Wicked Fast Talladega

The track known as Talladega held its first NASCAR Cup (Grand National) Series race in Sept 14, 1969. It is located in Eastaboga, Alabama in Talladega County. It is the sister track to Daytona International Speedway and was built by the same man, William Big Bill France. He was President of NASCAR and also another of his businesses International Speedway Corporation. He bought the property in early summer 1966. Construction began in May, 1968. The length of the track is 2.66 miles with 33 degrees of banking in the turns; both statistics are the largest in NASCAR. The racing surface is 48 feet wide with a 12 feet wide safety apron on the inside. The tri oval, which is also called a dog leg, is banked 18 degrees. The total length from the entrance to the exit of pit road is 1,730 feet. Its back straight, now called the superstretch, is 4000 feet in length. The track has seating for 175,000 spectators. The property was at one time called the Anniston Army Airfield. The US government sold the property to the city of Talladega. One runway is still visible in the 212 acre infield. It runs parallel to the superstretch.

Although it is similar to DIS it is also very different in its shape and layout. The track was originally named the Alabama International Motor Speedway, holding the name until 1989. Unlike Daytona, the start finish line is not in the center of the tri oval but 1000 feet further toward the first turn. It is located at the exit of pit road. Because of construction delays to the race track, the tire companies did not have time to develop a tire for the high speeds and the rough surface. Both Goodyear and Firestone constructed tires of differing compounds, but both companies failed in their efforts to construct a proper and useful tire. Firestone left Talladega during the weekend and has never returned to NASCAR.

The first race held at the track was a NASCAR Grand National East touring race held on Saturday September 13, the day before the Cup race. The race, called the Bama 400, was won by Ken Rush driving a Chevrolet Camaro.

Because of the tire issues and high speeds at the track, the Grand National drivers decided to boycott the race leaving the track before race day. Some of the drivers that left the speedway were Cale Yarborough, Lee Roy Yarbrough, Buddy Baker, Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, James Hylton, Charlie Glotzbach, David Pearson, and Richard Petty. The PDA, Professional Drivers Association, was a union organized by the drivers with Richard Petty as its leader. After numerous meetings among themselves and with Bill France, a decision was made. There were stories of some harsh words and fists flying. The union, it was called an organization, decided to pull out of the race and left in a caravan from the premises. The drivers, led by Tim Flock and Curtis Turner, tried to organize NASCAR under the Teamsters Union in 1961. France banned both drivers from NASCAR for life; however he lifted the ban in 1965. Bill France himself had a car entered in the race, a Ford that he personally practiced in and was later turned over to Tiny Lund to race.

On top of all of this, Dodge was just now enacting their plan to introduce the new Dodge Charger Daytona. The new body style was a kit that included the now famous pointed nose piece, and the equally famous winged air spoilers added on. The kit would upgrade the Chargers and make them slick in the wind. The side wing supports also made great stabilizers; the car was very stable at high cornering speeds.

Charlie Chargin Charlie Glotzbach won the pole position in a Dodge Charger Daytona; he joined the boycott and didn’t race. The speed was 199.466 mph. Because he didn’t compete in the race the pole position winner became Bobby Isaac who drove his Dodge Daytona to a speed of 196.386 mph. The red car number 71 was sponsored by K and K Insurance and was owned by Nord Krauskopf.

The starting field for the first Talladega 500 consisted of 36 race cars, some were Cup cars and some were Grand National East cars. An East car was a smaller wheel based car such as a Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, or Pontiac Firebird. Richard Brickhouse won the first Grand National race held at Talladega; it was his only win in the series. The Dodge driven by Brickhouse was the one Glotzbach had given up. Car owner Ray Fox had his famous car number 3, a Dodge Charger, at the track with driver Jim Vandiver behind the wheel. He dominated the race leading 102 of the 188 lap race. Fox contends that his car won the race by 1 lap over everyone else, but NASCAR disagreed and gave the win to Brickhouse.

Vandiver later won the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) race held at the track in October. Like the NASCAR race it was 500 miles. He won the race from the pole position going 194.476 mph.

