John Paul Christian Menard (born August 21, 1980) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver who currently competes full-time in the Trans-Am Series , driving the No. 3 Ford Mustang for 3GT Racing . Menard is the 2024 Trans-Am Series champion in the TA class.
156-748: Menard competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2007 to 2019 , driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. , Yates Racing , Richard Petty Motorsports , Richard Childress Racing , and Wood Brothers Racing . He retired from full-time competition after the 2019 season. He has also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the past, including running part-time with Andy Petree Racing in 2003 and 2004 , full-time with DEI in 2005 and 2006 , and full-time with Roush Fenway Racing in 2010 . He has won 1 Cup Series race (the 2011 Brickyard 400 ), 3 Xfinity Series races, and 1 ARCA Menards Series race. He
312-400: A confidence trickster , was able to launder thousands of dollars worth of equipment from multiple organizations, including Sterling Marlin , Goodyear , and NASCAR themselves. After attempting to race and subsequently being parked during the race for being too slow, he vanished without a trace despite a manhunt, and was only found in 2022 when he agreed to reveal himself for a podcast. At
468-552: A front engine rear-wheel-drive design. A roll cage serves as a space frame chassis and is covered by a 24-gauge sheet metal body. They have a closed cockpit, fenders, a rear spoiler, and an aerodynamic splitter. Fielding a car for one season usually costs $ 10–20 million. Each team may build its own cars and engines (per NASCAR's specifications) or purchase cars and engines from other teams. Talladega Superspeedway Talladega Superspeedway (formerly named Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969 to 1989)
624-635: A roval -style road course, measuring at 4 miles (6.4 km). Talladega Superspeedway is located near Interstate 20 . As of 2022, Talladega Superspeedway has a capacity of 80,000 according to the Sports Business Journal . At its peak, the track contained a capacity of 143,000 according to a 2003 spectator's guide given by the Montgomery Advertiser . The track's infield covers approximately 270 acres according to Business Insider , and hosts around 2,700 RV parking spots. In total,
780-733: A 15-year hiatus in 2001, but departed after 2012, leaving just Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota. Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer as of 2023, with 851 race wins and 42 manufacturers championships. Ford ranks second with 728 victories and 17 manufacturers championships. Dodge is third in wins with 217 and two manufacturers championships (albeit no longer in NASCAR), Plymouth fourth with 191 with one manufacturer championship (albeit no longer in NASCAR), Toyota fifth with 180 wins and three manufacturers championships, and Pontiac sixth with 154 and one manufacturer championship (albeit no longer in NASCAR). Cup Series cars (often called "Cup cars") adhere to
936-467: A capacity from 40 to 50 thousand seats. Leaders of the now-proposed 2.5 miles (4.0 km) track also hoped to raise $ 3 million and acquire approximately 1,500 acres of land to kickstart the project. Nearing the end of the year, leaders awaited a verdict from the Union Oil Company on whether they would invest $ 3.5 million for the project. France Sr. later stated hopes of starting construction in
1092-520: A chase spot for most of the regular season but two consecutive 18th place finishes at Atlanta and Richmond (final race of the regular season) dropped him out of contention. Menard won the Nationwide race at Michigan for his first NNS win since 2006 in June 2014. He won after Joey Logano blew a tire with 4 laps to go. In the 2015 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, Menard won the pole for the race by drawing. He led
1248-464: A closed course, setting an average speed of 200.449 miles per hour (322.591 km/h). Seven months later, Bobby Isaac broke Baker's record, setting a lap of 201.104 miles per hour (323.646 km/h). In 1971, Paula Murphy broke the women's world record for the closed-circuit speed record, setting a lap of 171.499 miles per hour (276.001 km/h). In August 1974, A. J. Foyt took the overall closed-circuit speed record from Mario Andretti , setting
1404-503: A contract for the 2020 season, indicating that he plans to stay with Wood Brothers. On September 10, 2019, Menard announced his retirement from full-time racing after the 2019 season. On May 17, 2021, Truck Series team ThorSport Racing announced that Menard would return to NASCAR and compete in a fifth part-time truck for the team, the No. 66, in the series' new race at Circuit of the Americas . It
1560-858: A daughter, on March 18, 2014. The family later welcomed another child, a son, in November 2017. Menard is a Roman Catholic and a fan of power metal music. Paul Menard doesn't have any social media and he chooses to stay away from it because "it is nothing good and there's so much more to life than looking at other people's lives behind a screen." ( key ) ( Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ) ( key ) ( Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ) Season still in progress Ineligible for series points NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series
1716-425: A day later than expected due to rain. The repave was met with positive reactions from drivers, including Tony Stewart and Dennis Setzer . It was eventually completed by September 25 of that year, in time for ARCA Re/Max Series testing. The next year, Lynch was replaced by general manager Rick Humphrey, with Lynch being transferred to work at the corporate ISC offices. A $ 13 million, two-phase renovation project
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#17330858025111872-527: A few more top 20s. After that, he fell from the Top 12 in points. At Charlotte, he finished eighth after running in the top 10 all race long. Menard also posted another top 10 in the circuit's 19th race at Chicagoland Speedway . At Dover International Speedway in September he ended up with a 7th-place finish. The following week he started from the second position at Kansas. While most publications rated him around 30th in
2028-501: A final projected cost of $ 5 million and an opening date in September 1969. Groundbreaking occurred seven days later, with the facility officially being named the Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS). At the groundbreaking ceremony, France Sr. stated plans to host NASCAR , sports car, and motorcycle events at the facility. France Sr.'s son, Bill France Jr. , was placed in charge of AIMS. During construction,
2184-571: A fistfight on national television. This underlined the drama and emotion of the sport and increased its broadcast marketability. The race coincided with a major snowstorm along the United States' eastern seaboard, successfully introducing the sport to a captive audience. In 1981, an awards banquet began to be held in New York City on the first Friday evening in December. The first banquets were held in
2340-549: A food truck event. As of April 2024, the fastest official lap records at Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) are listed as: In June 2005, a collaborative movie project between NASCAR and Sony Pictures was announced, with Will Ferrell slated as the lead actor. Initially put into doubt, the working title was eventually announced as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby in February 2006. Although most of movie's production took place in
2496-564: A lack of spectators during races. A series of races held at AIMS in July were described by Anniston Star writer Tommy Hornsby as "a complete flop". In October 1970, AIMS appointed Don Naman, promoter of the Tennessee-based Smoky Mountain Speedway , as the track's first general manager. Within the first month, Naman announced an improvement project that aimed to remove track surface bumps along with renovating press boxes and
2652-497: A lap of 204.233 mph (328.681 km/h) on the second day of testing. The women's world record was broken three times within the next five years; St. James broke her own record in October 1988, and Patty Moise broke the record soon after St. James' attempt the following year in December. Moise proceeded to break her own record a month later, setting a lap of 217.498 mph (350.029 km/h). "Jim Hunter started all that... in
2808-610: A limited schedule in the NASCAR Re/Max Challenge Series , finishing 13th in points. During his rookie season in 2001, he earned a pole and victory at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin , finishing ninth in points. The 2002 season saw Menard compete in ReMax Challenge (two poles, seventh in points), SCCA Trans-Am (one front-row start, four top-10 finishes), Grand Am Cup (victories at Fontana and Phoenix) and
