 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Talladega Superspeedway |
|
 |
Location: Talladega, AL
Shape: Tri-Oval
Distance: 2.66-miles
Banking, Turns: 33 degrees
Front Straight: 4300 Feet
Banking, Front Straight: 18 degrees
Back Straight: 4000 feet
Banking, Back Straight: 2 degrees
|
|
|
 |
|
| This 2.66-mile, tri-oval track is the world's biggest and fastest motorsports facility. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Talladega Superspeedway is the biggest, fastest, most competitive motorsports facility in the world. Records for both speed and competition have been established at Talladega.
Built at a cost of more than four million dollars, the track opened as Alabama International Motor Speedway in September 1969. The first event there was the 'BAMA 400 Grand Touring race on Sept. 13, 1969. Ken Rush was the winner. The next day Richard Brickhouse won the first NASCAR Grand National (now NASCAR Winston Cup Series) race, the Talladega 500 (now the DieHard 500) by edging Jim Vandiver and Ramo Stott.
With plenty of room to expand, Talladega has done just that, adding permanent seating in nine of the last 10 years, including 8,000 tower seats for 1997. It can now accommodate 108,000 seated guests and thousands more in the 215-acre infield.
A world record of 221.160 mph for a close course was established at Talladega on Aug. 9, 1975 by Mark Donohue. The mark stood until 1986 when Rick Mears broke it in an IndyCar at Michigan Speedway. In 1987 Bill Elliott established a world stock car speed record when he ran at 212.809 mph in qualifying for the Winston 500.
The track offers van tours to visitors daily during working hours except on days of racing, testing and special events. Adjacent to the track is the Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, which is also open daily.
Location: Just off I-20, on Speedway Boulevard, which runs between exits 168 and 173. The speedway is approximately 40 miles east of Birmingham and 90 miles west of Atlanta. The Talladega airport is located adjacent to the speedway. |
|
|
|
|
|
RACE RECORDS |
|
|
| NASCAR Series |
|
Driver |
|
Speed |
|
Date |
|
Winston Cup
Series |
M. Martin |
188.354 |
5/10/97 |
|
Busch Grand
National Division
Series |
M. Martin |
168.937 |
4/26/97 |
|
|
|
QUALIFYING RECORDS |
|
|
| NASCAR Series |
|
Driver |
|
Speed |
|
Time |
|
Date |
|
Winston Cup
Series |
B. Elliott |
212.809 |
44.998 |
4/30/87 |
|
Busch Grand
National Division
Series |
J. Nemechek |
192.878 |
49.648 |
7/25/96 |
|
|
|
|
