How big is Talladega Superspeedway? Exploring lap length, seating capacity, and more facts
Talladega Superspeedway is a car racing track situated in Alabama. This track is scheduled to host the Jack Link's 500, the next NASCAR Cup Series race, from April 25-27. This venue is famous for its on-track atmosphere and vibe during race weekends.
This tri-oval track is 2.66 miles long and is the biggest and fastest track in NASCAR. This track was built in 1969 and is owned by NASCAR. Before 2019, the superspeedway was owned by the International Speedway Corporation. Since 2019, the track president has been Brian Crichton.
Talladega Superspeedway has a grandstand capacity of 80,000 people, The attendance number was as high as 170,000 at the peak of this superspeedway. The fastest pole speed record in NASCAR history was set at Talladega Superspeedway by Bill Elliott in 1987 when he clocked 212.809 mph. The average speed at this track is around 188.354 mph.
The entire track area and the surrounding complexes and property cover around 3000 acres. The bank at the track is 2 degrees on the straights, 16.5 degrees in the tri-oval section, and 33 degrees at the turns. The first race to be conducted on this venue was the Bama 400 Grand Touring race in the year 1969. Ken Rush won the race in his Chevy Camaro.
Talladega is also popular because of its party-like atmosphere in the infield during the race weekends. The track has created a reputation for having a chaotic, Mardi-Gras-like atmosphere in the crowd.
Driver records at the Talladega Superspeedway
The driver to win the most number of races at Talladega Superspeedway is Dale Earnhardt Sr., who won ten races at this venue. The world record for the fastest ever speed recorded at the track is held by Patty Moise, who clinched 217.498 mph in 1989.
Among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Brad Keselowski has won a record six races at this track. He has won the second most number of races overall at this venue, tied with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.. Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano have also won three races each at Talladega. The last race at this track was won by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. which was the YellaWood 500 in October 2024.
Victories at the Talladega Superspeedway and the Daytona Speedway hold utmost importance for the drivers. Talladega, when compared to Daytona, is longer and steeper, which leads to more aggressive and three-wide racing. Daytona, on the other hand, is known for its final laps drama and crashes. Talladega is the only NASCAR circuit that also offers free Camping options.