2964-463: A meeting involving 36 PDA drivers almost unanimously agreed to withdraw from the event. Despite almost every major driver withdrawing from the race, with the exceptions of Tiny Lund and Bobby Isaac , France Sr. announced his intents to still run the race, stating in The Anniston Star , "I can't guarantee you how many cars will run right now, but there will be a race Sunday afternoon." After
3120-468: A new awards program called the Winston Million . From 1985 to 1997, any driver who won three of the four most prestigious races in the series was given one million dollars. The prize was only won twice; Bill Elliott won in 1985, Darrell Waltrip nearly won in 1989, Davey Allison nearly won in 1992, Dale Jarrett nearly won in 1996, and Jeff Gordon won in 1997. The Winston Million was replaced with
3276-467: A new, $ 80,000 scoring stand was added that accommodated around 100 people. In 1985, $ 200,000 worth of renovations were made to the track's garage area and parts of the grandstands. A new, 2,500-seat tower, the Anniston Tower, was constructed in 1986 and completed the following year, increasing the grandstand capacity of AIMS to 72,000. In November 1986, talks of annexing AIMS into the city of Talladega
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#17330858025113432-455: A number of awards are given to drivers finishing outside the Chase. The highest finishing non-Chase driver (13th place at the end of the season from 2007 to 2013 and potentially anywhere from fifth to 17th place starting in 2014) is awarded a bonus of approximately one million dollars and was originally given a position on stage at the post-season awards banquet. The awards banquet now focuses solely on
3588-413: A pair of checkered flags in flight. By 2009, the popularity boom of the 1990s had ended, and television ratings over the previous ten years had become more or less stagnant. Some long-time fans have criticized the series for losing its traditional appeal because of abandoning venues in the southeastern United States in favor of newer markets. They have also voiced discontent over Toyota 's presence in
3744-558: A playoff held within the final ten races. This number was increased to 12 teams in 2007. The Chase participants had their points increased to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field (roughly 1,800 points ahead of the first driver outside the Chase). From the inaugural Chase in 2004 to the 2006 Chase, the drivers were seeded based on points position at the end of the regular season, with first place starting with 5,050 points and tenth place starting with 5,005. From 2007 to 2010,
3900-840: A points system with equal points being awarded for all races regardless of length or prize money. This system ensured that the top drivers would have to compete in all the races in order to become the series champion. This system remained unchanged from 1975 until the Chase for the Championship was instituted in 2004. Since 1982, the Daytona 500 has been the first non-exhibition race of the year. ABC Sports aired partial or full live telecasts of Grand National races from Talladega , North Wilkesboro, Darlington, Charlotte, and Nashville in 1970. Because these events were perceived as less exciting than many Grand National races, ABC abandoned its live coverage. Races were instead broadcast, delayed and edited, on
4056-476: A second-tier NASCAR Busch Series race in 2002, a 27-car pileup occurred, breaking an all-time record for the most cars involved in an incident in any of NASCAR's top three series in the modern era. At the Aaron's 499 that same year, an incident late in the race involved two dozen cars. The record was tied at the 2003 Aaron's 499 , where the accident set a new all-time NASCAR Cup Series record for most cars involved in
4212-468: A similar program, the Winston No Bull Five, in 1998. This program awarded one million dollars to any driver who won a prestigious race after finishing in the top five of the most previous prestigious race. The series underwent a large boom in popularity in the 1990s. In 1994, NASCAR held the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Between 1997 and 1998, the winner's prize money for
4368-431: A single incident. Another catchfence incident occurred at the 2009 Aaron's 499 , when Carl Edwards ' car went airborne on the final lap, crashing into the catchfence and injuring seven spectators. Three years later at the 2012 Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 , a 25-car accident occurred on the final lap of the race. In 2018, ISC announced a $ 50 million renovation to the track's infield which aimed to completely revamp
4524-450: A speed of an average speed of 217.315 miles per hour (349.735 km/h). Foyt's record was broken a year later by Mark Donohue , with Donohue setting an average speed of 221.160 mph (355.923 km/h). In the 1980s, the women's world record for the closed-circuit speed record was broken numerous times. Over the course of two days, Lyn St. James broke the women's record and became the first women to break over 200 mph, setting
4680-450: A tire out of anything that will stand up if you hit a chuckhole at 200 miles per hour". Tires were also reported to have only lasted 4 laps until they became "shredded", with Firestone pulling out of the event. Anniston Star writer George Smith remarked that due to the never-before-seen speeds in NASCAR, "no one really knew what to expect of speeds in the 195-200 m.p.h. range." As a result of
4836-449: A year-by-year basis starting in 1990, staying for a seven-year stint until leaving at the end of their 1996 season. IROC made its last year-by-year stint starting in 1999, racing there until 2003 (with the exception of 2002). The AMA Superbike Championship raced at the circuit in the early 1980s, first making their appearance in 1980. The series made their last appearance at the circuit in 1983. In 1974, initial plans were made for
Paul Menard - Misplaced Pages Continue
4992-448: 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,
5148-639: Is called the NASCAR playoffs . The series holds strong roots in the Southeastern United States , with about half of the races in the 36-race season being held in that region. As of 2020 , the schedule includes tracks from around the United States. There have been races held outside the United States with exhibition races previously held in Japan and Australia , and a one off race held in Canada . The Daytona 500 ,
5304-403: Is determined by a points system, with points being awarded according to finish placement and number of laps led. The season is divided into two segments. After the first 26 races, 16 drivers, selected primarily on the basis of wins during the first 26 races, are seeded based on their total number of wins. They compete in the last ten races, where the difference in points is greatly minimized. This
5460-587: Is his first NASCAR start in his semi-retirement, and his first Truck Series start since 2007 when he competed in the spring Martinsville race in the No. 51 for Billy Ballew Motorsports . A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin , Menard is the son of Menards founder John Menard Jr. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire , majoring in business. He currently resides in the Charlotte, North Carolina , area with his wife Jennifer. The couple had their first child,
5616-781: Is the son of entrepreneur John Menard Jr. , the founder of the Menards chain of home improvement stores. Menard's racing career began at the age of eight when he won the Briggs Junior Karting Class Championship in his native Eau Claire, Wisconsin . He later won the Briggs Medium Class Champion before working his way up to higher level racing. He began ice racing at the age of 15 and won 10 International Ice Racing Association events in his career. He continues to compete in IIRA events in and around Wisconsin . In
5772-658: Is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States . The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, when the series began leasing its naming rights to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , it was referred to as
5928-438: The 1986 Winston 500 , spectator Darren Crowder broke into the race's safety car and took it for a joyride in what is considered by longtime NASCAR journalist Steve Waid as "Talladega’s most bizarre incident". At the 1987 Winston 500 , Bobby Allison blew a tire in the track's frontstretch at high speeds, causing his car to go airborne and crash into a protective catchfence, injuring four spectators. Considered to be one of
6084-452: The 1996 Winston Select 500 , Ricky Craven was involved in a 14-car accident that sent Craven's car airborne at nearly the same spot during Horton's crash in 1993; however, due to a newly-added catchfence that was added in the turn in the wake of Horton's crash, Craven's car was able to stay within the track confines. Heading into the new millennium, major accidents continued, with incidents involving at least 20 cars occurring frequently. At
