Find out the latest information from Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch and his inside perspective on the recent news in NASCAR and events from 'DEGA. www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or 877.Go2.DEGA



Friday, December 17, 2010

December 27, 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our race fans! I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season.

2011 is just around the corner and we’ll be kicking off the new NASCAR season in Daytona in a few short months. If you haven’t already gotten your tickets to Talladega Superspeedway for the April 15-17 Aaron’s Dream Weekend, make sure to purchase them soon. Tickets are available at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or 1-877-Go2-DEGA.

Again, enjoy the holidays and check back after New Year for the latest from Talladega!

-G

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

November 23, 2010


I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday week. My family and I have gone to Apalachicola to do a little fishing during the Thanksgiving break. This is a photo of my daughter Sara Katherine, my buddy Jimmy Parham and me holding up a couple of big reds we caught.

Congratulations have to go out to Jimmie Johnson for winning his fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Regardless of what you think of Jimmie, you have to admire that team’s ability to keep winning. I was personally proud of the effort Kevin Harvick gave from Richard Childress’s camp. I think 2011 could really be their year. I’d love to see Richard get back to winning championships and I know a lot of NASCAR fans would agree with me.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and don’t forget Christmas is just around the corner. Tickets to Talladega Superspeedway make a great stocking stuffer. Call us 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit us online at http://www.talladegasuperspeeedway.com/.

Until next time,
-G

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Oct. 30, 2010

NASCAR’s in mourning today. We lost a good man in Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s VP of Corporate Communications. He was a great man and will be missed by a lot of people.

The sport has lost several good people in recent weeks. Jeff Byrd, the President of Bristol and Ed Shull, one of the main men responsible for bringing Gatorade to NASCAR, also passed recently.

It’s very difficult to say goodbye to these men. All were people I called my close friends. And they all LOVED the sport of NASCAR.

It’s because of their love for the sport that I know we must pull ourselves up and put on a great race for our thousands of race fans this weekend. It’s our responsibility and it’s what each would want for the good of the sport.

On the bright side, we have great weather for a weekend of racing. The sun is shining and the air is cool and crisp. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Practice speeds topped 201 mph in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the drivers all seem excited to get out there and mix it up. If we produce 56 lead changes this race (we had a NASCAR record 88 this spring) then this will go down as the most competitive year ever at Talladega Superspeedway. That’s why we say…This is More Than a Race…This IS Talladega.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Oct. 22, 2010

Jeffrey Earnhardt, son of Kerry Earnhardt and grandson of the late racing legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr., visited both campuses of Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind to promote fire safety during National Fire Safety Month. The young Earnhardt is carrying on a family tradition started by his “Grandpa”, of participating in AIDB’s Race Fever fundraiser.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Jeffrey and I have to say he is the spitting image of his late grandfather. He truly reminds me of Dale.

Earnhardt, NASCAR’s only 4th generation driver, will join a host of other drivers and racing greats at the 25th Annual Race Fever. Also known as “Dega’s Ultimate Party with a Purpose”, Race Fever is a dinner and auction on the Friday evening of the fall race weekend at Talladega. This year’s event is October 29 at the SPEED Channel Dome in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on the grounds of the Talladega Superspeedway. Your $50 ticket to the event includes and all-you-can-eat BBQ FEAST from Williamson Brothers BBQ, an over 200 item Silent Auction filled with racing memorabilia and other great items, a Live Auction with once-in-a-lifetime race experiences, vacation packages and more! And how could we forget the BEST part - you will have a chance to meet and get autographs and photos with many NASCAR drivers. Others slated to appear are Bobby Labonte, Kyle Petty, Ned Jarrett, Paul Menard, David Gilliland, Kurt Busch, Travis Kvapil, Todd Bodine, Rick Crawford, Timothy Peters, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Austin Dillon, Mike Harmon, Tony Jackson, Jr., Justin Loftin, Mike Skinner and more. For an up to date listing of drivers, auction items and for tickets visit www.racefever.org or call (256) 761-3317.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Sept.24, 2010

I recently attended the Auburn/Clemson football game at Jordan-Hare stadium and I got to say it was a really fun time. You have to love the SEC for its passion and intensity.

I have a close connection to Auburn. Though I went to school in North Carolina, both of my daughters went to school at Auburn. Ashley, my oldest, graduated last year and Sara Katherine is still attending.

Here’s a few photos from the game I thought you’d enjoy.











