FAST FACTS: General Tire 200
Where: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama
When: Friday, April 26, 2019
Television: FS1, Live
Track Length: 2.66 miles
Banking: 33 degrees
Most Recent Winner: Zane Smith, April 27, 2018, 115.007 miles per hour
Most Recent Pole Winner: Michael Self, April 27, 2018, 181.953 mph
Track Qualifying Record: Bill Venturini, May 1, 1987, 46.614 seconds, 205.432 mph
The ARCA Menards Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the General Tire 200, its 57th event at the high-banked 2.66-mile tri-oval since 1969.
Eighteen drivers have earned their first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway: Davey Allison, Michael Annett, Dakoda Armstrong, Gus Dean, Johnny Halford, Billy Harvey, Bruce Hill, Blake Jones, Kraig Kinser, Mark Martin, Brandon McReynolds, Paul Menard, Rick Roland, Sandy Satullo, Keith Segars, Tim Steele, Jim Vaughn, and Jim Vandiver.
Eleven drivers registered their only career win at Talladega: Johnny Halford, Bruce Hill, Blake Jones, Kraig Kinser, Mark Martin, Brandon McReynolds, Paul Menard, Rick Roland, Sandy Satullo, Keith Segars, and Jim Vaughn.
Jim Vandiver won only two times in his ARCA Menards Series career. Both were at Talladega. He won the series first race at Talladega in 1969 and then again in 1975. His 1975 win was in the first series race at the track since 1970.
Vandiver is one of six drivers with multiple career wins who earned their last series victory at Talladega. The others include Red Farmer, Blake Feese, Charlie Glotzbach, three-time series champion Ron Hutcherson, and David Keith.
Twenty ARCA Menards Series races at Talladega have been won from the General Tire Pole. The most recent was in April 2011 when eventual series champion Ty Dillon went on to the win.
There has been seven ARCA Menards Series races at Talladega without a win from the pole. The last pole winner to win the race was Ty Dillon in 2011.
The late Grant Adcox leads all drivers with five wins at Talladega. Adcox swept both races in 1986 and 1987 to become the first driver in any series to win four consecutive races at Talladega. He also won the July race in 1988, his fifth and final win at the track. Other multiple-race winners at Talladega include Davey Allison and Tim Steele, each with four, Charlie Glotzbach with three, Ramo Stott, Jim Vandiver, Red Farmer, Tracy Leslie, Jimmy Horton, and Frank Kimmel each with two wins apiece.
Single-event winners at Talladega include Johnny Halford, Ron Hutcherson, Bruce Hill, Sandy Satullo, Billie Harvey, Mark Martin, Jim Vaughn, Rick Roland, Jeff Purvis, Mike Wallace, Bob Strait, David Keith, Bobby Gerhart, Keith Segars, Paul Menard, Blake Feese, Kraig Kinser, Michael Annett, Justin Allgaier, Justin Lofton, Dakoda Armstrong, Ty Dillon, Brandon McReynolds, Tom Hessert III, Blake Jones, Gus Dean, Justin Haley, and Zane Smith.
There have been twelve ARCA Menards Series races at Talladega Superspeedway without a repeat winner. The last driver to repeat at Talladega was Frank Kimmel, who won in 2006 and 2013.
The last driver to win back-to-back races at Talladega was Tim Steele, who won three consecutive races in 1995, 1996, and 1997.
Charlie Glotzbach leads all drivers with four General Tire Poles at Talladega. His qualifying run for the pole in July 1990, at 201.456 miles per hour, was the last time any ARCA Menards Series driver sat on the pole with a speed over 200 miles per hour. Other drivers with poles at Talladega include Billie Harvey, Davey Allison, Bobby Gerhart, Tim Steele, and Bill Venturini, each with three, Rick Roland, Grand Adcox, Tom Hessert III, and Patty Moise, each with two, and Jim Vandiver, Ramo Stott, Coo Coo Marlin, Woody Fisher, Jim Sauter, Sandy Satullo, Loy Allen, Dakoda Armstrong, James Buescher, Kyle Busch, Bryan Clauson, Cody Coughlin, Ty Dillon, Milka Duno, Grant Enfinger, Ralph Jones, Frank Kimmel, Kraig Kinser, Jeff Purvis, Bob Schacht, Michael Self, Kirk Shelmerdine, David Simko, Bob Strait, and Bob Studdard all with one each.
Two of the first three races at Talladega, in October 1969, and August 1970, were 500 miles in length. Jim Vandiver won the inaugural in 1969 while Ramo Stott won the 1970 race.
The record for most caution flags in an ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is nine for a record 56 laps, set in 2000 in a race won by David Keith.
The record for fewest caution flags in an ARCA Menards Series race at Talladega Superspeedway is one for a record eight laps set in 2014 in a race won by Tom Hessert III.