6240-407: The 1998 Tobacco Industry Settlement that sharply restricted avenues for tobacco advertising, including sports sponsorships. The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement in the series as well as from the reduction in schedule from 48 to 31 races per year established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era". The season was made shorter, and the points system was modified several times during
6396-636: The Bud Pole Award at Talladega also had them running up front until getting caught up in a wreck. He got his first top-10 and top-five by placing fifth at the Kentucky Speedway . From there, the team went from 20th to the top-10 in points before finishing in sixth place overall, for the season. In 2006, driving the No. 15 car part-time for DEI, Menard scored his first top-10 finish in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series by coming in seventh place at
Paul Menard - Misplaced Pages Continue
6552-564: The Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway . Menard also won his first Busch Series race on June 24 at his home track of the Milwaukee Mile by holding off a late race charge and bump from Cup regular Kevin Harvick . Harvick eventually caused a multi-car wreck attempting to bump him out of the way. Menard finished off 2006 with a sixth-place finish in the standings, tying his best finish in
6708-521: The Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway , and a 15th-place finish in the Southern 500 . At the second Dover race, Menard started 10th and ran in the top 10 for most of the day, only to find his car tighten up near the end of the race and come home 19th. At the end of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Menard was the only driver to not score a top 10 finish who ran all of the races. Menard ended up finishing 31st in
6864-646: The Waldorf-Astoria 's Starlight Room and in 1985 were moved to the much larger Grand Ballroom. For 2001, the banquet portion was dropped in favor of a simpler awards ceremony, which was also moved to the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center the following year. However, in 2003, the festivities returned to the Waldorf's Grand Ballroom, and the banquet format was reinstated. In 1985, Winston introduced
7020-450: 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. Talladega Superspeedway in its current form is measured at 2.66 miles (4.28 km), with 33 degrees of banking in the turns, 16.5 degrees of banking in the tri-oval section, and two degrees of banking in
7176-442: The 10th place car. The points earned are added to a driver/owner's regular season points total, while the winner of the stage receives an additional point that is added to their point total, after the reset, if they get into the NASCAR playoffs. The stage lengths vary by track, but the first two stages usually combine to equal about half of the race. The final stage (which still pays out championship points to all drivers) usually equals
7332-452: The 1960s with the Hemi, never won a Manufacturers Championship until Ford pulled out of racing in the early 1970s. GM was still using four different brands in NASCAR in 1991, but within three years, Buick and Oldsmobile were gone. Pontiac survived until 2004, leaving only Chevrolet. 2007 saw the first new brand since 1971, when Japanese manufacturer Toyota joined. Chrysler's Dodge brand returned after
7488-485: The 1980s, by the 2000s, Talladega Superspeedway officials started to crack down on "hard-core lawlessness", adding in a makeshift jail and making the scene "more civilized". Sometime in the early 1960s, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. made initial plans to construct a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) superspeedway in Spartanburg, South Carolina , with the help of Spartanburg native Joe Littlejohn . In October 1963, designs for
7644-532: The 2010 preseason, he finished 23rd in points. In early 2010, Menard drove in the No. 90 Daytona Prototype for Spirit of Daytona Racing in the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona International Speedway. In 2010 he came close to winning the Nationwide Series race at Road America in his hometown of Wisconsin. Menard was running 7th when he was spun out on the final lap by road course specialist Tony Ave . It appeared that Menard
7800-662: The 2016 Sprint Unlimited, Menard finished in a career best 3rd place, after surviving several big ones. To start of 2017, Menard survived wrecks in the Daytona 500 and brought home a 5th place finish after a few cars ran out of gas. The next week at Atlanta, he finished 25th. Menard scored his 2nd top 10 of the year in the GEICO 500 at Talladega, finishing 9th. In the Coke Zero 400, Menard ran up front late and came home 3rd, barely behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Clint Bowyer . Menard survived most of
7956-408: The 7,800-seat Gadsden Tower, was added in 1997; by this point, temporary stands were also added to accommodate more fans for its NASCAR races. Another 11,000-seat tower was announced the following year, increasing the total capacity of the track's grandstands to 120,000; the project was the track's ninth expansion in the last decade. Within the same year, the track also received a makeover; landscaping
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#17330858025118112-491: The ABC sports variety show Wide World of Sports . In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race that was nationally televised live from flag to flag on CBS . The leaders going into the last lap, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison , wrecked on the backstretch while dicing for the lead, allowing Richard Petty to pass them both for the win. Immediately, Yarborough, Allison, and Allison's brother Bobby were engaged in
8268-443: The Championship. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Herb Thomas in 1951 and 1953, while the record for the most Championships, seven, is shared by Richard Petty , Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson . Johnson has the record for most consecutive Championships; he won five Championships from 2006 to 2010 . So far every Champion has originated from the United States. The Cup Series Owner's Championship operates in
8424-488: The Chase, with all of the series' sponsored and contingency awards moved to a luncheon at Cipriani the day before the banquet. This playoff system was implemented primarily to make the points race more competitive late in the season, and indirectly, to increase television ratings during the NFL season, which starts around the same time as the Chase begins. The Chase also forces teams to perform at their best during all three stages of
8580-499: The Daytona 500 tripled. This coincided with a decline of popularity in American Championship Car Racing . In 1999, NASCAR made a new agreement with Fox Broadcasting , Turner Broadcasting , and NBC . The contract, signed for eight years for Fox and six years for NBC and Turner, was valued at $ 2.4 billion. In 2001, Pixar visited NASCAR tracks as research for the 2006 animated film Cars , which included
8736-525: The Eastaboga proposal. In August, the Alabama Senate passed a measure to allow Talladega and its nearby cities to finance the track with their own credit. The measure was signed by governor George Wallace soon after; by this point, Talladega Industrial Development Board chairman O. V. Hill stated that the budget for the project had rose to $ 6 million (adjusted for inflation, $ 56,344,615), and planned to host
8892-566: The NASCAR Southwest Tour. He capped his season in the latter series with a last-lap pass of veteran Ken Schrader for the Phoenix victory. In 2003, Menard joined Andy Petree Racing to compete in NASCAR Cup Series , Busch , and Truck Series events while still competing in ARCA . In his first ARCA start at Salem Speedway , he qualified second and finished fourth. Later that year, he started on
9048-688: The NASCAR Winston Cup Series (1971–2003). A similar deal was made with Nextel in 2003, and it became the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007). Sprint acquired Nextel in 2005, and in 2008 the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2008–2016). In December 2016, it was announced that Monster Energy would become the new title sponsor, and the series was renamed the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (2017–2019). In 2019, NASCAR rejected Monster's offer to extend
9204-613: The Spartanburg track were drawn up by C. H. Moneypenny, with it planned to be built near the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport . An official announcement was made on February 18, 1964, with stated hopes of building 50,000 seats and a budget of "near a million dollars"; it was also touted as a "little Daytona ". However, while France Sr. later stated that plans were "far away from building" in March, local residents near