Last but not least, here I am trying out my best "sorority girl" pose.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

September 2, 2010

The other day I was thinking about how great the racing action is at Talladega Superspeedway. Quite simply, it’s the most competitive racing on the planet. But I wanted to know just how much better the racing is compared to other famous races on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

So I took the night race at Bristol, the spring race at Atlanta and the big 600-miler at Charlotte and compared the 5-year averages to Talladega’s 5-year spring race averages. I looked at what makes a great race…Lead Changes, Leaders and Green Flag Passes. What’s amazing is that while Talladega’s numbers absolutely blow all the other tracks out of the water, Talladega has significantly fewer laps (or chances) for there to be lead changes and leaders. Those are only recorded when the cars cross the start-finish line. I’ll let the numbers below speak for themselves.

5-year Averages

Bristol
Laps: 500
Green Flag Passes: 1,720
Lead Changes: 12
Leaders: 6

Charlotte
Laps: 365
Green Flag Passes: 2,646
Lead Changes: 30
Leaders: 15

Atlanta
Laps: 329
Green Flag Passes: 2,341
Lead Changes: 26
Leaders: 11

Talladega
Laps: 191
Green Flag Passes: 11,826
Lead Changes: 59
Leaders: 23


Notice that Talladega doubles nearly every single stat at these other tracks. When it comes to green flag passes in the pack, Talladega Superspeedway features nearly 5-times as much passing than any of these other tracks. As I have said before, This Is More Than A Race, THIS IS TALLADEGA!


This fall should feature more of the exciting race action we expect at Talladega Superspeedway. Make sure you are a part of it Oct. 29-31. Call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit us online at http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

August 25, 2010

Goodyear came to the track this week to do some tire testing for the AMP Energy 500 and next year's Daytona 500. Several drivers participated, including Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Elliott Sadler and Aric Almirola. Aric was driving Jeff Gordon's No. 24. Below are some photos I wanted to share. Don't forget, the AMP Energy 500 is just around the corner. If you haven't bought tickets yet, we have some great seats available. Call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit us at http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/.


















Friday, August 6, 2010

August 6, 2010

A lot of talk has come out this week about the 2011 NASCAR schedule. While NASCAR hasn’t announced the complete calendar, one thing we do know is that Atlanta will no longer have a spring NASCAR weekend. However, I want to assure race fans throughout the southeast and throughout the country that Talladega Superspeedway, only 90 minutes from Atlanta on Interstate 20, will have NASCAR racing next spring and is ready to provide them with all the NASCAR excitement they desire.

This year Talladega Superspeedway shattered the NASCAR record books with 88 lead changes, 29 different leaders and one of the closest finishes in history with Kevin Harvick beating Jamie McMurray by 0.012 seconds. In addition to our unmatched on-track action, Talladega also offers unbeatable values for fans and their families. FREE Camping, FREE Parking and FREE Kids on Sunday in select areas are only a few of the many benefits we offer that no track can match.

This year and beyond, ‘This is more than a race, This is Talladega’.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

July 22, 2010

We recently announced our Fan Salute and it’s something that I’m really excited about and I think our fans will be excited about too. It’s a three-part rollout that includes the formation of the ‘DEGA Club rewards program, a Fan Advisory Network and a Fan Hall of Fame.

Our fans are the ones that make this sport so special and we are always looking for ways to reward them. Our Fan Salute is taking it one step further by making them an integral part of our team. We’re going to be able to bounce ideas off each other so we can make sure that every improvement made at Talladega Superspeedway will have the most positive impact. It also allows them to bring ideas to the table that perhaps we hadn’t even thought about. It’s a win-win for everyone.

The ‘DEGA Club, or Dual Event Gold Account Club is a rewards program for fans that renew Saturday and Sunday tickets to both race weekends at Talladega Superspeedway. Members of this special club will receive exclusive benefits, rewarding them for their loyal support.

The Fan Advisory Network will give fans a direct line of communication with Superspeedway administration and vice-versa to better the overall guest experience at future events.

Finally, the Fan Hall of Fame will be a way of honoring Talladega’s most passionate and beloved fans.

Stay tuned to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com for more details as we’ll be rolling out these initiatives in the weeks to come.

