Countdown To The Aaron’s 499: Talladega Superspeedway Race Preview

If you ask the drivers, this week’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway is going to be filled with the same type of dramatic racing as the Daytona 500.

The field will be split up into two-car drafts, and hooking up with a partner will be the key to success – as well as being in the right place at the right time, of course.

There’s a vocal minority of race fans who profess not to like restrictor-plate racing. I don’t understand these people.

Their contention is that racing with carburetor restrictor plates – as NASCAR does at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona – is somehow not “real” racing, because drivers don’t always control their own destiny.

Last week, I wrote about my favorite race I’ve ever seen in person: The 2010 Aaron’s 499. And while it was the best race I’ve witnessed with my own eyes, I’ve missed a few Talladega races that might have given it some stiff competition.

Thankfully, no one called me out for my pick. No one said, “Well what about when Dale Earnhardt Sr. came from 18th to first with only four laps left in 2000?”

Many fans misinterpreted the whole “No cheering in the press box” debate that took place recently. Just because sports writers aren’t allowed to cheer doesn’t mean they can’t let themselves get excited or thrilled by the events that unfold before their eyes.

For me, one such instance was last year’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. While some days on the NASCAR beat can be a grind, I drove out of ‘Dega one year ago thinking, “I can’t believe someone pays me to do this job.”

This is part of a series of posts sponsored by Talladega Superspeedway. Whether you are making a week-long vacation out of it or coming just for a day, make sure to plan your Talladega experience today. This is more than a race. This is Talladega.

OK, I admit it: Before I went to Talladega Superspeedway for the first time, I was a bit intimidated.

With Talladega only five weeks away, we’re introducing a ‘Dega-themed countdown beginning today to get you ready for the Aaron’s 499 – the first restrictor-plate race since the Daytona 500.

And what better way to kick off the series than by talking about Talladega Superspeedway itself? Any fan who has visited Talladega before can certainly recall their first impressions of the track; today, I’m sharing mine.