Now, a little info about the racetrack.
Talladega Superspeedway has the record for the fastest recorded time by a NASCAR stock car in a closed oval course, with the record of 216.309 mph set by Rusty Wallace on June 9, 2004. Buddy Baker was the first driver to qualify at a speed over 200 mph, with a 200.447 mph lap during testing on March 24, 1970. Baker's record was set while driving the #88 Chrysler Engineering Charger Daytona.
In May 1987 Bobby Allison experienced a tire failure while going through the tri-oval portion of the track, which sent his car airborne. His car tore out a portion of the frontstretch catch fence, nearly entering the crowd. NASCAR imposed rule changes to slow the cars after the incident, with a 1988 rule requiring cars running there and at Daytona to use restrictor plates. The most often cited reason is a fear that the increasing speeds were exceeding the capabilities of the tires available at the time, as high-speed tire failure had led to some gruesome crashes at slightly lower speeds. The plates limit the amount of air and fuel entering the intake manifolds of the engine, greatly reducing the power of the cars and hence their speed. This has led to the style of racing held at Talladega and Daytona to be somewhat different from that at other superspeedways and to be referred to by NASCAR fans as "restrictor-plate racing".
The Talladega Jinx
The high numbers of crashes over the years, along with other factors, have led to rumors of Talladega Superspeedway being cursed. Stories of the origin of the curse vary. Some claim that a local Native American tribe held horse races in the valley where the track currently resides and a chief was killed when he was thrown from his horse. Others say that the site of the superspeedway was once an Indian burial ground. Still another version says that after the local tribe was driven out by the Creek nation for their collaborating with the forces of Andrew Jackson, a shaman put a curse on the valley.
Since the construction of the track, many strange happenings and untimely deaths have fueled the rumors of a curse. In 1973, Bobby Isaac left his car during the race on lap 90 because of voices he claimed to have heard which told him to park his car and get out. Earlier on lap 14 in the same race, young driver Larry Smith died in a seemingly minor wreck.
To some, Bobby Allison's 1987 wreck described above was yet another reminder of the curse. In 1993, Bobby's son, Davey Allison, died in a helicopter crash in the infield of Talladega.
Source : Wikipedia.
None of the “jinx” was going to affect my drive though!!
I drove along with the convoy into the designated parking area. From where, we were taken to a training hall. Had the typical American favorite of coffee and donuts. Thereafter we were all given our ID’s. Only with these ID’s could they identify the number of laps I was entitled to drive. Then came the briefing. Now the team takes training very seriously coz these are not detuned cars and are capable of reaching 200mph in capable hands. Surprised to know that most of the drivers/trainers are farmers from the area!! Talk about local employment!! All the do’s and don’ts how’s and how not’s are all explained in this classroom session which will be displayed on a demo drive. I initially thought the demo drive will be in the racecars itself coz I’d just then seen the cars pull into the pit lane. My excitement was muted when we were guided to full size pickup trucks. I hopped in to a Ford F550 super duty. Now all that we were instructed in the classroom was going to be demonstrated on the racetrack while being driven in a truck!! I seriously started to think about body Roll and eventual rollover but these trucks were stable. Very stable even at 90mph on the 33 deg bankings!!
its the steepest banking in all of NASCAR.