Only Yesterday: Talladega Has Earned Its Place as NASCAR’s Biggest Wildcard

A wildcard can be defined in more than one way, but the first variation listed when I looked it up was “an unpredictable factor.”

NASCAR races at Talladega Superspeedway have been referred to as such for decades, and it’s a designation that those events have thoroughly earned.

To be clear, crashes can befall a title contender anywhere. But the pack racing that is prevalent at Talladega not only ratchets up the intensity, but it brings the potential that a crash can begin with the leaders and wind up demolishing any cars on track at the time.

It’s the kind of alarming possibility that has most championship hopefuls wishing they could just skip it.

NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Mark Martin made no secret of his disdain for such pack-style racing during his time behind the wheel. Like the track’s reputation as a wildcard, this animosity from Martin was also crafted over multiple races at the 2.66-mile trioval in Central Alabama.

Despite the loathing, Martin did see some success at Talladega, winning in April of both 1995 and 1997. The latter of those two triumphs was run without a caution, free of the field-decimating accidents that so often befell races at the speedway.

In October of 1998, Martin entered the race at Talladega having won two of the previous three NASCAR Cup Series races but had only made up 30 points to points-leader Jeff Gordon in that span. It was a recurring issue for the driver of the No. 6 Ford that year. Martin had the misfortune of enjoying the best season of his career the same year that Gordon had his best as well.

While Martin had seven wins to that point, Gordon had racked up 10 victories for the third consecutive year. There was even a stretch of four races during the summer where Martin finished second three times and fourth once, yet still lost 45 points to Gordon because the Rainbow Warrior won all four.

With five races to go, Martin trailed Jeff Gordon in the standings by 174 points. It was a substantial lead but not insurmountable. But Martin could not afford any more setbacks and was in need of both another win and, more importantly, a clean race.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get either one.

The only two drivers with a shot at the title started nose-to-tail, with Gordon rolling off sixth and Martin in eighth. Initially, their days had little else in common. Gordon led early in the going, pacing the field for 49 of the first 63 laps. Martin wound up mired in the pack and did not lead a lap all day.

Gordon faded into the running order during the middle stages of the race, finding himself falling into the clutches of his championship rival in the Valvoline Ford.

On lap 136, Gordon was in 18th place, the last car on the lead lap while Martin ran sixth. Then, in an instant, one move by Sterling Marlin turned everything upside down.

Marlin made slight contact with the Pontiac of Ernie Irvan, sending Irvan spinning up the track. The car bounced off of the outside wall in turn 1 and slid down the banking directly into the path of none other than Martin. Unable to avoid Irvan, Martin collided with the No. 36 as a multitude of other cars spun and crashed along with them.

As catastrophic as the crash was for Martin, it was equally fortuitous for Gordon. The points leader was only a few car lengths from being lapped and got to rejoin the pack, as Martin’s damaged car limped to pit road. The No. 6 team worked to repair the car and got it put back together enough to finish the race. Martin was credited with 34th, the final car running at the end.

Meanwhile, Gordon rallied with a renewed vigor, climbing all the way to second by the time the checkered flag waved. His finish combined with Martin’s struggles inflated Gordon’s points lead to 288 with four races to go. It was as close as anyone would get, as the Dupont team won three of those final four events, tying the modern era record of 13 wins in one season.

Martin may not have won the championship even if he had secured a good finish at Talladega that day. But the unpredictable series of events that took place further enhanced the track’s reputation as the biggest wildcard of the sport.

Donate to Frontstretch

Frank Velat has been an avid follower of NASCAR and other motorsports for over 20 years. He brings a blend of passionate fan and objective author to his work. Frank offers unique perspectives that everyone can relate to, remembering the sport's past all the while embracing its future.

Follow along with @FrankVelat on Twitter.

Get email about new comments on this article
Email me about
guest

0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Add to the conversation with a commentx
()
x