A Typical Hot NASCAR Day At Talladega Once Led To A Threatening Tornado

From the time it opened in 1969 until 1996, the second NASCAR Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway was held in late July or early August.

Although it was held at the same 2.66-mile superspeedway – the largest in NASCAR – and produced the same extraordinary high speeds and drafting as the first race, held in May and called the Winston 500, the summer event was unique.

It didn’t have all the hype of the Winston 500, which was a widely publicized race that attracted national attention as one of NASCAR’s “triple crown” events. (Those included the Daytona 500 along with the Southern 500 at Darlington.) It also created quite a buzz among fans, who attended the race by the thousands and routinely filled up the track’s massive infield. I always thought the race benefitted from the marketing and public relations machine run by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which created the Winston Cup Series and served as the event’s primary sponsor.

The summer race didn’t get nearly as much attention. It didn’t draw quite as many fans – although it was well-attended. Media numbers weren’t as large in numbers, either. It was much more laid back.

The was a reason for that. During the summer in Alabama, the weather can be hot – make that very hot. Many fans didn’t bother to come to the track until race day because of the sweltering heat. The infield wasn’t nearly as populated as in May for the same reason.

After just a few hours in the garage area and on the track, crewmen and drivers were soaked in sweat.

As for the media, they quickly got the information they needed and then retired to the CRC building, a garage area metal edifice that was air conditioned and sponsored by a chemical company that was also the longtime financial supporter of independent driver Richard Childress.

Inside, the building was wide open, littered with tables and chairs which many media members used as a workplace.

But many times, working in the CRC building was impossible. It was also the air-conditioned refuge for competitors, which meant things could get very crowded.

Once, a sweat-soaked and weary Darrell Waltrip stripped his firesuit to his waist, rubbing his head and body with a cold cloth. It wasn’t an inspiring sight.

Inside the building made for a lot of conversation and laughter. With drivers and crewmen readily available, countless media interviews were conducted. But making the most of those interviews was hopeless, given the noise and paucity of electrical…