9360-488: The Talladega 500. The track surface drew complaints from drivers, particularly drivers from the newly-formed Professional Drivers Association (PDA), a drivers' union. PDA drivers Cale Yarborough , Buddy Baker , and Charlie Glotzbach all reported that the surface was "rough" and caused increased tire wear amongst both Goodyear and Firestone tires; the two tire suppliers for the race. Baker later added, "they haven’t built
9516-503: The aftermath of Bobby Allison's 1987 crash at AIMS, a renovated and heavier catchfence replaced the original catchfence in 1988. On January 30, 1989, Helton became the president of the track; on the same day, the track was renamed to Talladega Superspeedway, with publicity director Jim Freeman stating in a press release that "it's shorter, and everybody called it 'Talladega' anyway". Under Helton's leadership, numerous renovations to Talladega Superspeedway were made. In 1990, upgrades to all of
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#17330858025119672-533: The airport immediately raised opposition towards the proposal in the Spartanburg City Council; particularly due to concerns of increased noise. Despite further rumored plans to build a new airport terminal for the airport, further opposition was raised due to local blue laws . Despite this, in May, France Sr. continued to scout for potential sites. The proposal was eventually rejected by the local city council;
9828-420: The appearance of three holes due to Hurricane Camille , but also claimed that the holes were filled before Bobby made testing runs. On race weekend, although the track surface was completed, numerous amenities, including VIP suites, were either unfinished or "barebones" according to longtime motorsports journalist Dave Despain . The track officially opened to the public on September 9 for practice sessions for
9984-570: The backstretch Allison Grandstands. In lieu of the Allison Grandstands, officials decided to honor the Alabama Gang by renaming the backstretch. The track's reputation as a chaotic facility continued into the 1990s and the new millennium. As part of the introduction of the restrictor plate mandated in the wake of Bobby Allison 's crash in the 1987 Winston 500, cars were made drastically slower; an unintended consequence due to slower speeds
10140-441: The car in the 43rd position. If more than one car did not qualify, owners' points continued to be assigned in the manner described, decreasing by three for each position. Under the post-2010 point system, only cars that actually start in a given race earn owner's points. There is a separate "Chase for the Championship" for the owners' points. A 2005 rule change in NASCAR's three national series, revoked from 2013 onward, affects how
10296-503: The carnage in the Brickyard 400 but crashed in a late big one. On July 26, 2017, Menard was announced as the replacement for Ryan Blaney in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford starting in 2018. On June 30, 2018, almost 10 years to the day, Menard got his second ever NASCAR Cup Series Pole Award at Chicagoland Speedway for the Overton's 400 . On July 12, 2019, Menard announced he had
10452-539: The cars are strictly regulated to ensure parity, and electronics are traditionally spartan in nature. In 1949, NASCAR introduced the Strictly Stock division, after sanctioning Modified and Roadster division races in 1948. Eight races were run on seven dirt ovals and on the Daytona Beach beach/street course. The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race was held at Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949. Jim Roper
10608-517: The case of the NASCAR Cup Series' longest race, the Coca-Cola 600. A stage consists of normal green flag racing followed by a stoppage on a designated lap signified by the waving of a green and white checkered flag, then a yellow flag. The top-10 finishers in each of the first two stages are awarded bonus championship points, 10 points to the winner, 9 points for the 2nd place car, down to 1 point for
10764-454: The center of controversy when Menard spun in the waning laps. It was believed that his accident was intentional, intended to assist his teammate Kevin Harvick who later won the race against Jeff Gordon who would have won if the caution did not come out. In 2012, Menard did not perform well. He crashed during the Aaron's 499 at Talladega and went winless for 2012. In 2013, he slightly improved when he
10920-410: The circuit over one mile (1.6 km) long. In 1959, when Daytona International Speedway was opened, the schedule still had more races on dirt racetracks than on paved ones. In the 1960s as superspeedways were built and old dirt tracks were paved, the number of races run on dirt tracks was reduced. The last NASCAR Grand National race on a dirt track (until 2021 ) was held on September 30, 1970, at
11076-418: The complaints, drivers asked France Sr. if the race to be postponed; he refused, mainly due to the high cost of building the track, which France Sr. feared would bankrupt the track if the race was postponed. He proceeded to tell the drivers to race at slower speeds; this was refused by the drivers. After an incident that involved Yarbrough punching France Sr. after France Sr. called Yarbrough too scared to race,
11232-571: The conclusion of the 2003 season. NASCAR negotiated a contract with Nextel , a telecommunications company to replace Winston, and in 2004 the series became known as the Nextel Cup Series. The 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel resulted in the Cup Series being renamed the Sprint Cup, beginning with the 2008 season. The Sprint Cup trophy was designed by Tiffany & Co. and is silver, with
11388-519: The creation of a charter system (in association with the Race Team Alliance , formed in 2014), which would guarantee 36 teams' entry to all 36 races. Eligibility for a charter would depend on a team's attempts to qualify for every race within the previous three seasons. In conjunction with this rule, NASCAR also reduced the size of the Cup field to 40 cars. Along with the change in title sponsorship for
11544-464: The decade, including a six-hour endurance event in 1978. Although IMSA was scheduled to race at the circuit in 1979 in another six-hour event at the track, they opted to withdraw from the event. The International Race of Champions (IROC) made occasional appearances at Talladega Superspeedway throughout its existence. The series first appeared in 1984 for a one-off appearance, opting to come back two years later before leaving again. IROC came back on
11700-410: The event, replaced Bobby Allison with PDA scab Richard Brickhouse . To appease fans, France Sr. also announced that any fan with a Talladega 500 ticket stub could attend any Daytona or Talladega race for free in 1970. The race ran without any major issues, with Brickhouse winning the event in front of a crowd of 64,000, which was lower than expected. However, second-place finisher Jim Vandiver , who
11856-437: The facility were ran by LeeRoy Yarbrough and Donnie Allison in early August, with both claiming unofficial world closed circuit speed records. Both drivers complained of "rough places" on the surface of the track during testing. Later in the month, Bobby Allison in a newly-unveiled Dodge Charger Daytona ran another test session; Bobby later claimed that the track had "great big holes" in its surface. France Sr. admitted
12012-493: The final exemption is not used because all past Champions are already in the field, it will pass to another car based on the number of owner points. In some circumstances, a team's owners' points will differ from the corresponding driver's points. In 2005, after owner Jack Roush fired Kurt Busch during the next-to-last race weekend of the season, the No. 97 team finished in eighth place in owner's points, while Busch ended up tenth in driver's points. In 2023, after Chase Elliott
12168-425: The final point standings. For the 2010 season, his No. 98 team moved over to Richard Petty Motorsports , due to its merger with Yates Racing . In his first start with RPM he finished 13th in the 2010 Daytona 500 . He then went on to have Top 20s at Las Vegas and Fontana . The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway Menard posted his second highest career Cup series finish with a fifth place showing followed by
12324-502: The first 7 laps until he was involved in a big wreck, finishing 21st. The race was later won by Matt Kenseth . Menard later finished in the top 5 in Auto Club and in Talladega and got 5 top 10s and 22 top 15s. He made the Chase for the first time in his career mostly because he had only one DNF (a blown engine in Texas), grabbing the final spot by 17 points over Aric Almirola. He was eliminated in
12480-410: The first driver outside the Chase. (Under the new point system, a race winner can earn a maximum of 48 points, as opposed to 195 in the pre-2011 system.) The ten automatic qualifiers received a bonus of three points for each win during the regular season, while the two wild card qualifiers received no such bonus. As in the past, the race layouts for the remaining ten races were the same, with no changes to
