November142009
2009 AMP Energy 500 Reflections
I came to the AMP Energy 500, my seventh consecutive Talladega weekend, ready to see Carl Edwards right the wrongs from the Aaron’s 499 in April. It was a cool, sometimes cold, weekend that featured a Mountain Dew 250 ran late in the evening and won by Kyle Busch with a push from his teammate Aric Almirola. We sat in the Moss-Thornton Tower, section E, right on Start/Finish. I was pulling for Rick Crawford, who made a late race charge to the front, but he was wrecked by Mike Skinner. Sunday morning was cool, but dry. The sun made for a nice day at the track. Many people would comment that the race was “boring” but I find every race at Talladega unique in some way. This race featured several laps where the entire field was in a single-file line. My driver, Carl Edwards, played his usual smart strategy of riding in the back to avoid “The Big One” but could not muster a run to the front in the end. Jamie McMurray held off charges from several drivers late in the race to claim victory after a green-white-checker finish was cut short by a crash in the tri-oval on the final lap. Overall, I believe NASCAR’s ruling to disallow bump drafting did lead to a less exciting race but I’m sure they will work on it for 2010. Happy HALLOW-DEGA!
12PM
No Track Comes Close To Matching Talladega Eight Races Into Chase
A fact lost in the furor surrounding the competition during the AMP Energy 500, is that Talladega Superspeedway produced at least 10,000 more green-flag passes than any other Chase track and doubled the next-closest amount of lead changes with 58.
Talladega Superspeedway produced 13,438 green-flag passes during the AMP Energy 500 on Nov. 1. The most competitive race behind that was Lowe’s Motor Speedway, with 3,170 green-flag passes. Auto Club Speedway in California produced 29 lead changes among 9 different drivers, half of Talladega’s 58 lead changes among 25 different drivers. What makes Talladega’s number even more impressive is that the AMP Energy 500 is typically only a 188-lap event, the fewest number of laps among Chase tracks in which a lead change can be recorded.
“I believe it’s important that we keep things in perspective as we look back at the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,” said Talladega Superspeedway President Rick Humphrey. “Talladega has a tradition of some of the best and most competitive racing in NASCAR and once the stats are taken into account, I think tradition was upheld.”
8AM
Likes/Dislikes
Loved Kids Zone - especially the air wrench tire change station, spent an hour there with our six year old. Maybe more pit crew activities would be fun. Did like Champions Corners campground - it is the best, loved the hosts! Loved the courtesy golf cart drivers that helped my husband get around because he had total knee replacement surgery in September, that made our trip. Did not like all the smoke from the campfires that were burning green wood, the smoke was too much.
November102009
Pre race ceremony
Looking for photo’s or video that was taken during driver introductions at the pre race ceremony of Ryan Newman recieving a check from Direct tv. please let me know………….thanks
8AM
My rookie year at Talladega
To everyone that made our weekend great I want to say thats the best first time experience I ever had at a race track. From the beginning when I ordered our camping, tickets and pit passes your staff was very helpful right to the end! I want to thank all the new friends we made in the family camp B that also helped us make my favorite race track the best experience thank you again Lydia, Ken, and Lynn!! We are planning to camp in the same area and purchase tickets for next years fall race! Our seat in the tri-oval we awesome can’t ask for better seats and I want to thank the people we met in section L row 40-41! I have to say that my home track needs some activities like you a dega put on. Preacher man (The River) killer southern rock and roll and I here they are there every year Cool!!!! Again from the customer service employees, air show, race and activities this is the BEST track around Nascar! Thanks again I’ll be in touch!!
Shelley Smith
Fort Worth, Texas