Richard Brickhouse was driving for the Dodge factory backed team of Nickels Engineering. He led 33 laps including the last 11. Iowa native Ramo Stott finished in 3rd place and future NASCAR Cup champion Bobby Isaac finished in 4th place. The above drivers were all driving Dodge Chargers or Dodge Daytonas. Future Talladega winner Richard Brooks finished in 5th place in a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. Brooks went on to win that year’s Rookie of the Year title.

Future NASCAR Cup championship car owner Billy Hagan finished 8th in a Mercury he owned. 1963 Daytona 500 winner Tiny Lund, driving for Bill France finished in 9th place. Lund led 28 laps that day, but his life was taken in a crash at the track in 1975. Clifton Coo Coo Marlin finished in 10th, he never won a Cup race but his son Sterling Marlin won back to back Daytona 500’s!

Eleventh place finisher Bill Ward was a local insurance man who helped Bill France find the property for the track. He drove the Bama 400 and the Talladega 500 on one set of tires! Ray Fox had a second car entered with Don Tarr driving. Tarr led 6 laps before having his engine fail after 129 laps, finishing in 16th place. Former NASCAR point champion Buck Baker finished in 18th in his familiar car number 87, a 1969 Pontiac. Future champion car owner Richard Childress, driving a Chevrolet Camaro number 13, finished 23rd after experiencing axle problems. NASCAR and Indy 500 veteran Jim Hurtubise hopped into LG Dewitt’s Ford and finished 25th after engine troubles. LG’s regular driver John Sears left the track during the boycott and that opened the seat for Hurtubise. Dewitt was the car owner of 1973 Cup champion Benny Parsons. The last place finisher was Don Schissler who was driving for Bud Moore in a Ford. There were 35 lead changes among 7 drivers. The average speed was 153.778 mph, and was slowed by 38 caution laps.

Chapter 2 - 1970

On March 24, 1970 driver Buddy Baker became the first NASCAR driver to officially break the 200 mile per hour record. He did it at AIMS during a test session, the speed was 200.447 mph. Baker was driving a Dodge Daytona from Chrysler Engineering.

In the spring of 1970, NASCAR returned to the track. First, though, on Saturday April 11 Ramo Stott won the ARCA race. There was no qualifying for the race and it lasted only 133 miles. The next day was the Alabama 500, a race that now had all of the top Grand National drivers competing. This was the year of the winged Plymouth Super Bird and Dodge Daytona. Pete Hamilton, fresh off of his victory in the Daytona 500 won the race. He led the last 18 laps, 19 laps altogether, in a Petty Enterprises Plymouth. Hamilton was named Rookie of the Year in 1968. Bobby Isaac was the runner up, driving for the same team as last year. He earned the pole position by going 199.658 mph. Both Hamilton and Isaac were the only cars that completed the entire distance.

One lap down was David Pearson in a Ford taking third place. Pearson was the defending point titlist and Isaac would go on to win the point title in this year. Benny Parsons was fourth while driving for LG Dewitt. Fifth place Cale Yarborough led a dozen laps for the Wood Brothers team. Like Hamilton, Richard Petty was sponsored by soft drink brand 7 Up. His car number 43 Plymouth finished in 7th place. For the second time in a row Coo Coo Marlin finished in 10th spot! Buddy Baker dominated the race for car owner Cotton Owens. His Dodge led 101 laps but Baker spun and exited the race in 12th place. Dick Brooks returned again this year to finish 13th in a Plymouth he owned, though he was 13 laps behind the leader. Dave Marcis was 17th in a Dodge, Black American Wendell Scott finished 20th in a Ford, Jimmy Crawford was 28th in a Chevrolet that was still running 45 laps behind the leader.

