TALLADEGA, AL – Four-time Talladega Superspeedway winner and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Darrell Waltrip was at Samford University in Birmingham on Tuesday, showcasing his historic No. 88 Gatorade Monte Carlo that won many races in the late 1970s and letting students know that Talladega Superspeedway has the best ticket in any sport for college students – the $19 College Party Pass.
“For a college student, Talladega and the Aaron’s Dream Weekend (May 2-4) has everything,” admitted Waltrip, whose youngest daughter is a student at Samford. “If you like excitement, Talladega has it – the most intense, heart-pounding, four-wide racing at 200 mph. If you want fun, Talladega has that, too. There is so much to do, and the Saturday night concert is always spectacular. And, if you like saving money, Talladega Superspeedway caps it off with an unbelievable price tag. You won’t believe this deal!”
Indeed. The $19 College Party Pass gives college students access to the biggest party in NASCAR in the infamous Talladega infield. Included with the pass are FREE food and drinks, music and games at the Infield Pit Party, as well as a grandstand ticket to the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, May 4. In addition, the Party Pass gives all college students FREE entry into the rocking Saturday night concert, which will feature hit country singer-songwriter Randy Houser.
“You can’t beat that, can you?” quipped Waltrip of the $19 College Party Pass. “I have always loved coming to Talladega. It’s racing like no other, and the atmosphere is pure. There is only one Talladega.”
Waltrip addressed students on a number of NASCAR topics, and then posed for photographs with both his classic winning car as well as the Talladega Superspeedway Aaron’s Dream Weekend Ford Mustang pace car. Included in the day’s festivities was a silent auction benefitting Feed the Children.
Today Waltrip is a noted NASCAR analyst for FOX, but during his racing career he saw great success at Talladega’s 2.66-mile, 33-degree banked facility. He made his first career start at the track in 1972, and then went on to claim victories in 1977, ’79 and both races in 1982. In addition, he scored five runner-up finishes and a total of 14 top-five results. He is now a member of both the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2005) and the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2012). What he is looking forward to most of all during Aaron’s Dream Weekend?
“I think qualifying is going to be spectacular,” Waltrip said of NASCAR’s new “Knockout” group, three-round elimination qualifying, which will take place on Saturday, May 3. “Lots of strategy and mind games. Who does a driver draft with? How does that driver draft – lay back and get a run and suck up to the driver in front of you? It’s going to be a cat and mouse game, a chess match. Can’t wait to see it.”
Talladega Superspeedway has many ticket options for fans of all ages, as well as hundreds of acres of FREE Camping. To find out more, call the Talladega ticket office at 1-877-Go-2-DEGA.
NASCAR returns to Talladega Superspeedway in 2014 with the Aaron’s Dream Weekend, which is set for May 2-4. The NASCAR Nationwide Series and ARCA Racing Series will take to the track on Saturday, May 3 while NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series machines take the green flag on Sunday, May 4. For ticket information, log onto www.talladegasuperspeedway.com
