CONCORD, N.C. - Drafting cars, exciting fans and exhilarating racing – that is what Talladega Superspeedway is all about.
It is the third race in the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup -- and it means that a win by a Chase driver means an automatic berth in the Eliminator Round of the postseason.
After Sunday, eight drivers will advance one step closer to the championship.
Hendrick Motorsports has been racing at the Alabama track since 1984 and has garnered 12 wins and 9 poles.
Let’s take a look back at three very memorable moments from Talladega over the years.
July 28, 1996 – A young Jeff Gordon was looking for his first win at the 2.66-mile track in Alabama. His journey to Victory Lane started when he qualified for the race on the outside pole in the second position. After leading 37 laps, Gordon took the checkered flag for his first of six career wins at Talladega. The 1996 season proved to be a big one for the 25-year-old driver as he earned 10 wins and finished second in the points just behind teammate Terry Labonte.
Oct. 7, 2012 – Kasey Kahne was in the midst of his first season driving for Hendrick Motorsports and he had already earned two wins and two poles. While qualifying for the Talladega race, he posted a speed of over 191 miles per hour that earned him his third pole position of the season and his first at the superspeedway. That Sunday, Kahne led the field to the green and after leading nine laps of the race, his No. 5 Chevrolet eventually crossed the finish line 12th.
May 3, 2015 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. has already found Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway once this season. When the green flag dropped Earnhardt rolled his No. 88 Chevrolet SS off fourth and went on to lead 67 laps before leading the field across the finish line for the first time this season with teammate Jimmie Johnson finishing right behind him in second. He now has six career Talladega wins and hopes to sweep the track come Sunday afternoon.
