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Talladega Superspeedway Racing School
Our premier racing school site, the Talladega Superspeedway, is no ordinary
racetrack. It's a complete motorsports complex boasting the largest oval
racetrack in the Sprint Cup Series 2.66 miles long. Located adjacent to the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame, which is open daily, Talladega is known
throughout the sport as the fastest racetrack in the world. NASCAR's most
competitive track, the Talladega Superspeedway provides the ultimate racing
experience for Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure enthusiasts. Holding records for
the fastest 500-mile stock car race, the most lead changes and the most leaders
in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event, Talladega affords the Dale Jarrett racing
connoisseur the thrill of speeds up to 180 mph. That high-speed racing is
coupled with the same safety features designed to protect the professional
racecar drivers that have driven its racetrack.
| July 12, 2008 |
Open |
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July 13, 2008 |
Open |
| July 26, 2008 |
PM only |
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July 27, 2008 |
Open |
| August 9, 2008 |
Open |
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August 10, 2008 |
Open |
| August 30, 2008 |
Open |
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August 31, 2008 |
Open |
| September 13, 2008 |
Open |
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September 14, 2008 |
Open |
| October 18, 2008 |
Open |
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October 19, 2008 |
Open |
| November 1, 2008 |
Open |
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November 2, 2008 |
Open |
| November 15, 2008 |
Open |
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November 16, 2008 |
Open |
| December 6, 2008 |
Open |
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December 7, 2008 |
Open |
“I sold my bike for my last trip to
Talladega in May…Very addictive. Best money I ever spent and hands down
the most fun I ever had…”
Steve Mahaffey |

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Safety at Talladega Superspeedway 
Safety at Talladega Superspeedway is enhanced by Steel and Foam Energy Reduction
(SAFER) barriers on all four turns, the tri-oval, and the inside retaining wall
of the backstretch. The Superspeedway also has a 40-inch-high SAFER wall
protecting the turns and the tri-oval, positioned 30 inches from the racetrack
wall. Because of its excellent driving conditions, the Talladega Superspeedway
is used for automotive testing and photo shoots for films and television in
addition to the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. With enough seats for more than
143,000 guests plus thousands more in the 212-acre infield, Talladega is
equipped to handle the roaring crowds it attracts on professional race days.
Racetrack Specifications 
Completed: 1969
Length: 2.66 miles
Shape: Tri-oval
Banking: 33° turns, 16.5° frontstretch, 2° backstretch
Frontstretch length: 4,300 feet
Backstretch length: 4,000 feet
Seating capacity: 143,231
Location: 
Talladega Superspeedway
Speedway Blvd.
Talladega, AL 35161
877- Go2 -DEGA (877-462-3342)
“Driving a real NEXTEL Cup car race car between 170 mph and 175 mph around the
high banks at Talladega was more fun than I could handle. I can't eat, I can’t
sleep, or go a single hour a day without thinking about it. I'm even skipping
meals just to save up money. I now have a monkey on my back and looking for a
way to finance my addiction for REAL SPEED. Wife says I can go back to Talladega
in May but I have to sell my motorcycle, so here it is.”
Steve Mahaffey
Description of Talladega, Alabama: 
Talladega is a city of about 15,000, located 40 miles east of Birmingham.
Originally settled by Native Americans, Talladega was “discovered” in 1540
when explorer Hernando DeSoto traveled to the area. The area is notable for
its natural setting, which includes waterfalls, caverns, a forest, and a park
that provides a variety of options for campers and hikers, as well as fishing,
picnicking, swimming, and trails.
