TALLADEGA, AL — Talladega Superspeedway is all about the fan experience, making sure that when families come onto the property, they get the best of everything – the greatest racing on the planet with limitless amenities to make their visit a fun and memorable one. The Alabama Tourism Department has come up with an easy way for travelers to do this and more while visiting the great state of Alabama.
When fans make their journey to the GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300 this weekend during their trip to the state of Alabama, they will find that “Sweet Home Alabama” has lots more to offer in addition to NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track, one of our country’s top sporting venues. From delicious food delicacies to incredible road-trip destinations, Alabama has it all. Fans are encouraged to slow down, enjoy the trip, explore the cities and towns, experience the culinary side of the state and stay a little longer or come back sooner.
Alabama is rich in tradition, especially when it comes to our barbecue, so much in fact the Alabama Tourism Department has deemed 2015 as “The Year of Alabama BBQ.” The tourism campaign focuses on Alabama’s barbecue heritage, award-winning restaurants and talented pit masters. Highlights of the campaign include the launching of their website alabamabbq.com, a new smart phone app that alerts users when they are getting close to one of the state’s top barbecue restaurants, a photo exhibit of legendary pit masters, a new documentary film about the state’s barbecue culture and the announcement of the first inductees into the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame.
The website www.alabamabbq.com helps travelers discover some of the state’s best places for ribs, pulled pork and chicken barbecue. The site features a barbecue themed road trip and has a calendar listing of top barbecue events across the state.
Links can also be found on the website to the new smart phone app “Alabama BBQ Trail” which can be downloaded for free and has information on more than 75 barbecue restaurants in 52 cities across the state. The app has background information on each of the restaurants and their best dishes. It will also allow users to set an alert so their phone will notify them when they are within 20 miles or less of one of their chosen barbecue spots.
Rest assured, however, there are other impeccable mouth-watering dishes that Alabama has to offer, and one can find those easily with the “100 Dishes To Eat In Alabama Before You Die” smart phone app. Discover the food scene like a local, whether you’re an Alabama native or a visitor to the Sweet Home State, plan dozen of road trips to any of Alabama’s signature cities and get the authentic experience.
The app allows users to browse by city, cuisine or restaurant and you can bookmark their selection of favorite dishes to track travels, as well as submit photos and reviews of the famous dishes. No matter what part of the state someone is in, there are opportunities to take in the diverse culinary adventure. Learn more by visiting: www.ilovealabamafood.com.
The official “Alabama Road Trips” smart phone app is an easy, interactive guide which makes it simple to plan an unforgettable road trip with friends and family to discover Alabama’s countless destinations, from the sugar-white beaches and world class golf to some of the most historic civil rights landmarks. It helps users live like a local by giving search options for road trips catered to specific interests such as dining, shopping, history, arts, outdoor activities and much more.
So, the message for fans attending this weekend’s exciting events at Talladega Superspeedway is simple. Enjoy the races, and take in all of what Alabama has to offer. For additional travel information, visit www.alabama.travel and www.alabamabbq.com will most instantly connect travelers to comprehensive digital resources.
Talladega’s weekend kicks off on Friday (May 1) with practice sessions for the GEICO 500 (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) and Winn-Dixie 300 (NASCAR XFINITY Series), as well as practice, qualifying and green flag for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards event, set to start at 5 pm (CST). The evening concludes with “The “Big One on the Blvd” Mardi Gras-style parade, which will feature NASCAR drivers and fan competitions on the track’s infield Talladega Blvd.
Saturday’s slate includes qualifying for the GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300, followed by the start of the Winn-Dixie 300 at 2 p.m. (CST). The day concludes in the evening with the Talladega Superspeedway traditional Infield Concert. The concert is free with the purchase of a Sunday GEICO 500 (12 noon CST start) admission ticket. For ticket information, call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.
All seating along the fronstretch grandstands and towers are equipped with roomy and comfortable 21- and 22-inch wide chair back seats. Large High Definition Sprint Vision video boards that were implemented in 2014 will be back – three are permanent – and placed along the frontstretch to provide views of the whole track to every seat in the house. The video boards, three of which that are now permanent, are an initiative that is planned to be implemented at all International Speedway Corporation (ISC) tracks in the coming years
About Talladega Superspeedway
NASCAR speeds back into Talladega Superspeedway May 1-3 for the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series event. NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), with the circuit’s steepest banking (33 degrees) and longest distance (2.66 miles), is the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night concert and the world renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. The historic venue features the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards (a new initiative planned for future implementation at all ISC tracks) lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 877-Go2-DEGA for more information.