12636-404: The first race ever ran at the track, a 400 miles (640 km) preliminary NASCAR Grand American Series race won by Ken Rush , France Sr. decided to seek out non-PDA, Grand American, and PDA scab drivers to race in the main event; he also let in the smaller Grand American "pony cars", which had less power, run in the event. Chrysler , who was set to debut the winged Dodge Charger Daytona at
12792-516: The first race under the current points system, the 2011 Daytona 500 . Under another rule newly implemented for the 2011 season, drivers are only allowed to earn drivers' points in one of NASCAR's three national series. Trevor Bayne , who won the race, did not earn any drivers' points because he chose to run for the Nationwide Series championship. However, he earned 47 owner's points for Wood Brothers Racing (43 base points, three bonus points for
12948-461: The first round, but with Matt Kenseth's two-race suspension, Menard passed him and finished in a career-best of 14th in the standings. Also in August 2015, Menard took the checkers at Road America , holding off Blake Koch and Ryan Blaney for his third Xfinity Series win. Aside from the 2011 Brickyard 400, the win was Menard's biggest of his career, as Menard had grown up a few miles from the track. In
13104-460: The first season of GN/Cup history. Martinsville Speedway is the only track on the 1949 schedule that remains on the current schedule. Rather than having a fixed schedule of one race per weekend with most entrants appearing at every event, the Grand National schedule has included over sixty events in some years. Often there were two or three races on the same weekend and occasionally two races on
13260-408: The focus of the party scene was "toward beer, liquor, racing, boobs and, somewhat down the list, college football." Elizabeth Blackstock, writer for Jalopnik , stated that at Talladega, "People turn into animals . If you’ve ever wanted to know what it looks like when humans just cease giving a fuck, I highly recommend finding your nearest infield campground." Considered to be "notoriously rowdy" in
13416-461: The fourth, two for the fifth, and one point for the sixth positioned manufacturer. This meant that if Chevrolets placed first through tenth in a given race and a Ford was 11th and a Dodge 12th, Chevrolet earned 9 points, Ford 6 and Dodge 4. Starting in 2014, NASCAR changed the system to mimic the Owner's Championship. Under this system, each manufacturer's best finishing representative effectively earned them
13572-473: The frontstretch grandstands were made so they could withstand a double-tiered system; 2,000 seats were also added to the Birmingham Tower, along with a new media center. A new infield campground was added in May 1992; it was met with relative praise. Further additions to the Birmingham Tower were announced later that year, with around 3,000 seats being constructed. At the end of 1993, Helton left to become
13728-450: The garage and media center along with the additions of several amenities, including additional suites and a new infield tunnel. Work on the project started in October of that year, and was completed in September 2019. Also in 2018, Lynch announced his retirement from the track, ending a 25-year reign. It took effect after the 2019 1000Bulbs.com 500 , with vice president of marketing and sales Brian Crichton replacing Lynch. The next year,
13884-511: The half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina . Richard Petty won that race in a Plymouth that had been sold by Petty Enterprises to Don Robertson and rented back by Petty Enterprises for the race. Between 1971 and 2003, NASCAR's premier series was sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston , dubbing it the Winston Cup Series. The series
14040-508: The hospitalized four, was left so badly injured that the accident effectively ended his racing career. That same year at the Talladega 500 , driver Larry Smith became the first fatality at the track when Smith blew a tire and hit the wall, suffering major head injuries. In the same race, longtime driver Bobby Isaac retired abruptly from both the race and full-time racing after he stated that he heard voices in his head telling him to quit during
14196-421: The lack of funds to be a major problem, and instead were so confident that they thought that the purchase would nevertheless be secured within the next month. In April, the city of Talladega gave France Sr. 2,000 acres at the site of the former Anniston Air Force Base . On May 16, 1968, France Sr. officially announced the construction of the project along with a new airport runway near the track, which came at
14352-502: The most influential moments in NASCAR's history, as a result of Allison's crash, NASCAR introduced the restrictor plate to reduce speeds; a requirement that lasted until 2019. In October 1987, Naman announced his intents to retire to become a member of the board of directors at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame , with former Atlanta International Speedway general director Mike Helton taking his position. In
14508-509: The most prestigious race, had a television audience of about 9.17 million U.S. viewers in 2019. Cup Series cars are unique in automobile racing. While the engines are powerful enough to reach speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h), their weight coupled with a relatively simple aerodynamic package (based on the body styles of cars currently available for retail sale in the United States) make for poor handling. The bodies and chassis of
14664-429: The naming rights deal beyond the end of the season. NASCAR subsequently announced its move to a new tiered sponsorship model beginning with the 2020 season similar to other U.S. based professional sports leagues, where it was simply known as the NASCAR Cup Series, with the sponsors of the series being called Premier Partners. The four Premier Partners are Busch Beer , Coca-Cola , GEICO , and Xfinity . The championship
14820-415: The new sponsor of NASCAR's premier series. On December 19, 2016, NASCAR announced the new name for the series, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series as well as the new series logo and new NASCAR logo. On April 11, 2018, Monster Energy announced an extension of their sponsorship of the series through the end of the 2019 season. In 2017, stage racing was introduced. Races were broken up into three stages, four in
14976-443: The next four years. Races on dirt tracks and on oval tracks shorter than 250 miles (400 kilometres) were removed from the schedule and transferred to the short-lived NASCAR Grand National East Series , and the remaining races had a minimum prize money of $ 30,000. NASCAR's founder, Bill France Sr. , turned over control of NASCAR to his oldest son, Bill France Jr. In August 1974, France Jr. asked series publicist Bob Latford to design
15132-532: The number of manufacturers involved, and the manufacturer's championship was a major marketing tool. In the Xfinity Series , the championship is known as the Bill France Performance Cup. Up to the 2013 season, points were scored in a 1960–1990 Formula One system, with the winner's manufacturer scoring nine points, six for the next manufacturer, four for the manufacturer third among makes, three for
15288-579: The old, old days he was the PR director here. He was trying to come up with some way to build the mystique of Talladega. So he put together kind of a little public relations deal of talking about how Talladega was built on an old Indian burial ground... You heard the Bobby Isaac story, right? Jim was just building on that." In the track's early years, numerous incidents that were either deemed unusual or caused either major injury or death occurred at AIMS both on and off
15444-463: The other half. Also, a regular season points championship is awarded to the driver who scored the most points in the first 26 races (regular season). This championship does not award any bonus points to the winning driver. Otherwise, the points system and playoff format remained the same. The MENCS trophy was in the form of a chalice that stood at three feet tall and weighed 68 lbs. Made of machined aluminum and taking over 300 hours of craftsmanship,
15600-402: The owner's points are used. Through the 2012 season, the top 35 (NASCAR Cup Series) or top 30 (other series) full-time teams in owner points are awarded exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing them a position in that race. These points determine who is in and who is out of the next race and have become crucial since the exemption rule was changed to its current format. At the end of each season,
15756-459: The people who had a vote on that really didn't understand racing. They really didn't have a clue as to what the future held." According to multiple people associated with Talladega Superspeedway's beginnings, sometime in 1965, former driver and businessman Fonty Flock convinced France Sr. to scout the Anniston, Alabama , area. At the beginning of 1966, The Anniston Star reported that France Sr.