Friday, July 9, 2010

July 9, 2010

















Yesterday we hosted nearly 200 Army National Guard Officer Candidates at Talladega Superspeedway. Part of their training requires a 7-mile foot march and for the last several years, they have come to Talladega for a change of scenery. It’s very rewarding to provide these soldiers a location to complete their training. Their selfless duty to our country allows us to do our jobs. For that we are thankful.

Above: (Will King, son of Kristi King our Sr. Director of Communications and Consumer Marketing, helped cheer on the Officer Candidates. He waved the checkered flag as each one crossed the line.)

NASCAR recently released the mid-season competition stats for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. While this year is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons ever, I can’t help but marvel at how much Talladega Superspeedway surpasses the standard.

For example, through the first 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races:




  • Average of 28 lead changes per race TALLADEGA’S WAS 3-TIMES AS MANY WITH 88 LEAD CHANGES!

  • Average of 3,613 green flag passes per race (highest through 18 races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005) TALLADEGA HAD NEARLY 4-TIMES AS MANY WITH 12,773 PASSES!

  • Average Margin of Victory of 1.294 seconds. TALLADEGA’S WAS 0.012 SECONDS!

Something we’re very proud of at Talladega Superspeedway is the incredible racing action we feature twice a year. This past spring, the Aaron’s 499 set new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records for lead changes (88) and leaders (29). (I should remind you that Talladega held both of the previous records too, so really we broke our own records)

This fall should feature more of the exciting race action we expect at Talladega Superspeedway. Make sure you are a part of it Oct. 29-31. Call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit us online at http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/.

Friday, July 2, 2010

July 2, 2010

It’s time for NASCAR’s return trip to Daytona which can mean only one thing….it’s the 4th of July!

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see the new NASCAR Nationwide Series cars get on the track. The Dodge Challenger is one of the coolest looking race cars I’ve seen in a long time. It looks incredibly similar to the showroom version of the Challenger and I think that’s great for both NASCAR and the manufacturers. With each of the brands being easily recognizable, I think we’ll see a return to the old adage “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday”.

Enjoy your 4th of July celebrations this weekend and take time to remember our troops. If enjoy a Miller Lite or partake of a Crown Royal, remember to drink responsibly. Happy Independence Day!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

June 29, 2010

Ricky Carmichael spent some time with our fans and local media last week in Mobile. It’s always a pleasure finding drivers that understand the importance of socializing with the fans. Ricky is one of those drivers that “get’s it”. He certainly didn’t have to volunteer to help us promote the race, but he understands that more race fans at the race track keeps his sponsor happy and that’s good for everybody. He’s a 15-time champion from AMA who’s making the transition to stock cars. He’s currently competing for Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Keep an eye on him, I have a feeling he could do some big things this year.

We recently announced that Pepsi driver Jeff Gordon and AMP Energy driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. are both scheduled to appear in the AMP Energy Pit Tour Experience hospitality area prior to the start of the AMP Energy 500. This is a great opportunity for race fans to hear from two of this generation’s superspeedway masters. Jeff leads all active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in wins at Talladega Superspeedway with six, but Dale is second with five wins. It should be a truly memorable experience for all.

Also, don’t forget that our $29 two-day ticket in the Allison Grandstands ends on July 15th! Don’t miss out on this incredible offer for the AMP Energy 500 weekend. Call our ticket office 1-877-Go2-DEGA today or visit us online at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

Friday, June 4, 2010

June 04, 2010

Well, it’s been a busy couple of weeks and unfortunately I have been neglecting my garden. The recent rain storms have been great for the grass, but also the weeds. This weekend I’m planning on getting my garden back under control and getting rid of all those weeds.

I’m looking forward to a couple of big fishing trips planned in Apalachicola. I’m going to go flounder gigging and tarpon fishing. I have always wanted to try and catch a tarpon on a fly rod and it looks like I’m finally going to get my shot.

As an avid outdoorsman and 10 year member on the Conservation of Natural Resources board, I really feel for the folks living on the Gulf Coast. A lot of our race fans come from this area and the oil spill is just devastating. So many of them are hard working people just trying to make a living and this oil is having a major impact on their livelihoods. I hope someone figures out a solution to this problem soon.

From a racing standpoint, I spent Memorial Day weekend watching parts of the Indy 500 and Charlotte’s big 600 miler. Even though the 600 is the longest race of our season, I couldn’t help but think about how much MORE exciting the racing at Talladega Superspeedway is and how substantial our record-setting Aaron’s Dream Weekend was.

