So with those easy facts out of the way, we have managed to come up with some “Did You Knows” that you probably didn’t know.  For starters did you know that when Talladega was completed many stock car drivers in nascar actually boycotted the track for fear the tires couldn’t handle the combination of the speedways high banking and super fast speeds.

In 1982 the first 200 mph race was run at this track and just a short time after that Nascar recorded its first race that averaged over 200 mph, 207 to be exact.  Because of these neck braking speeds and the eye popping crashes that came of as a result, Nascar responded by implementing the mandatory use of restrictor plates at Talladega. 

Some of the most historic crashes, each labeled ” The Big One”,  at talladega super speedway involved Bobby Allison in 1987, Elliot Sadler ( flips and barrel rolls ), Rusty Wallace  ( flip in the air standing straight up ) and the 22 car pile up back in 2007 which was and still is the biggest crash probably in race car history. 

Every driver wants to win a race at this speedway but no one has owned Talladega the way the Earnhardt family has.  Dale Earnhardt has won 10 times at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in the course of his racing career including his last official Nascar win.  And Dale Jr. has also had success in this restrictor plate race, actually recording his first Nascar win back in 2002 at Talladega and he also holds the title of being the only driver in nascar history to win four consecutive times on this track.

This year Dale Jr. was looking to win the fourth straight Talladega race for car owner Rick Hendrick but unfortunately it was not to be as he finished the race second behind No.09 Brad Keselowski who was able to record his first victory beating out Edwards and Dale. 

The win didn’t come easy, early in the race with only 8 laps of the Aaron’s 499 completed no.17 Matt Kennseth makes contact with no.24 Jeff Gordon sparking a 14 car crash.  And then on the last lap of the race Brad, in his no.09 car, tried to get around  leader Carl Edwards as they raced down the backstretch and in the process he bumped the rear corner panel of no.99 car , sending Edwards into an air born flip that saw him crash into the fence/barrier and stopped about a 100ft short of the finish line