Talladega Short Track
Talladega primed for richest Late Model race
By Mike Warren
World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series
Adam Stewart (joshjamesartwork.com)
When Talladega Short Track owner and promoter Adam Stewart was searching for a weekend for the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series to make their debut at the Eastaboga, Ala., track, he had a significant one in mind.
After looking at the 2023 calendar, Stewart and business partner David Miller picked a spring weekend where thousands of people were already planning to go — April's NASCAR weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
Before NASCAR stars rev up in April 23's Geico 500, WoO competitors take center stage just across the highway April 21-22 for the inaugural Alabama Gang 100, a weekend capped by a $50,000-to-win dirt event. Stewart hopes to show what the red-clay oval is all about.
“If we wanted to do something of this caliber, this was the best opportunity to do it,” Stewart said. “We’ve got 80,000 people in our front yard essentially that we know are race fans, and we also hope to capitalize on some of the newfound love from some of the Cup drivers that come and race.
“We hope that’ll help highlight a little more on what we do.”
While the weekend will host some of the best Dirt Late Model drivers in the country, the Alabama Gang 100 name is a tribute to those who put racing in the Yellowhammer State on the map.
NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison and Red Farmer picked up their racing headquarters from Florida and moved to Hueytown, Ala., and Stewart race pays tribute to the legendary drivers.
“That’s a name that ties old-school race fans to new-school people,” Stewart said. “All three of the folks we’re honoring there are NASCAR Hall of Fame members, and Red races with us every week.
“It’s a way to pay them back and honor what they’ve done to basically put Alabama racing on the map.”
A few NASCAR drivers will pull double duty at the short track and the superspeedway, including 2023 Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who’s expected to race his sprint car. That’s only the beginning of what fans can expect at the event.
“You’ll have some NASCAR Cup teams doing VIP hospitality stuff on the back straightaway just to get some of those executives over there and be involved,” Stewart said.
Stewart and his team have worked to improve the third-mile facility throughout the offseason, ensuring Talladega Short Track looks its best when fans arrive. Those improvements include an outside retaining wall in turns one and two, new sponsor billboards, and new clay.
However, the Late Model tour isn’t the first series to race on the new surface. That honor went to the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars in March. Stewart expects his team to build off that momentum and create a destination for race fans nationwide.
“The new clay reacted well,” Stewart said. “We had a really good race, a good crowd. It’s something the racetrack needed with a shot in the arm.
“The surface in the past five years has been hit or miss, so if we can get a handle on that like we did the sprint car race, it’ll put us in a positive light compared to where we’ve been in the past.”
Stewart knows more eyes will be on his track for Alabama Gang 100 for the track's richest-ever Super Late Model event, especially with NASCAR in town on Sunday. That’s why he’s confident Talladega is a destination where race fans of all disciplines can get their money’s worth.
“You can see everything from short track, elbows up, racing to superspeedway racing that’s all within a half-mile of each other,” he said.
