Randy Houser to Perform Saturday Night Infield Concert at Talladega:
A big question from fans leading up to Talladega Superspeedway’s Aaron’s Dream Weekend (May 2-4) is, “Who is performing the Saturday Night Infield Concert?” NASCAR’s Most Competitive track is happy to announce today that it is none other than country music star Randy Houser. In what has become a Talladega Superspeedway tradition with top music acts, the Saturday Night Concert on May 3 will feature Houser, whose powerhouse voice fits perfectly with Talladega Superspeedway, the biggest and baddest race track on the planet. Houser’s songs like “Runnin’ Out of Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss” will have the intersection of Eastaboga and Talladega Boulevard rocking the party well into the night on Saturday, May 3. The best part about the concert is that admission is FREE with the purchase of a Sunday race ticket (to the Aaron’s 499). Saturday’s activities kick off at 10 am with the ARCA Racing Series International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200, followed by “Knockout” group qualifying for the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup race, and the start of the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series event. The day will end in the evening, but the party will just be getting started with Houser on stage. Tickets for the May races are available at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or by calling 877-Go2-DEGA.(TSS)(4-29-2014)
Track Records & Stats
May 2013 Race Winner: #34-David Ragan, 148.729mph, started 19th
October 2013 Race Winner: #1-Jamie McMurray, 178.795mph, started 9th
Track Race Record: Mark Martin, May 1997, 188.354mph
Slowest Race Record: Jeff Gordon, April 25, 2004, 129.396mph
Worst Starting Spot to Win: Jeff Gordon, April 2000, started 36th
Oldest Race Winner: Harry Gant, 52 years, 3 months, 26 days, May 1991
Youngest Race Winner: Bobby Hillin Jr., 22 years, 1 months, 22 days, July 1986
May 2013 Pole Winner: none, canceled due to rain
October 2013 Pole Winner: none, canceled due to rain
Track/Event Qualifying Record (no restrictor plate): Bill Elliott, April 1987, 212.809mph
Track/Event Qualifying Record (Restrictor Plate): Bill Elliott, May 1990, 199.388 (15/16th inch plate)
Oldest Pole Winner: Mark Martin, 52 years, 9 months, 14 days, 10/22/2011
Youngest Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson, 26 years, 7 months, 4 days, 4/21/2002
Most Wins: 10 - Dale Earnhardt
Most Wins - Active Driver: 6 - Jeff Gordon; 5 - Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has five victories, including four in a row from October 2001 to April 2003. Earnhardt Jr. won the most recent restrictor-plate race, the Daytona 500, on Feb. 23.
Most Poles - All Time: 8 - Bill Elliott
Most Poles - Active Driver: 4 - Joe Nemechek; 3 - Jeff Gordon
Most Top 5s - All Time: 23 - Dale Earnhardt
Most Top 5s - Active Driver : 15 - Jeff Gordon; 14 - Terry Labonte
Most Top 10s - All Time: 27 - Dale Earnhardt
Most Top 10s - Active Driver: 23 - Terry Labonte; 19 - Jeff Gordon
Most Lead Changes: 88 - 4/25/2010 & 4/27/2011
Fewest Lead Changes: 13 - 5/6/1973
Most Leaders: 29 - 4/25/2010
Fewest Leaders: 4 - 5/6/1973
Most Laps Led by a Leader: Pete Hamilton, August 1970, 153 laps
Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner: Jeff Gordon, 10/7/2007 and Brad Keselowski, 4/26/2009; 1 lap led
Most Cautions: 11, 4/25/2004
Most Caution Laps: 62, 5/7/1972
Fewest Cautions: 0 - three times, most recent 10/6/2002
Fewest Caution Laps: 0 - three times, most recent 10/6/2002
Most on the Lead Lap: 31 - 10/31/2010
Fewest on the Lead Lap: 1 - two times, most recent 7/27/1986
Most Running at the Finish: 40 - 4/22/2001
Fewest Running at the Finish: 14 - 7/27/1986
Most Wins by Manufacturer: 39 - Chevy; 20 - Ford; 7 - Mercury; 6 - Buick; 6 - Oldsmobile; 4 - Dodge; 3 - Plymouth; 2 - Toyota; 2 - Pontiac
Races won from starting pos 1: 13 [of 89]
Races won from starting pos 2: 20
Races won from starting pos 3: 7
Races won from starting pos 4: 7
Races won from starting pos 5: 4
Races won from starting pos 6: 3
Races won from starting pos 7: 2
Races won from starting pos 8: 1
Races won from starting pos 9: 4
Races won from starting pos 10: 2
Races won from starting pos 11: 3
Races won from starting pos 12: 2
Races won from starting pos 13: 4
Races won from starting pos 14: 1
Races won from starting pos 15: 2
Races won from starting pos 16: 2
Races won from starting pos 17: 1
Races won from starting pos 18: 2
Races won from starting pos 19: 1
Races won from starting pos 20: 1
Races won from starting pos 22: 2
Races won from starting pos 24: 1
Races won from starting pos 27: 1
Races won from starting pos 34: 2
Races won from starting pos 36: 1
Races won from the top 5: 51 of 89
Races won from the top 10: 63 of 89
First time Sprint Cup winners at Talladega:
Ten NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers won their first Sprint Cup race at Talladega. Of those 10, only Davey Allison, Ken Schrader, Brad Keselowski and Brian Vickers ever won another Sprint Cup race.
driver, career wins
Davey Allison, 19
Brad Keselowski, 11*
Ken Schrader, 4
Brian Vickers, 3*
Ron Bouchard, 1
Richard Brickhouse, 1
Dick Brooks, 1
Bobby Hillin Jr., 1
Phil Parsons, 1
Lennie Pond, 1
(* = active)(4-12-2014)
A Record Fit for a King: Richard “The King” Petty won twice in 46 Talladega starts. But his two wins managed to set an unusual record. The first win came on August 11, 1974. The second came on May 1, 1983, setting the mark for longest stretch between wins at the 2.66-mile oval.(10-2-2004)
Slowest Cup race ever at Talladega 2004: A track record 11 caution periods over 55 laps caused the average speed to be 129.396mph, the slowest in a NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup race at Talladega. The record (130.892) was set in 1975 in a race won by Buddy Baker.(4-27-2004)