Talladega, or the Alabama International Motor Speedway as it was originally known, is the longest oval on the NASCAR calendar and it remains one of the fastest. The 33-degree tri-oval opened in September 1969 but that debut NASCAR race was marred by a mass boycott by drivers who thought it too bumpy and dangerous. Bill Elliott averaged 212.809 mph in qualifying for the 1987 Winston 500, but the race was marred when several spectators were injured following Bobby Allison’s high-speed accident that launched him into the fencing. NASCAR immediately moved to slow the cars by introducing aerodynamic restrictions, so Elliott’s lap record is unlikely ever to be challenged. Tragedy struck Talladega away from the racetrack when Davey Allison was killed here in a helicopter accident in 1993.