15912-401: The points reset were changed as well. From 2011 to 2013, the ten drivers with the most points automatically qualified for the Chase. They were joined by two "wild card" qualifiers, specifically, the two drivers with the most race wins who were ranked between 11th and 20th in drivers' points. Their base point totals were then reset to 2,000 points, a level more than 1,000 points higher than that of
16068-405: The points totals of each driver who made the Chase were reset to 5,000 points, plus ten additional points for each race victory during the first 26 races. Points would still be awarded as usual during the affected races. The driver leading in points after the 36th race would be declared the champion. As part of a major change in the points system that took effect in 2011, the qualifying criteria and
16224-883: The pole at Winchester, Indiana, and then scored his first ARCA victory at Talladega Superspeedway . He also had top finishes of ninth in the Busch race at Indianapolis Raceway Park and eighth in the Truck race at the Kansas Speedway . In 2004, Menard began the NASCAR Busch Series season driving the No. 33 Chevrolet. Midway through the season, he moved to Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in the No. 11 Chevy. 10 races later, Menard won his first career pole position at Kansas Speedway and finished 23rd in points despite no top-tens and missing seven races. With Dan Stillman as crew chief beginning in 2005, they started out by leading 57 laps at Daytona . Winning
16380-531: The project were also being made, with a feasibility report stating that the project was "highly favorable". In the next month, a party associated with France and Pure Oil were reported to have invested two-thirds of the financing needed for its construction, along with the city of Talladega offering 650 acres. At the beginning of 1968, France Sr. announced that the track would be longer than the France Sr.-owned Daytona International Speedway by "400 [to] 600 feet". In
16536-423: The race. At the 1974 Winston 500 , ten of the top 11 qualified cars reported that their cars had been "sabotaged", with various mechanical failures being found and deliberately caused; the culprit was never found. Two more fatalities, pit crew member Randy Owens and driver Tiny Lund , both occurred in 1975 in separate races. Unusual incidents continued into the 1980s. At the 1982 Winston 500 , L. W. Wright ,
16692-443: The rejection, which heavily contributed to the declining racing scene of Spartanburg that started in the start of the 1960s, was seen by locals as the point of no return of the city's decline. In an interview, longtime NASCAR driver James Hylton stated that the city council "stuck a knife in their hearts, their own hearts. Because if the city fathers in Spartanburg and Spartanburg County had approved that, this would be Talladega... All
16848-455: The same accident, Jimmy Horton 's car went over the protective wall; the first of its kind since 1969 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Later in the race, Neil Bonnett 's car went airborne and hit the catchfence on the track's frontstretch, tearing a 20-foot gap. The next year at the 1994 Winston Select 500 , a multi-car accident involving Mark Martin sent Martin through the infield of the track, with Martin breaking through an infield guardrail. At
17004-458: The same announcement, he also stated that he aimed to start construction in a couple of months and that the project was "90 percent assured". On March 14, Talladega County officials announced that they hoped for a final verdict on access road financing in order to finally approve the project; however, a sale of $ 2 million to First Alabama Securities relating to industrial bonds failed to go through. Despite this, France Sr. and Hill did not consider
17160-434: The same day in different states. In the early years, most Grand National races were held on dirt-surfaced short oval tracks that ranged in lap length from under a quarter-mile to over a half-mile, or on dirt fairgrounds ovals usually ranging from a half-mile to a mile in lap length. Of the first 221 Grand National races, 198 were run on dirt tracks. Darlington Raceway , opened in 1950, was the first completely paved track on
17316-655: The same manner as the Driver's Championship, except that points are awarded to each individual car. If an owner enters more than one car, each car is viewed and scored as a separate entity. The points in the Owners Championship is identical to the Drivers' list, with one minor exception: Drivers who are not eligible to earn points toward the Drivers' title can still earn points toward the Owners' Championship. An example of this occurred in
17472-483: The same number of points as that team earned, including any bonus points from leading a lap or winning the event. In NASCAR's earliest years, there was a diverse array of machinery, with little support from the car companies themselves, but by the mid-1960s, participation was exclusively American manufacturers with factory support. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors were the primary, if not only, competitors for much of NASCAR's history. Plymouth, while somewhat successful in
17628-455: The scoring system. On November 20, 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards ended the season in a first-ever points tie. Stewart's five season wins (all in the Chase) over Edwards' one win (in the third race of the season) gave Stewart the tie-breaker. Hence he was named the winner of the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. For 2014, NASCAR announced wide-ranging changes to the Chase format: To encourage continued competition among all drivers,
17784-503: The season, the first half of the regular season, the second half of the regular season, and the Chase. Previously, the champion could have been determined before the last race, or even several races before the end of the season, because it was mathematically impossible for any other driver to gain enough points to overtake the leader. The title sponsorship with Sprint ended after the 2016 season. On December 1, 2016, NASCAR announced it had reached an agreement with Monster Energy to become
17940-595: The series, the 2004 season also introduced a new system for determining the series champion, influenced by the system used in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series . Originally known as the Chase for the Nextel Cup (or simply "The Chase" , and later changed to Sprint branding), the ten highest-scoring drivers and teams (plus ties) in the first 26 races of the season became eligible to win the championship by competing in
18096-584: The series, with Coca-Cola also assuming naming rights of the regular season trophy. The MENCS trophy design was retained under the new series name, though it was renamed the Bill France Cup. The NASCAR Cup Series Drivers' Championship is awarded by the Chairman of NASCAR to the most successful Cup Series driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on race results and victories. First awarded in 1949 to Red Byron , 32 different drivers have won
18252-412: The series. Japanese telecommunications corporation SoftBank acquired Sprint in July 2013. While NASCAR was suspicious of diversity promotion and aware of the negative implications of the redneck image, it also recognized the opportunities to expand the sport. NASCAR's CEO Brian France has become a prime target for criticism among fans during his tenure from 2003 to 2018. In 2016, NASCAR announced
18408-458: The standings last year (2005). He scored 16 top-10 finishes and 7 top-5 finishes in the Busch Series . In 2007, Menard ran his first full-time Cup season. He failed to qualify for six races that season, but after DEI's merger with Ginn Racing , the owner's points were transferred from Sterling Marlin 's No. 14 car to Menard, who was then locked into the rest of the races. His best finish of 2007
