Talladega Superspeedway

About this Circuit

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 is currently owned by NASCAR and is led by track president Brian Crichton. 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.