Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega Superspeedway (Alabama International Motor Speedway from 1969 to 1989) is a 2.660 mi (4.281 km) tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Built in 1969, the track has hosted a variety of racing events, primarily races sanctioned by NASCAR. The track is owned by NASCAR and led by track president Josh Harris. The grandstand can seat 80,000 as of 2022. Along with the main track, the track complex also has a 4.000 mi (6.437 km) roval-style road course. In the early 1960s, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. built the track near Talladega, Alabama, after a failed proposal to build one in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Over its first couple of decades, the track gained a reputation as a fast and wild facility with speeds of over 200 miles per hour (320 km/h), major accidents, and unusual occurrences. NASCAR's introduction of the restrictor plate and the appearance of pack racing in the late 1980s exacerbated its chaotic reputation, with several "Big One" accidents involving 10 or more cars.

Bill France Sr. first tried to build a superspeedway in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but local opposition killed the plan. He built in Lincoln, Alabama, instead, and Alabama International Motor Speedway opened in 1969. At 2.66 miles it is NASCAR's longest oval, and its 33-degree banking produces some of the fastest speeds in the sport. The track took the Talladega name in 1989. Restrictor plates were introduced in the late 1980s to slow the cars, which created the huge drafting packs Talladega is known for, and the multi-car crashes fans call "The Big One."