18564-489: The state of North Carolina , some scenes for the movie's ending were shot at the Talladega Superspeedway. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby was released on August 4, 2006, and is considered to be one of the most beloved racing-related movies of all time. Parts of the 1983 movie Stroker Ace were filmed at the track. Also in 2005, filming for an episode for the eighth season of The Amazing Race
18720-409: The straights. The track, similar in shape to the NASCAR -owned Daytona International Speedway , differs from Daytona due to its start-finish line; Talladega's start finish line is around a 1 ⁄ 4 mile (0.40 km) away from the track's center point. Within NASCAR's schedule, Talladega Superspeedway is the longest oval NASCAR races on during the season. Talladega Superspeedway also features
18876-461: The summer of 1967 and to open the track sometime in 1969. A finalized plan of the project was reported in April 1967, which according to France Sr. was "economically justified". In June, France Sr. stated in The Anniston Star that the "bond market just isn't what it should be at the present"; however, speculated rumors of Pure Oil , a subsidiary of Union Oil, investing the entire amount needed to finance
19032-510: The summers he raced legends cars on short tracks in Wisconsin. He borrowed Bryan Reffner 's Late Model for a week winning his heat race and placing around fourth in the feature. He decided to build his own late model and raced the car three to four times per week. In an interview with Motorsports Minute, Menard said he chose stock cars over Indy Cars because there was no feeder series for Indy Car in his native Wisconsin. In 2000, he began racing
19188-481: The top 10 many times, only to later have problems. For example, he crashed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while running very well, and was involved in a wreck with only 40 laps to go, while running 7th. These issues lead to the team being in danger of falling out of the top 35 in points standings for much of the year. Menard's best finishes included two 13th-place finishes in the Aarons 499 at Talladega Superspeedway as well as
19344-403: The top 35 contenders in owner's points are also locked into the first five races of the next season. Beginning in 2013, the rules reverted to a system more similar to the pre-2005 rules. In the NASCAR Cup Series, the first 36 places in the field are determined strictly by qualifying speed. The next six places are awarded on owner points, with the final place reserved for a past Series Champion. If
19500-500: The top 35 in owner's points for the entire season. At Talladega in the fall, Menard had the best run of his career leading laps and coming home with a strong second-place finish. He also was up front for a good part of the day in the other. He finished up the season with $ 3,559,130 in earnings and finished 26th in points standings, a career high. For the 2009 season, Menard moved over to the No. 98 Ford Fusion operated by Yates Racing . Menard showed limited improvement in 2009, running in
19656-408: The track also had a better reputation in local Alabama media. The next year, attendance had rose to such a point to where one Anniston Star reporter had described AIMS' future as "all sunshine". Expansions and renovations remained at a slow pace throughout Naman's tenure. In 1975, AIMS officials announced renovations worth over $ 200,000; among said renovations was the addition of a new press box on
19812-514: The track came under controversy when a member of Bubba Wallace 's crew reported a potential noose in the midst of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement . A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation later determined that Wallace had not been a victim of a hate crime ; the noose was a garage door pull rope that had existed since October 2019, although it
19968-546: 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
20124-542: The track complex covers around 3,000 acres, with the facility being the largest on the NASCAR schedule. Talladega Superspeedway is known for its infield party scene during race weekends, gaining a reputation for a chaotic, Woodstock / Mardi Gras -type atmosphere. The party scene has been described by ESPN 's Ryan McGee as "full of redneck engineering and school buses and questionable decisions". Games, parades, and nudity has been reported by numerous journalists as being commonplace; with reporter Mike Hembree stating that
20280-482: The track to host a music festival that was organized by the organizers of Woodstock ; the organizers had chosen the track party because "people could take drugs in there and not be bothered by law enforcement." Then-general manager Don Naman, who was a devout Catholic , refused because he thought the festival "wasn’t nice for the community". In 2024, the track hosted the Foodie’s Food Culture Festival,
20436-546: The track was advertised to have bankings steeper than Daytona International Speedway and potential average speeds over 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). In October, work began on constructing grandstands, which involved bulldozing part of the Talladega Mountains . In April 1969, a 4 miles (6.4 km) "roval" road course was announced by France Sr. That same month, reports by the Associated Press stated that AIMS
20592-408: The track's control tower. As part of the project, the track surface was resurfaced by using a mixture that acted as a sealant. The first race under Naman's tenure saw increased attendance, with 63,500 attending despite heavy doubt placed onto the track, leading to hopes of later races having more attending per race. Within 1972, attendance had rose with Naman stated hopes of building new grandstands;
20748-416: The track's frontstretch that costed around $ 150,000, additional loudspeakers, and additional spectator gates. Further renovations to paddock areas were announced in 1977, along with the addition of a new 2,200-seat grandstand. A second repave was also announced in 1979 due to heavy rain. That same year, Naman stated that officials hoped to expand to accommodate at least 150,000 fans by 1990. The next year,
20904-512: The track, leading to beliefs of a "Talladega Curse" which stemmed from the belief that the track was built on cursed indigenous American land as a result of the Trail of Tears ; an idea that has been dismissed by former Talladega Superspeedway general manager Grant Lynch as a marketing ploy created by Jim Hunter, a past publicity director for the track. In the 1973 Winston 500 , a crash involving 19 cars hospitalized four drivers; Wendell Scott , one of
21060-478: The trophy's exterior was decorated with the outlines of all 23 NASCAR Cup Series tracks. The cup portion was said to hold approximately 600 ounces of liquids, or 37 cans of Monster Energy. Beginning with the 2020 season NASCAR's top level of competition became known as the NASCAR Cup Series . As part of a tiered sponsorship model, Busch Beer , Coca-Cola , GEICO , and Xfinity became the Premier Partners of
21216-491: The vice president of competition for NASCAR , with general manager Grant Lynch taking Helton's position. Under Lynch's tenure, Talladega Superspeedway underwent through constant expansion due to fears that the track was falling behind in quality of amenities of rivaling tracks; particularly tracks built by Bruton Smith 's company, Speedway Motorsports . Seats were added in both 1994 and 1995, with 3,100 and 5,000 seats being added in each year, respectively. A new grandstand,
21372-462: The voices of NASCAR drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. To avoid advertising tobacco in a Disney film, "Piston Cup" served as Pixar's allusion to the Winston Cup (however, by the time the film came out, Nextel had replaced Winston as the series title sponsor). During the 2002 season, R.J. Reynolds notified NASCAR leadership that they would terminate their title sponsorship prematurely at
21528-419: The win, and one bonus point for leading a lap). Before a major change to the points system was implemented in 2011, there was a slightly different addition to the system of allocating owner's points. If more than 43 cars attempted to qualify for a race, owner's points were awarded to each car in the following manner: the fastest non-qualifier (in essence, 44th position) received 31 points, three points fewer than