Accommodations: 
Hotels:
Bed & Breakfasts
Historic Oakwood Bed & Breakfast
(256) 362-0662
Mansion in Talladega
(205) 761-9051
Transportation:
Limousine service can be arranged
Amtrak services Aniston and Birmingham
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Restaurants:
Lone Star Steakhouse
Ruby Tuesday Restaurant
Olive Garden
Sonny’s BBQ
Cracker Barrel
International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
Huddle House
Miscellaneous Fast Food Restaurants
More restaurants in Birmingham, including ethnic eateries featuring Greek, French, Italian, Creole, Cajun, Indian, Chinese, Caribbean, Thai, Cuban/Latino, Italian, and Japanese, as well as regional fare
Talladega Seasonal Attractions:
April - AMA Superbike Championship at Barber Motorsports Park adjacent to the Superspeedway
July - Grand American Rolex Series at Barber Motorsports Park adjacent to the Superspeedway
October and November - Enjoy the fall color
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Things To See and Do:
History: 
Talladega Superspeedway may be the largest and fastest superspeedway in the world,
but it was originally just a soybean farm next to two abandoned airport runways.
The racetrack was first opened in 1969 as Alabama International Motor Speedway and
then renamed "Talladega Superspeedway" in 1989. Talladega Superspeedway got its
name from the Alabama city and county by the same name.
When the racetrack first opened, its speed was so high at nearly 200 mph that
it created a problem. Tire companies were unable to develop a compound that could
hold together at those speeds for multiple laps. As a result, the Professional
Drivers Association (PDA) and its leader Richard Petty left the racetrack on the
racetrack’s very first race weekend, declaring the situation unsafe. To appease
the thousands of fans that had traveled so far to see the race, however, the founder
of NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation, Bill France, went ahead with
the race. Using the drivers that did not participate in the boycott and a few that
had raced on the previous day, Fortunately, the full 500 miles were run with no
significant incidents.
Once races started being run at the Talladega Superspeedway, it became the
site of record successes for a number of racecar drivers. Richard Brickhouse
was the first NASCAR Cup winner at Talladega, Pete Hamilton was the first to win
two major events there, David Pearson was the first three-time winner, and Buddy
Baker was the first four-time winner. These winners were eclipsed by "The
Intimidator," the late Dale Earnhardt, who posted 10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup wins at
Talladega in his years of driving. His son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., has already
posted five wins at Talladega.
Talladega Superspeedway was also home to what some have called "the greatest
1-2-3 finish in motorsports." In the 1981 UAW-Ford 500, rookie Ron Bouchard
won by just one foot over Darrell Waltrip and by two feet over Terry Labonte in the
final 500 yards.
The 2005 UAW-Ford 500 looked as if it could be anybody’s race, but on the
last and most important lap of the race, NASCAR great Dale Jarrett came up from
behind and landed a spectacular victory, winning over Jeff Gordon and
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Jarrett's win put a Ford in Gatorade Victory Lane at
Talladega for the first time in 7 years, coinciding nicely with UAW-Ford's debut
as the racetrack's fall NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event sponsor.
Jimmie Johnson won the 2006 race, but not before 22 drivers swapped the lead
56 times. In May of that year, Talladega Speedway was repaved for the fifth
time, resulting in a record fall 2006 race weekend with the highest attendance the
racetrack had ever had. In a head-spinning display of racecar driving, 23 drivers
swapped the lead 63 times in the UAW-Ford 500, and a total of 15,951 passes for
position were made.
The track speed at Talladega Superspeedway is so high that it is one of only
two racetracks on the NASCAR circuit that force teams to use a restrictor plate
limiting the engine's horespower to restrict their top speeds. There is an
interesting aerodynamic side effect of this restriction; it allows two cars running
together to go much faster than a single car can by itself. As a result, Talladega
races frequently have a large pack of cars running just inches away from each other.
Two 188-lap Sprint Cup Series races and one 117-lap Nationwide Series race are
held each year at Talladega Superspeedway. The The spring Sprint Cup race is
referred to as “Aaron’s 499,” in honor of a rent-to-own chain based in
Atlanta. The 94-lap ARCA RE/MAX series also runs at Talladega, as does the
same-length Craftsman Truck Series.
The Talladega Superspeedway is not only the biggest, the fastest, and the
longest of motor speedways, it is the site of momentous racing events whose
historic presence is still felt there. On the racetrack where “The Intimidator”
won 10 races and Dale Jarrett beat out Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the
spirit of high-speed racing still lives on today as racing changes and evolves.
That racetrack, those cars, and the hearts of millions of enthusiastic racing fans
are all part of the Talladega racing experience, making it timeless and unforgettable.
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