most wins at the track, scoring the number one position ten times.  He holds the most top five and top ten finishes as the track as well, with twenty-three top five finishes and twenty-seven top ten finishes.  Add to that the laps led record, with Dale Earnhardt leading a staggering 1,377 laps at the track, and you can see why Dale Earnhardt considered Talladega Super speedway a "second home" of sorts.

Dale Earnhardt is not the only man to score some records at this monstrous speedway, though.  Dave Marcis has a staggering 61 starts at the storied track, and completed a record holding 9,774 laps at the track.  The most pole position qualifying attempts, however, goes to Bill Elliott with eight of them, including the record setting 212.809 mph effort listed above.

Talladega is a mainstay for the NASCAR organization as well.  They hold several races at the track throughout the year.  In the Sprint cup, fans are treated to the Aaron's 499 and the Amp Energy 500.  In the Nationwide Series, the Aaron's 312 is held.  The Camping World Truck Series holds the Mountain Dew 250 annually, and the ARCA RE/MAX series holds the Food World 250.  With so many races throughout the year, and with the excitement that is generated at the race track, it is easy to see how Talladega is a fan favorite.  It is indeed a rarity to see the stands not filled to bursting whenever NASCAR comes to the track.

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