The wait is over! With “Chamber of Commerce” weather in the forecast, the Most Competitive race track in the world – Talladega Superspeedway – is ready to host NASCAR’s best this weekend (May 1-3) in the much anticipated GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300, plus the ARCA Racing Series competitors in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200.
The always unpredictable GEICO 500, a pivotal opportunity for a driver to all but guarantee a spot in the season-ending 10-race playoff – Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship – is the 10th race on the 2015 schedule and gets the green flag at noon (CST) on Sunday, May 3. Saturday, May 2, has a full slate of action on the track, including Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying for both the GEICO 500 and the Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race, which will take the green flag as well that day. Practice for both NASCAR races, as well as practice, qualifying and the green flag for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, is set for Friday.
“Our meteorologist friends say we have ‘picture perfect’ weather for the weekend, and that makes us extremely excited,” said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. “With beautiful sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s and lower 80s expected, it will be an impeccable time for families young and old alike to enjoy all the thrills that Talladega Superspeedway has to offer – the best racing in motorsports and second-to-none social atmosphere.”
On the track, Denny Hamlin hopes to become the first repeat winner of the spring classic GEICO 500 since Jeff Gordon pulled off the feat from 2004-05. Hamlin’s triumph a year ago propelled him into NASCAR’s Chase and an eventual third-place result in the battle for the title. Had he not won the GEICO 500, he would not have made the season-ending battle for the championship. The active most Talladega win leader (6) Gordon, meanwhile, will make his final start in the GEICO 500.
In the Winn-Dixie 300, veteran Elliott Sadler will have his hands full with a crop of youngsters as he tries to become the first repeat winner of the spring XFINITY Series race at Talladega Superspeedway since Martin Truex, Jr. reeled off three straight victories from 2004-06. Competition includes, the top four in the driver standings – Ty Dillon, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher and Darrell Wallace, Jr. (from Mobile, AL) – entering the Winn-Dixie 300 are all under the age of 23. Fifth-place Regan Smith went to Victory Lane in the 2013 Winn-Dixie 300.
Fairhope, AL, native Grant Enfinger hopes to fulfill a life-long dream of winning at Talladega Superspeedway, a facility he attended as a kid. He will be a favorite after winning the first three races of the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards season, including the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.
While the action on the track is undoubtedly the most spine-tingling racing that fans will ever witness, Talladega also offers exhilarating experiences off the track, which includes a list of fan upgrades and happenings found throughout the weekend that Speedway officials strongly encourage fans not to miss.
- Permanent High-Definition Video Boards: The fan experience at Talladega Superspeedway just got bigger and better. Some of the Sprint Vision Digital High-Definition Video Screens that line the frontstretch, giving those in attendance a spectacular view, have increased in size while some will be permanent structures. Two of the video boards will now be mammoth 40’ x 80’ in size and will have permanent homes behind pit road in the tri-oval area – one atop Gatorade Victory Lane and one in front of the Media Center. The other permanent structure will be a 26’ x 52’ video board, which will be located at the exit of Turn Four near the Care Center. Other screen locations include the Start/Finish Line (26’x ’52) and Turn One (18’ x 33’), along with the Alabama Gang Superstretch (20’ x 27’).
The large video boards, which were introduced at Talladega a year ago as part of an International Speedway Corporation (ISC) initiative (multi-phase plans are to implement video boards at other ISC facilities over the next few years), will showcase pictures that will be bigger, brighter, crisper and clearer. In addition to the five screens on the frontstretch, a video screen will be placed along the Alabama Gang Superstretch.
- Pit Pass Upgrade: Fans that purchase Talladega’s “Pit Pass Upgrade,” can have access to a special fan Q&A with a selection of drivers on Sunday, prior to the start of the GEICO 500. Scheduled from 8:30 am – 9:45 am, the special session will include former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner at Talladega Superspeedway, Clint Bowyer, young promising rookie Ryan Blaney, legendary Hall of Famers Rusty Wallace & Bobby Allison, along with Miss Sprint.
Not only can fans get an up-close look at NASCAR’s finest with the Pit Pass Upgrade, but they can also take in all the festive pre-race activities, which include: Driver Introductions, Red Carpet Entry into the Drivers Meeting and an up-close look at the cars lined up on pit road. The Pit Pass Upgrade is $75. To obtain, call 1-877-Go2-DEGA.
- Roomy Chair-backs: In addition to the video boards, the first-class experience for fans is enhanced with every seat in the house having roomy 21-inch and 22-inch chair-back seats with drip shields.
- Kids Pricing: Kids 12-and-under receive $50 off all regular adult ticket pricing throughout the grandstands and towers for the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. In GADSDEN and TALLADEGA Grandstands 2-day sections, kids 12-and-under can sit for FREE, when accompanied by an adult. Kids Grandstand and Tower seats for Winn-Dixie 300 are FREE as well. Tickets are required for all kids’ tickets.
- Epic Music Entertainment: The infamous Saturday Night Concert, near Talladega Blvd, will be headlined by country music maverick and Columbia Nashville recording artist Chase Rice. Buddy Brown & Dee Jay Silver will also be rocking the house. Brown opens at 7:30 pm followed by Dee Jay Silver at 8:30 pm, and Rice takes the stage at 9:00 pm. The concert has become a popular event at Talladega Superspeedway with top music acts, and it’s FREE with the purchase of a Sunday GEICO 500 ticket.
