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LINCOLN, Alabama – NASCAR’s high-stakes Jack Links 500 race is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, where 41 drivers will compete on the league’s largest track in front of approximately 100,000 racing fans.
The legendary track draws visitors from “all 50 states and several countries,” according to track officials.
“It’s like a vacation for them. There are people who see each other here twice a year and gather here at Talladega Superspeedway,” said Patrick Barfield, senior director of on-site experience and guest services at Talladega Superspeedway. “Everyone has their little parties and groups, and it’s a great place.”
Josh Harris, regional president of Talladega Superspeedway, attributes the track’s allure to its unpredictable racing at extreme speeds exceeding 200 mph. The track, at 2.66 miles, is the longest in the NASCAR Cup Series and drivers must complete 188 laps to finish the 500-mile race.
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Track officials expect around 100,000 fans to attend the Jack Links 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. (FOX News)
“Everything is a little bigger here at Talladega, and that’s the way we like it,” Harris said.
The Jack Links 500 is the tenth race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series and drivers are already fighting for their spot in the playoff standings.
“The drivers are positioning themselves. “They want to be in the top 16 at Daytona in August and be able to go into the hunt,” Harris said.
Talladega is always a challenge for drivers, according to Harris, both physically and mentally. As the NASCAR Cup Series continues into the spring and summer, he said the inside of a race car can exceed 100 degrees on an 85-degree day.
Many fans, however, take advantage of the warm weather. Thousands of fans began camping outside the track and in the infield over the past week.
Riley Eubanks traveled from Indianapolis, Indiana, with her cousin and friend. The three will spend their first Talladega race together in a small tent inside turn one, living off “a lot of food and water” and playing poker constantly.
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Some racing fans began camping in the Talladega Superspeedway infield in the week leading up to the Jack Links 500. (FOX News)
“We spend hundreds, if not thousands, on meat and a lot of water,” Eubanks said. “We can provide food for other people if they want to come, but here we have plenty to eat for a few days.”
Many fans said they were excited to see the track’s infamous 33-degree banking across its four turns, the steepest in stock car racing. The curves are designed to allow drivers to maintain 200 miles per hour without losing traction.
Talladaga Superspeedway is home to the steepest banking in stock car racing, with a 33-degree bank across its four turns. (FOX News)
“The best thing is to get here and see how high that wall really is. See it for the first time. Crash after crash for years. After years of watching it, I could see it,” Caleb Eubanks said.
Drivers will begin qualifying on Saturday morning to secure their starting position for Sunday’s race.