21684-557: Was announced in 2009, which aimed to renovate outdated seating and improve accessibility. Lynch came back to his old position the following year when Humphrey was transferred to ISC. The early 2010s saw steep attendance declines due to the effects of the Great Recession ; a peak of approximately 190,000 in the 2003 Aaron's 499 had fallen to 108,500 by the 2012 iteration of the same event. In 2013, track officials announced that grandstand capacity would be decreased to 80,000, demolishing
21840-430: Was announced in April 1999 and completed in October of that year. Another expansion to the O. V. Hill Grandstands was made in 2001, with 5,200 seats being added. By 2003, according to the Montgomery Advertiser , the track hosted a grandstand seating capacity of 143,000. In December 2005, track officials announced a complete repave of Talladega; the first since 1979. Construction on the repave started on May 2, 2006,
21996-511: Was briefly in Chase for the Sprint Cup contention. A blown engine early in the Coke Zero 400 caused him to be knocked out of the Chase with a few races left before the Chase began. In the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 , Menard's tire exploded upon stopping in his pit box; Menard stated, "About a lap later, they told me I was on fire. I lost my brakes, and the damned wheel blew right off." In 2014 Menard scored 13 top tens (a career high) and held
22152-414: Was declared the winner of that race after Glenn Dunaway was disqualified for having altered the rear springs on his car; the first series champion was Red Byron . The division was renamed "Grand National" for the 1950 season, reflecting NASCAR's intent to make the sport more professional and prestigious. It retained this name until 1971. The 1949 Strictly Stock season is regarded in NASCAR's record books as
22308-469: Was done to make the track visible from Interstate 20 and the seats were colored red and blue to replace the "historically grey and dull" aesthetic of the track. A second phase of expansion following the 1998 renovation was also announced that same year, with hopes of the track eventually hosting "well above 200,000" within its grandstands. A 22,000-seat backstretch grandstand, the Allison Grandstand,
22464-476: Was driving an older Dodge model, accused NASCAR of rigging the race; the protests were unsuccessful. The track's second season oversaw decreasing attendance and increased disdain over the quality of racing at the track. The 1970 Alabama 500 saw a decrease of over 10,000 people from the 1969 Talladega 500, with NASCAR officials stating the attendance was "disappointing". In June, reporters stated that AIMS had covered up several parts of grandstands with tarp due to
22620-492: Was first ran in 1970. The latter was first run in 1969 to christen Talladega Superspeedway. Along with its Cup Series races, the facility also hosts lower-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series races. In the 1970s, the IMSA GT Championship raced at the track's road course numerous times. The series first raced at Talladega Superspeedway in 1971, and proceeded to race at the track five more times within
22776-602: Was in the Citizens Bank 400 where he finished 12th. In the Busch Series, he picked up 5 top-5 finishes. After the fall race at Charlotte, in which Menard and Tony Stewart made contact on pit road, a feud between the drivers ensued; Stewart had driven for John Menard in the Indy Racing League 's early years. In 2008, Menard won his first Sprint Cup Series pole at Daytona International Speedway in early July and remained in
22932-444: Was injured, his No. 9 car continued to earn owner points during his absence, which ultimately culminated in a playoff berth in owners points, though Elliott himself didn’t make the playoffs as a driver. The team finished 10th and Elliott finished 17th. A Manufacturer's Championship is awarded each year, although the Driver's Championship is considered more prestigious. In the past, manufacturer's championships were prestigious because of
23088-624: Was negotiating to build a $ 1.5 million (adjusted for inflation, $ 14,086,154) facility in Eastaboga near the Talladega Municipal Airport . However, according to France Sr., local Alabama tax laws and the cost of surrounding land were deterrents to the track's construction. In February, France Sr. had reportedly began negotiations in Gadsden. However, in the next several months, France Sr. and city of Talladega officials resumed negotiations for
23244-555: Was originally called the Winston Cup Grand National Series before "Grand National" was dropped in 1986. In 1971, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banned television advertising of cigarettes. As a result, tobacco companies began to sponsor sporting events as a way to spend their excess advertising dollars and to circumvent the ban. RJR's sponsorship became more controversial in the wake of
23400-515: Was passed by Jamie McMurray . With four to go, he regained the lead and held off Jeff Gordon , the winner of the inaugural Brickyard 400 in the final laps, having enough fuel to do so. He is the first member of the Menard family to win at Indianapolis, in any event, held at the track. He also joins Trevor Bayne , Regan Smith , David Ragan , and Marcos Ambrose as first-time winners in the 2011 season. In September 2011 at Richmond, Menard and RCR became
23556-503: Was produced at Talladega Superspeedway. In 2010, The Legend of Hallowdega , a mockumentary film produced by RadicalMedia as part of an Amp Energy advertising campaign that poked fun at the alleged Talladega Curse was released on Halloween of that year. Four years later, the track was heavily referenced in the Eric Church song " Talladega ", which detailed Church's experiences with high school friends attending auto racing events at
23712-423: Was proposed by Talladega mayor Larry Barton in order to pay off a $ 1 million deficit; however, annexation talks died down by early next year. Within the track's early years, the track became known for its fast speeds, with multiple world records being broken; some records were more than once were broken at the track. In March 1970, Buddy Baker became the first person to break 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) on
23868-427: Was selling 70 tickets daily on average. In July, the amount of tickets sold daily was "100 or more", with the goal of 100,000 people coming to the inaugural race being "assured". The next month, the only construction fatality occurred when W. L. Harry died when a crane hit his head, crushing his skull. A date to christen AIMS was scheduled for September 14, 1969, for the 1969 Talladega 500 . The first tire tests for
24024-416: Was the introduction of pack racing. As part of restrictor plate racing, major accidents involving numerous cars, often called the " Big One ", occurred often. At the 1993 DieHard 500 , two separate major accidents occurred. Early in the race, multiple drivers were involved in a seven-car crash; one of them, Stanley Smith , suffered a basilar skull fracture that affected Smith for the rest of his life. In
24180-425: Was the only one shaped like a noose across NASCAR-owned tracks. To further modernize the track, a scoring pylon was removed in 2024 to get spectators to look at modern video screens for live scoring. Since the track's inaugural season of racing in 1969, the facility has held two annual NASCAR Cup Series weekends per year for most of its history: the spring Jack Link's 500 and the fall YellaWood 500 . The former
24336-461: Was to blame, but footage captured by a fan showed that Owen Kelly was at fault. Menard moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2011, driving the No. 27. On July 31, 2011, Menard won his first and only Sprint Cup race in his 167th start, in the Brickyard 400 at the prestigious Indianapolis Motor Speedway . He did so by making his last pit stop with 36 laps to go. He led late, but with 9 laps to go, he
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