TALLADEGA, AL – This Friday, the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards, a staple of Talladega Superspeedway since 1969, is set to again roar into the Biggest and Baddest track on the planet for the General Tire 200.
Since Jim Vandiver won the very first General Tire 200 in October of 1969, there have been 54 ARCA Racing Series events at the 2.66-mile venue, and the win list has included some of today’s notable NASCAR drivers: Paul Menard and Ty Dillon in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, along with Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett, and Dakoda Armstrong from the NASCAR XFINITY Series. NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin and Alabama favorites Davey Allison and Red Farmer have also gone to Gatorade Victory Lane in ARCA events at Talladega.
In addition, the race has had several records and compelling storylines to note:
- Vandiver’s win in 1969 came in the event that was then known as the Vulcan 500 in honor of the iconic statue that overlooks the city of Birmingham. Talladega Superspeedway’s new Vulcan Trophy is now presented to the winner of each Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at Talladega.
- The defending General Tire 200 winner is Gus Dean, who won his first career ARCA Racing Series event at the mammoth race track last spring. He hopes to become the first driver to win consecutive races since Tim Steele (1996-98).
- Local Munford, Alabama native, Bret Holmes looks to join the list of Alabamians who have won at Talladega (both Alabama Gang Members Davey Allison and Red Farmer have victories in the General Tire 200).
- Austin Theriault, who won the season-opening race at Daytona, is gunning for his first Talladega Superspeedway victory this weekend. Theriault pilots the No. 52 machine owned by former MENCS driver and Talladega winner Ken Schrader.
- Grant Adcox holds the record for most victories in the General Tire 200 with five. His final triumph came in July 1988. He also owns the race speed record (173.947 mph), which came two years earlier.
- Bill Venturini, now team manager of Venturini Motorsports, holds the qualifying speed record with a speed of 205.432 mph in May 1987.
- Charlie Glotzbach has the most poles for the ARCA Racing Series at Talladega with four. He also has three Talladega wins to his credit.
- In 2001, Bobby Gerhart set a record for laps led in a single event at Talladega, being on the point for an incredible 105 of 113 laps.
- Steel bodied ARCA cars will make their final laps at the 2.66-mile facility in this weekend’s event, making way for the newer ARCA composite material bodied cars, which will be mandatory at both Daytona and Talladega in 2018.
- 13 drivers have won the General Tire 200 form the pole, with Dillon (2011) the most recent.
- Chevrolet has the most wins of any manufacturer in ARCA events at Talladega, winning 21 times.
The General Tire 200 will kick off Talladega Superspeedway’s triple-header spring race weekend this Friday, May 5, with a green flag drop set for 5 p.m. CDT. The Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series is set for Saturday at noon CDT. Kids 12-and-under get in free to both days of action. The weekend concludes Sunday with the running of the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, set for 1:00 p.m. CDT.
For ticket information regarding this weekend’s races, call the Talladega Ticket Office at 855-518-RACE (7223) or log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.
The action-packed event schedule includes:
Friday, May 5
8:30 AM – 10:20 AM General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Final Practice
10:30 AM – 11:25 AM Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Practice
12:30 PM – 1:25 PM Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Final Practice
1:30 PM – 2:25 PM GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Practice
3:30 PM – 4:25 PM GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Final Practice
4:30 PM ARCA Driver Introductions
5:00 PM Green Flag – General Tire 200 ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards Race (76 Laps, 202.16 Miles)
7:00 PM “Big One On The Blvd” Fan Infield Parade & Competitions
Saturday, May 6
9:30 AM Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Qualifying
11:30 AM NXS Driver Introductions
12:00 PM Green Flag – Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series Race (113 Laps, 300.58 Miles)
3:00 PM GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying
7:30 PM Traditional Infield Concert – Headlined by The Charlie Daniels Band
Sunday, May 7
12:20 PM MENCS Driver Introductions
1:00 PM Green Flag – GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race (188 Laps, 500.08 Miles)
About Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), most banked (33 degrees), and longest (2.66 miles), as well as the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. The historic venue, built in 1969, is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night Concert and the world-renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. It is the site of the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Talladega Superspeedway’s next NASCAR weekend is set for May 5-7 with the Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, in addition to the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Racing Series. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.
