Location | 3366 Speedway Boulevard, Lincoln, Alabama, 35096 |
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Time zone | UTC−6 (UTC−5 DST) |
Coordinates | 33°34′01.06″N 86°03′57.85″W / 33.5669611°N 86.0660694°W |
Capacity | 80,000 |
Owner | NASCAR (2019–present) International Speedway Corporation (1969–2019) |
Broke ground | 23 May 1968 |
Opened | 9 September 1969 |
Construction cost | $5 million USD |
Former names | Alabama International Motor Speedway (1969–1989) |
Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link's 500 (1970–present) YellaWood 500 (1969–present) NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 (1992–present) Sparks 300 (2020–2022, 2024) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Love's RV Stop 225 (2006–present) Former: International Race of Champions (1984, 1986, 1990–1996, 1999–2001, 2003) AMA Superbike Championship (1980–1983) IMSA GT Championship (1971–1972, 1974–1976, 1978) |
Website | talladegasuperspeedway |
Tri-oval (1969–present) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2.660 miles (4.281 km) |
Turns | 4 |
Banking | Turns: 33° Tri-oval: 16.5° Straights: 2° |
Race lap record | 0:46.530 ( Parker Kligerman, Toyota Camry, 2019, NASCAR Cup) |
Road Course (1969–1989) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 4.000 miles (6.437 km) |
Turns | 11 |
Race lap record | 1:53.400 ( Peter Gregg, Porsche 935, 1978, IMSA GTX) |
Talladega Superspeedway (formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969 to 1989) is a 2.66-mile (4.28 km) tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1969; primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The track has been owned by NASCAR since 2019 with Brian Crichton serving as the track's president. The facility has a grandstand capacity of 80,000 as of 2022. Along with the main track, the track complex also features a 4-mile (6.4 km) long roval-style road course.
After a proposal in Spartanburg, South Carolina, fell through in the early 1960s, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. opted to seek his proposal elsewhere, eventually landing on an area near Talladega, Alabama. Over the track's first couple decades, it gained a reputation for being a fast, wild, and chaotic track, with speeds of over 200 miles per hour (320 km/h), major accidents, and unusual occurrences being commonplace. NASCAR's introduction of the restrictor plate and the subsequent appearance of pack racing in the late 1980s exacerbated its chaotic reputation, with "Big One" accidents involving 10 or more cars occurring often; a phenomenon that has lasted into the present day.