With just one race before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to the biggest and baddest track on the planet – Talladega Superspeedway for the Alabama 500 on Sunday, Oct. 23 – a host of young drivers are searching for their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) triumph. Some of the names include Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Talladega has proven to be a springboard to success for drivers who captured their first career triumph at the 2.66-mile venue. Examples are Davey Allison (26 years old in 1987) and Brad Keselowski (25 years old in 2009) who went on to enjoy great accomplishments in the sport. In the case of Keselowski, he continues to ride a wave of accomplishments, including four trips to Gatorade Victory Lane at Talladega’s 2.66-mile venue.
Thirty years ago, a 22-year-old youngster from Midland, TX, named Bobby Hillin Jr., stunned the racing world with a win in the 1986 Talladega 500. It, however, would be his only triumph, joining the likes of fellow one-time winners who notched their lone NSCS win at Talladega – Richard Brickhouse, Dick Brooks, Lennie Pond, Ron Bouchard and Phil Parsons. For that one day, Hillin Jr. was on top of the mountain.
Teamed at Stavola Brothers Racing with the leader of the Alabama Gang – Bobby Allison, a four-time winner at Talladega’s mammoth track – Hillin Jr. proved to be a quick learner, particularly on the “Super” Superspeedways, posting top-10 finishes at Daytona and Talladega in 1985. He carried that momentum into 1986, when he finished fourth in the Daytona 500 and fourth again behind Allison in the spring Talladega race.
So, his confidence was beaming when he and NASCAR’s best returned to Talladega later that year. Starting 13th, the day played out to perfection for Hillin Jr. With temperatures that reached into triple digits, the attrition rate was high and affected hi-profile drivers. Terry Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt went to the garage early with engine woes, while Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough and Geoff Bodine were sidelined as a result of crashes.
The race came down to a three-car shootout between Hillin Jr., Alabama favorite Davey Allison, and Tim Richmond – who had won at Daytona just weeks before. Hillin Jr. kept reminding himself to stay calm.
“Really, it’s just lap by lap, keep yourself in a good position, don’t do something stupid and yet, it’s winding down so you’ve got to be aggressive,” said Hillin Jr., whose NSCS career spanned from 1982-2000 (334 races). “Think about what all the other guys are going to be doing. It’s no different than it is today from that perspective. As a matter of fact, the last lap of that race, the average speed was 202 mph. We were just trying to stay in front.”
With nine laps to go, Hillin Jr. slipped past Richmond and held the top spot the rest of the way, winning by three car lengths. And, in the process, he became the youngest winner in NASCAR’s premier series history at the time. “I can’t believe it,” exclaimed Hillin Jr. from Gatorade Victory Lane.
While he celebrated that day, he never again would go to the winner’s circle. He came back to Talladega in the spring of 1987 and ended with a fifth-place finish. It would be his final top-five at NASCAR’s Most Competitive track.
For one moment in time, however – 30 years ago – Hillin Jr. ruled the sport of NASCAR. Will a youngster have a breakthrough day at Talladega and get into Gatorade Victory Lane in the Alabama 500? Or, will it be a seasoned veteran? There’s a lot on the line, especially for 12 drivers where the Alabama 500 will serve as the elimination race in the Round of 12 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Only eight drivers will advance out of 12 contenders, two of which consists of young guns’ Elliott and Dillon.
Talladega Superspeedway’s action-packed weekend kicks off on Friday (Oct. 21) with practice sessions for both the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and the Alabama 500 events. Saturday’s schedule includes qualifying for the NCWTS fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (9:30 a.m. CDT), the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (the Round of 8 Elimination race in the NCWTS Chase), which gets the green flag at 12 Noon CDT, and Foodland/Food Giant Qualifying for the NSCS (3:00 p.m. CDT). Sunday’s Alabama 500 is set for a 1:00 p.m. CDT start on Sunday, Oct. 23.
TSS PR
