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The Daytona 500 and Talladega tracks are important superspeedways in the NASCAR circuit. The Daytona 500 is a 505-mile (805 km) long race held at Daytona Beach in Florida. The track in Daytona was inaugurated in 1959 and is used yearly for the opening season of the NASCAR Series. The Talladega is an oval track, in Alabama, stretching over 2.66 miles (4.28 km). It was introduced into NASCAR in 1969. Both tracks have experienced historic moments. Here are a few racers who have achieved success on both tracks.
#1 Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon is a name famously known for the Daytona 500 speedway. He won thrice on the track in 1997, 1999, and 2005. He was one of the youngest drivers to win the Daytona 500 when he won it for the first time in 1997 at 25. He secured all three wins while racing for Hendrick Motorsports.
Gordon also recorded six wins on the Talladega tracks. He is tied for second all-time behind Dale Earnhardt Sr. who won 10 times. He shared the excitement about his 2004 win on the Talladega track, in an interview:
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"After my team told me I had won, I wanted to pull into Victory Lane, jump out and just scream and yell with them and celebrate," Gordon was quoted as saying via ESPN.
#2 Joey Logano
Joey Logano won his first Daytona 500 race in 2015. He drove a No. 22 Ford for Team Penske. He registered multiple Talladega victories in 2015, 2016 and 2018. His 2018 race at the Talladega Superspeedway was competitive as he held off Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick. In an interview, he explained his strategy for how he overtook them:
I really thought if they got to the outside of me, I was hosed. I knew that. That would have been the end of it for me, I would have gotten passed by pretty much the whole train. I would have lost so much momentum. I knew they were going to work together, as they should. Once they got picked apart, think that was the game-changer," Logano was quoted as saying by ESPN after the win.
#3 Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin has won the Daytona 500 three times with his first win coming in 2016. He was racing for Joe Gibbs Racing and registered a photo finish at the end. This race was highly publicized as he was toe-to-toe with Martin Truex Jr. on the track:
In 2014, Hamlin won the Aaron's 499 at the Talladega Superspeedway while racing with Toyota. He also won the YellaWood 500 in 2020 at the Talladega Superspeedway.
#4 Richard Petty
Richard Petty is no stranger to the Daytona 500, as he has won seven times on this track. He is fondly known as "The King" as he has accumulated 200 NASCAR Cup Series races in his career. His first victory at the Daytona 500 was in 1964. He extended his record as the racer with the most victories in the circuit after he won for the seventh time in 1981.
Petty has won two races in the Talladega Superspeedway. His first win came in 1974 and the second in 1983. He was one of the early winners. He raced for Petty Enterprises with the No. 43 car.
#5 Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker was born on January 25, 1941. He was introduced to racing by his father, who was also, a well-known racer. Baker made his debut in 1959, he drove the No. 28 Chevrolet. Baker secured his Daytona 500 win in 1980. It is regarded as a major moment in his career.
He won the Talladega 500 in 1975. He was dominant throughout the race and registered the win with Ford.
