Monday, October 02, 2006
StewartFan’s off-the-wall Talledega History….
Out of 74 races held there in NASCAR’s highest division, Dave “Mr. Wingtips” Marcis has the most starts with 61. He won his only race here from the pole in 1976. His total winnings for all 61 starts: $691.227. Jamie McMurray’s earned more than that in just 8 starts. It kills me every time I look at these stats how much more they make now.
One name stands out here at the track stuck out in the middle of a national forest, and it’s (say it with me) EARNHARDT! Sr. and Jr. have racked up an earth shattering 15 wins; 10 for Sr. and 5 for the son. No one else has won more than 4. Even with all of those wins, Jr. will catch his father in earnings with over 2 million with a half decent finish this race. Just unrefuted proof on the growth of the sport in the last 10 years.
Jr. has posted the most impressive number if you ask me. 5 wins in 13 starts is only rivaled by the late Davey Allison who won 3 races here in only 15 starts. We will never cease to wonder what this gift to NASCAR could have achieved had He not had other plans for him. Davey’s first win was here on May 3, 1987. His father was in a horrific crash where his car went airborne into the fence. It was the race that made NASCAR figure out how to slow these cars down. The restrictor plate was brought into the picture for the second time.
Marty Robins had 10 starts here. In case you don’t recognize the name, he was a famous country music singer along with a talented driver. I included a pic for the younger crowd. He disqualified himself from his first race here for running the last 100 miles without a restrictor plate. He refused to accept his 18th place finish, was awarded 50th place money, and then fined $250 by NASCAR for his integrity.
Jeff Gordon has 4 wins, but also has the distinction of winning both the shortest race here (343 miles; eventually shortened due to darkness), and the longest (516 miles). Jeff's earnings in his 27 starts here; $2,970,825. That's the most of all of the 399 different drivers who have raced here over the years at NASCAR's highest level.
That’s about all the off the wall stuff I can dig up tonight, time to work on the stats on the current drivers. Just a heads up, Tony has not won a race here, but has the best finishing average of all current drivers.