Other notable drivers who were eliminated were Bobby Allison who led 40 laps in a Coca Cola sponsored Dodge that finished 29th, third place starter Charlie Glotzbach in a Ray Nichels Dodge led 4 laps was 31st, Jim Vandiver was 33rd after overheating, defending race winner Richard Brickhouse led 2 laps before finishing 37th in a Ford sponsored by Pepsi Cola, Don Tarr in a Dodge sponsored by Coke was 38th, in a field of 40 cars. There was only 1 car eliminated by a crash, the rest had engine troubles. There were 32 lead changes among 8 drivers, for an average speed of 152.3 mph.

When both the ARCA and Grand National series drivers returned again to the track, they had similar results from the spring race. In the June ARCA race Ramo Stott again won. The 300 mile race again didn’t have qualifying. Pete Hamilton won the August Talladega 500. Hamilton not only won the race, he utterly dominated by leading 153 laps! Believe it or not, Bobby Isaac again finished in 2nd place and was the only other driver to complete the entire distance. He also led some laps just like the spring race. Isaac also earned the pole position again with a lap of 186.8 mph. Charlie Glotzbach finished in 3rd place and led laps in a Dodge. David Pearson finished in 4th place in a Holman-Moody owned Ford. Buddy Baker led some laps to finish 5th for Cotton Owens in a Dodge.

Sixth place was Cale Yarborough in a Wood Brothers Mercury, Richard Petty-7th, ARCA winner Ramo Stott-8th, Jim Vandiver-9th, and James Hylton was 10th in a Ford, backing up his 8th place in the spring. Bobby Allison-13th in a Dodge, Coo Coo Marlin-14th in a Chevrolet, and Wendell Scott-22nd in a Plymouth were all running at the finish. Dave Marcis-32nd in a Dodge had ignition troubles, Benny Parsons-35th, Tiny Lund-39th, Dick Brooks-40th, Don Tarr-46th, Richard Brickhouse-48th led 5 laps, and former Daytona 500 winner Fred Lorenzen-49th in a Ray Fox Dodge from a field of 50 cars. There were 23 lead changes among 9 drivers. The average speed was 158.5 mph, and there were 30 laps of caution.

Chapter 3 - 1971

In 1971 there were no ARCA races contested at the track. Alabama native Donnie Allison earned the pole position for the Winston 500. Winston cigarettes sponsored this race and others in 1971. They sponsored the Grand National point championship in 1972. Allison then went out and won the race for the Wood Brothers in a 1969 Mercury. He led 65 laps and defeated his brother Bobby Allison, who led 70 laps driving for Holman-Moody also in a 1969 Mercury. Donnie was sponsored by Purolater oil filters, while Bobby was sponsored by Coke. Buddy Baker led 15 laps in a Dodge for his new owner Petty Enterprises. Defending race winner Pete Hamilton finished 4th for Cotton Owens in a Plymouth. Fifth place was Fred Lorenzen who was sponsored by STP in a Ray Nichels Plymouth.

Jim Vandiver-6th and James Hylton-7th have done well at Talladega. Bill Dennis earned 8th place for car owner Junie Donlavey’s Mercury. He earned Rookie of the Year in 1970. Bobby Isaac wasn’t feeling well so his car owner placed Dave Marcis in the car. He was rewarded with a 9th place finish for Nord Krauskopf’s number 71. Marcis was also rewarded with a 12th place finish with his own car that he allowed independent driver Bill Siefert to drive. Wendell Scott-19th, Maynard Troyer-21st after his wild flip in the Daytona 500 that year, Dick Brooks allowed Kevin Terris to drive his car to 26th, Bill France’s friend Bill Ward-29th, Jimmy Crawford-35th was an Eastern Airlines pilot, Richard Petty crashed out and finished 38th, Coo Coo Marlin-39th, David Pearson-43rd was a teammate of Fred Lorenzen, Benny Parsons-48th in a Mercury, Neil Castles-49th moved up one spot from the last time he raced here out of 50 cars. Only 25 cars were running at the end of the race. There were 45 lead changes among only four drivers, Donnie Allison, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, and Dave Marcis! The average speed was 147.4 mph because of 45 caution laps.

Late August in Alabama was just what the doctor ordered for race winner Bobby Allison, a member of the Alabama Gang. Other members of the gang