- The Big One on the Blvd: Talladega, known for its crazy party atmosphere, is bringing back the Big One on the Blvd Friday. The wildest Mardi-Gras style parade in the South will kick off at 7:30 pm on Talladega Blvd and will feature top drivers. Scheduled to appear are Clint Bowyer, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Brendon Gaughan, Ryan Blaney, Michael Waltrip, Kyle Larson and Greg Biffle. They will oversee countless activities such as; the “Angry Wieners” competitive eating contest (featuring hot dogs and baked beans); “Body Pong,” which is an individual game of skill and luck featuring liquid filled balloons; and the infamous BBQ Sauce Wrestling matches. The crowd, as well as the drivers, will play a key role in determining the winner for each unpredictably entertaining event.
- “The Big One” Meatball: Sink your teeth into this “softball-sized” new menu item. “The Big One” meatball has a center of blended Mozzarella and Pepper Jack Cheeses mixed with smoked BBQ Pulled Pork and a little house BBQ sauce for an extra kick. It is then covered by a layer of Ground Beef, rolled in a panko bread crumb and Parmesan mix before being deep fried to a golden brown. It’s topped off with a dollop of BBQ sauce and a spaghetti garnish. This mammoth meatball, like Talladega Superspeedway, is the biggest of its kind and weighs in at over 1 pound. Purchase “The Big One” at concession stands in the Gadsden and O.V. Hill South Grandstands along the frontstretch.
- Back Forty Beer Co. Paddock Club: Located just behind pit road adjacent to Gatorade Victory Lane, the Back Forty Beer Co. Paddock Club has been a mainstay at NASCAR’s Most Competitive track for many years. Featuring two covered grandstand seating areas with food and beverages throughout the day, and many other amenities, fans in the Back Forty Beer Co. Paddock Club for the Winn-Dixie 300 will be treated to new special upgrades which include, but not limited to: guided garage tours, built-in Flat-screen TVs, games, entertainment, and giveaways and access to NASCAR Driver Introductions.
Back Forty Beer Paddock Club Packages for Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race Winn-Dixie 300 (which includes Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying for both the GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300) are available by calling 1-855-518-RACE (Press Prompt “1” for ticketing).
- Race Fever: The 30th Anniversary of the Race Fever event, which benefits the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB), will be held this weekend on Friday night, gathering fans, guests and NASCAR dignitaries at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame Fox Sports 1 Dome, which sits adjacent to Talladega Superspeedway. Guests are treated to a delicious barbeque dinner, autograph sessions and appearances from NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR XFINITY Series and ARCA drivers, and the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind items (racing memorabilia, vacation packages and more) during the mega-live and silent auctions benefitting AIDB. Doors open at 5 p.m. CST
- NASCAR XFINITY Series Autograph Session: Several of the NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers including Chase Elliott, Daniel Suárez, Regan Smith, and Ryan Reed are scheduled to appear at an autograph session on Friday, from 2-2:30 pm, behind the O.V. Hill South Grandstand in sections D & E along the frontstretch. Wristbands can be picked up for free from the Guest Services Office located at O.V. Hill South Grandstand, Section L.
- Freedom Trophy: The track’s newest tradition – the Freedom Trophy – which represents the five branches of the U.S. Military – will be presented to the GEICO 500 race winner in Victory Lane. Captain Keith Hoskins, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, FL, will make the presentation at the conclusion of the 2015 edition of the GEICO 500.
- Winn-Dixie 300 Honorary Officials: Drew Elkins, Regional Vice President for BI-LO Holdings, the parent company for Winn-Dixie, will serve as Grand Marshal of the Winn-Dixie 300 and will give the most famous command in motorsports – “Drivers, Start Your Engines.” Waving the green flag and serving as the Honorary Starter will be Jim Rossetti, District Director – Birmingham, Winn-Dixie. The National Anthem for the Winn-Dixie 300 will be performed by Kevin Moore, a saxophone instrumentalist from Gadsden, Alabama.
- Sunday’s National Anthem: The 313th United States Army Band, formed in 1943, will perform the National Anthem prior to the GEICO 500. The unit, comprised of 40 citizen-soldiers, train and perform as Army musicians during monthly Battle Assembly weekends and two weeks of Annual Training.
- New Qualifying Format: Qualifying for the GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300 will have a new format and will consist of the following:
o Two rounds of qualifying, with the top-12 posted lap speeds advancing to the second round
o Race vehicles taking one, timed lap in each round of qualifying
o Each race vehicle will be released in a predetermined timed interval as determined by NASCAR, with the sanctioning body reserving the right to have more than one vehicle engaging in qualifying runs at the same time
o Qualifying order for the first round will be determined by a random draw; final round qualifying order is determined by slowest to fastest speeds from the first round
o A 10-minute break will occur between the first qualifying round and the final round
o Upon completion of the first qualifying round, the field will be set with positions 13 and beyond determined from first round qualifying speed
o The 12 fastest vehicles from the first round will have their speeds reset for the final round with starting positions 1-12 determined by the fastest laps in the final round
o NASCAR will impound race vehicles following each qualifying lap; vehicles advancing to the final round will be allowed to adjust tape and utilize a cool-down unit during the 10-minute break only
- Camp for Free!: Talladega Superspeedway offersover 15,000 free camping sites in three conveniently located parks that opened this week. All-day parking on Talladega Superspeedway property remains free.
- SMOKE FREE: Throughout the grandstands designated smoking areas will be set up under the grandstands and towers.
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