For reference, Charlotte featured 33 lead changes among 17 drivers and 3,716 green flag passes. All that happened in 400 laps. However, at Talladega, we had 88 lead changes among 29 drivers and an amazing 12,773 green flag passes in only 200 laps! In half the laps we featured more than 2.5 times the number of lead changes and 4 times the number of green flag passes. It just goes to show, there is no racetrack in the world that can feature the kind of competition that Talladega Superspeedway does.

That’s all for this week, don’t forget our $29 two-day ticket in the Allison Grandstands ends on July 15th. Don’t miss out on this incredible offer for the AMP Energy 500 weekend. Call our ticket office 1-877-Go2-DEGA today!

Friday, May 7, 2010

May 07, 2010

Something we’re very proud of at Talladega Superspeedway is the incredible racing action we feature twice a year. And the recent Aaron’s 499 was no exception, setting new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records for lead changes (88) and leaders (29). (I should remind you that Talladega held both of the previous records too, so really we broke our own records)

Nevertheless, to celebrate the recent record smashing we are smashing prices on some of our most popular ticket packages!

To celebrate the record 29 leaders we have unveiled a new $29 two-day ticket in the Allison Grandstands for the Oct. 29-31 AMP Energy 500 weekend.

The $29 two-day ticket will be available for a limited time so you should act fast. It’s valid for any seat in rows two through eleven of the Allison Grandstands and as an added bonus, kids 11 and under will be admitted free to these sections with a ticketed adult.

To commemorate the record 88 lead changes, we are lowering ticket prices in the Gadsden and Lincoln Towers to $88 (from $120!) for the Oct. 31 AMP Energy 500. If you purchase or renew your tickets in either of these Tower sections, you’ll also be entered into a drawing for 88 autographed Dale Earnhardt Jr. hero cards that our friends at AMP Energy have donated!

Will more history be made when NASCAR returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the HALLOW-DEGA℠ Presented by Captain Morgan weekend? You’ll have to be here to find out! To experience it all, call our ticket office at 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit us at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

Monday, April 12, 2010

April 12, 2010

Another day brings us this much closer to the Aaron’s Dream Weekend, April 23-25. We have been promoting the race heavily in some of our major markets and I hope the results are starting to payoff.

Two weeks ago we were in Mobile visiting with fans at the Original Oyster House. 9-time ARCA Racing Series Champion Frank Kimmel joined us and helped make it a fun and enjoyable experience. I even managed to catch up with an old grade-school friend of mine, someone I hadn’t seen in close to 30 years. It’s amazing how small a world it is.

Last week, we visited fans in Huntsville at the US Space and Rocket Center. Brian Vickers joined us for this event and we had an even larger turnout than Mobile! Brian took time to tour the Rocket Center and, I will admit, was very impressive with his knowledge of the space and rocket program. Throughout the day he competed in astronaut challenges and even managed to score a perfect landing in the Space Shuttle simulator.

This week, we will be visiting with the Birmingham media so stay tuned to your favorite Birmingham tv and radio stations on Wednesday morning, because there’s good chance I’ll be making a guest appearance.

Next week is race week, so if you haven’t done so already, get your tickets to the Aaron’s Dream Weekend by calling the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office at 1-877-Go2-DEGA! Remember, This is more than a race, THIS IS TALLADEGA!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

March 25, 2010

The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards hosted a two-day test session here this week. It’s always fun to see the up and coming stars of our sport mixed in with the experienced veterans like Frank Kimmel. Frank is a good friend of mine and a great supporter of Talladega Superspeedway. He’ll be joining us as we meet fans in Mobile, AL on April 1. We’ll be at the Original Oyster House from 5-7pm so make sure to stop by and see us. We’ll be posting all the details on www.talladegasuperspeedway.com ,so make sure to check there for all the latest.

Speaking of the ARCA Series, it kicks off of our Aaron’s Dream Weekend on April 23 with the ARCA Racing Series 250. Tickets are only $20 and kids 12 and under are admitted free. If you have children and they’ve never been to a race before, I suggest starting them out with one of our companion events, like the ARCA Racing Series 250 or the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. These are events typically have smaller crowds and are shorter in length, so it’s easier for the kids to follow along. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, be sure to do so now! We still have great seats available by calling 1-877-Go2-DEGA or online at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com. Thanks for being a fan of Talladega Superspeedway and we look forward to seeing you during the Aaron’s Dream Weekend, April 23-25.