Talladega Memories

They’ve been racing NASCAR Cup cars at Talladega Speedway since 1969. And I’m plenty old enough to have seen them all. I haven’t, because consistent teevee coverage didn’t arrive until 1979. But that old 2.66 mile, high-banked monster has brought some memorable moments:

• In the mid 70′s there was a hellacious crash on the backstretch; it took out the majority of the field. I think it was either Benny Parsons or Buddy Baker who later remarked “It looked like a 747 had crashed on the backstretch.”
• In 1988, Bobby Allison’s car became airborne, pivoted multiple times on an axis from the roof of the car to the floorboards, and came perilously close to entering the grandstands. This ushered in restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega for the next season.
• Somewhere in the 80′s, a “fan” who is the poster child of the “Whiskey for Breakfast Bunch”, stole the pace car, and made nearly a lap around the track, before several of Alabama’s finest took him into custody coming off turn three.
• The late, great Dale Earnhardt won his last NASCAR race at Talladega in 2000. He came from 20^th with 2 or 3 laps to go, to win the event. Today, he would have celebrated his 56^th birthday. Racing still isn’t the same without him.
• What other track could spawn such jokes as “What has 50,000 legs and 100,000 teeth?” A: The infield at Talladega.

Maybe SWMBO’s and my “Search for America Tour” should head to Alabama someday. I think that would be great.

-k-

[tags]NASCAR, talladega[/tags]