The NASCAR Cup Series race is held annually at Talladega Superspeedway. The race has been held every year since 1970 at Talladega and is one of the most popular races on the NASCAR circuit. The race is known for its high speeds and close finishes and has been marred by several tragic accidents over the years.
Despite the risks, the race is still one of the most anticipated races, drawing thousands of fans to Talladega. For racing fans, the race is one not to be missed.
How long is the race?
Talladega Superspeedway is a 2.66-mile (4.28 km) circuit in Alabama that has been the site of many NASCAR races. The biggest one is a 500-mile (805 km) race that requires 188 laps to complete.
From the very first race (the name was Talladega 500) in 1970, there have been 52 races held at the Talladega Superspeedway. The average race time throughout the years has been 3 hours and 13 minutes, and 29 seconds. Paradoxically, the average race time in the 20th century was 3 hours and 10 minutes, while in the 21st century, it’s ten minutes more than that. One good reason for this is the invention of restrictor plates in 1988 has resulted in slower average race speeds.
The shortest race in length was in 1974 when the energy crisis forced NASCAR to shorten the race to 450 miles.
The longest race in length was in 2010. The race was extended to 200 laps due to a green-white-checker finish.
How many cars are in the race?
There will be 39 cars in the 2022 race with the return of David Ragan and Daniel Hemric.
This number was usually 40 in recent years (and 43 before 2016.) The biggest field was in 1973, with up to 60 cars on the tracks. The idea was to have more cars so that more spectators would come to the race. More than that, a bigger field also means bigger prizes, which attract more teams.
However, 60 was proven not to be a good number. The race became too dangerous for drivers. In fact, only 17 out of 60 cars made it to the end of the race. With no significant change in the number of spectators, NASCAR decided to reduce the field back to 50 in the next year.
Who is the greatest driver in the history of the Talladega Superspeedway?
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt is the greatest driver in the history of the Talladega Superspeedway. He has won the race ten times, including four consecutive victories from 1990 to 1994.
Brad Keselowski is the most successful active driver at Talladega, with six wins, including 2021. When asked about the secret to his success in the last year, Keselowski replied, “Michael McDowell gave me a good push like he did at Daytona, and I was a little bit smarter with how I handled it…The whole race I had a couple of opportunities to take the lead, but I just kept thinking, ‘Man, keep your car in one piece'”
This year, Brad Keselowski, who drives the No. 6 Ford, is the defending champion.
What is the fastest race ever run?
In 1997, Mark Martin won the Winston Select 500 with a speed of 188.354 mph, which is the fastest 500-mile NASCAR race on record. This race was also notable for not having a single caution flag.
How much money does the winner get?
2015 was the last year NASCAR revealed the prize money for all the races. In that year, the winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., earned $311,665 ($378,052 in today’s money.)
The total purse in 2015 was $5,566,602 ($6,752,344 in today’s money.)
In the first race in 1970, the prize money for the winner was $23,165. ($171,650 in today’s money.) The total purse was $106,085 ($786,078 in today’s money.)
So, the prize money for the race has increased more than two times in 45 years while the total purse has increased up to 8.5 times.
