2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Jarrett Makes Laps at Talladega!

Dale Jarrett

Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, was at Talladega Superspeedway on Wednesday as part of Media Day in preparation for the Camping World RV Sales 500 Weekend, Oct. 18-20. The two-time Talladega winner got behind the wheel of one of his Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure cars and gave media members and guests hot laps around NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track. One person who rode with Jarrett was Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell (pictured in passenger seat in attachment), who welcomed the media during lunch. Jarrett, now a NASCAR Analyst for ESPN, also talked to the media about how special Talladega is to him.

“For me as a driver, this was such a tough place because you always had to worry about what other drivers were going to do around you," said Jarrett, whose last career victory came at the 2.66-mile venue in 2005. “It was – and still is – an incredible mental game of chess, but sometimes as a driver you don’t have time to think about a move. You have to make it in a split second.

“I always wondered why races at Talladega were so exciting to the fans. Now that I am in the TV booth, I know why. I don’t even sit down during a race because the racing has you on your toes the entire time. Lap after lap, it is incredible racing, side-by-side, three- and four-wide. I was stressed from inside the cockpit when I was driving, but the I feel the intensity much more while calling the race. Now I know what the fans experience for 500 miles."

The most competitive racing in NASCAR combined with a mix of southern hospitality returns to Talladega Superspeedway October 18-20, 2013 for the Camping World RV Sales 500 Weekend. For tickets and information visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA. This is more than a race…This is Talladega!