History
The fastest of NASCAR's "big four" races, the Alabama 500 is run every October at the 2.66-mile superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.
The race was known as the Talladega 500 the first year it was run and became the Winston 500 in 1971, under the sponsorship of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
The first race, in 1970, was boycotted by the Professional Drivers Association, led by Richard Petty, because the surface of the new track was so rough that it was tearing tires apart during trials and qualification runs.
The race went on even though most of NASCAR's top drivers withdrew. The caution flag was brought out every 25 laps to allow drivers to change tires without losing their places.
The track was resurfaced before the 1971 race. Speeds at Talladega were so high, though, that NASCAR introduced restrictor plates for the first time in 1973 to slow the cars down.
Reynolds withdrew its sponsorship in 2000 and the race was renamed the Alabama 500. From 2001 through 2005, it was known as the EA Sports 500. In 2006, it became the UAW/Ford 500. The Talladega 500 is a NASCAR race run at the track during the spring.