Aaron's 499
Restrictor plate racing will once again be on display this weekend as the NASCAR circuit moves on to Alabama for the running of the Aaron’s 499. Talladega Superspeedway, at 2.66 miles around, is the Winston Cup Series’ biggest oval, and has also earned the nickname of NASCAR’s “most competitive track”. The restrictor plates play a big factor in this competitiveness as naturally, the cars tend to stay in packs with their speeds restricted. In last season’s two races here, 21 & 22 drivers finished on the lead laps of the spring and fall races, respectively. However, despite this bunching of cars, the races have been shockingly trouble free. In fact, the fall race was run without a single yellow flag! On the other hand, one of the most unusual trends that has formed over the years is the importance of qualifying, as only 16 of the previous 60 winners here came from outside of the top 10.
The words “Talladega Superspeedway” invoke thoughts of some of NASCAR’s richest traditions, and the winners list here reads as a who’s who of racing history. The late Dale Earnhardt leads that list with 10 wins, all of which contributing to an unusual level of dominance by Chevrolet drivers, which have won eight in a row, and 19 of the last 26 races at Talladega. The “Intimidator’s” son, Dale, Jr., has picked up right where his father left off, winning the last three races here in his Bud Chevrolet. He aims for a would be record fourth straight win this week. Bill Elliott, has also loved to come to Talladega, as he has collected two checkered flags and nine pole positions in his illustrious career. In fact, his pre-restrictor plate qualifying speed of 212.809 mph is the track record and should stand forever. Jeff Gordon, Sterling Marlin, and Mark Martin join the list of multi winners, and Martin holds both the Winston Cup and Busch Series race record speeds.
The 2003 points standings saw a few changes last week at Texas as Ryan Newman became the seventh different race winner this season. Newman beat Earnhardt, Jr., and Gordon to the finish to capture his second career win. In the process, he moved from 15th to 8th in points. Gordon also enjoyed a big move in the standings, going from 10th to 6th. The series front runners remained in place, with both Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch finishing in the top 10 at the Samsung/Radio Shack 500. Earnhardt, Jr. might be the happiest driver though, now sitting at 3rd in the standings heading to a track at which he has been unbeatable. Keep an eye on the #8 as he seems to have gained an important focus on the points standings this year.
Look for another great race on Sunday, as the Aaron’s 499 is scheduled for noon et. The qualifying takes place on Friday, and happy hour follows on Saturday. As always, StatFox and its NASCAR FoxSheet are here to assist you with all of your race wagering…..




Track Information
Track Name: Talladega Superspeedway
Location: Talladega, Ala.
Track Type: SUPERSPEEDWAY
Track Length: 2.66 miles
Track Layout: OVAL
Banking: 33 Degrees
Seating Capacity: 108000
Home Page: http://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com
Track Weather Info: Talladega Superspeedway - Weather


Race Information
Race Name: Aaron's 499
Date, Time: 4/6/2003, 12:00 p.m.
Race Number: #8 of 37 races in the 2003 season
Track Name: Talladega Superspeedway
Race Distance: 500 miles, 188 laps
* Note: This is a restrictor plate race.
Past Race Averages
Average race finish time: 3:4:00
Average Speed: 164.45 MPH
Average # of cautions: 3 - 16 laps
Average # of lead changes: 25
Average # of drivers leading: 11



Aaron's 499 - Recent Top Finishers
Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
2002 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Michael Waltrip Kurt Busch Jeff Gordon Sterling Marlin
2001 Bobby Hamilton Tony Stewart Kurt Busch Mark Martin Bobby Labonte
2000 Jeff Gordon Mike Skinner Dale Earnhardt Kenny Irwin Jimmy Spencer
1999 Dale Earnhardt Dale Jarrett Mark Martin Bobby Labonte Tony Stewart
1998 Bobby Labonte Jimmy Spencer Dale Jarrett Terry Labonte Jeff Gordon
1997 Mark Martin Dale Earnhardt Bobby Labonte John Andretti Jeff Gordon
1996 Sterling Marlin Dale Jarrett Dale Earnhardt Terry Labonte Michael Waltrip
1995 Mark Martin Jeff Gordon Morgan Shepherd Darrell Waltrip Bobby Labonte
1994 Dale Earnhardt Ernie Irvan Michael Waltrip Jimmy Spencer Ken Schrader
1993 Ernie Irvan Jimmy Spencer Dale Jarrett Dale Earnhardt Joe Ruttman
1992 Davey Allison Bill Elliott Dale Earnhardt Sterling Marlin Ernie Irvan
1991 Harry Gant Darrell Waltrip Dale Earnhardt Sterling Marlin Michael Waltrip