September 27, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 157 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H8076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY IN TALLADEGA, ALABAMA

  (Mr. ROGERS of Alabama asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, today I ask for the House's 
attention to recognize the 50th anniversary of the Talladega 500 
Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.
  In the mid-1960s, NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr., envisioned a 
bigger and faster track on the NASCAR circuit. After meeting with local 
race car driver and fan Bill Ward of Anniston, Alabama, the location 
was selected for the track, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the 
Alabama International Motor Speedway--today known as the Talladega 
Superspeedway--took place on May 23, 1968.
  The first race, the Talladega 500, was held on September 14, 1969, 
with Richard Brickhouse winning that race. I had the good fortune to be 
in attendance that day with my dad. The race played a major role in 
NASCAR's history, as many of the top stars of the sport walked out the 
day before the race due to concerns over tire wear on the 200-mile-per-
hour track. Mr. France said the race would go on and recruited drivers 
from the smaller NASCAR Touring Series, the Bama 400, the day before to 
replace them.
  The Talladega Superspeedway is the most competitive racetrack on the 
NASCAR schedule, the highest banked, and the longest, as well as the 
most fan friendly.
  Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the anniversary of the 
Talladega Superspeedway.

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