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LINCOLN, Ala. – NASCAR’s high-stakes Jack Link’s 500 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, where 41 drivers will take to the league’s biggest track in front of an estimated 100,000 race fans.
The legendary course attracts visitors from “all 50 states and several countries,” according to course officials.
“It’s like a vacation for them. There are people who only see each other twice a year here and they meet here at Talladega Superspeedway,” said Patrick Barfield, Senior Director of Venue Experience and Guest Services at Talladega Superspeedway. “They have all their little parties and groups and it’s a great place.”
Josh Harris, Regional President at Talladega Superspeedway, credits the track’s charm to its unpredictable pack racing at extreme speeds over 200 mph. The track, at 2.66 miles, is the longest in the NASCAR Cup Series, and drivers must complete 188 laps to complete the 500-mile race.
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Track officials expect about 100,000 fans to attend the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. (FOX News)
“Everything is just a little bit bigger here at Talladega, and that’s the way we like it,” Harris said.
The Jack Link’s 500 is the tenth race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series, and drivers are already vying for their spot in the playoffs.
“The drivers position themselves. They want to be in the top 16 at Daytona in August and be able to jump into the chase themselves,” Harris said.
Talladega is always challenging 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.
However, many fans are taking advantage of the warm weather. Thousands of fans began camping outside the field and in the infield over the past week.
Riley Eubanks traveled from Indianapolis, Indiana, with her cousin and friend. The three spend their first Talladega race together in a small tent inside the first lap, subsisting on “plenty of food and water” and a constant game of poker.
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Some race fans began camping out in Talladega Superspeedway’s infield in the week leading up to the Jack Link’s 500. (FOX News)
“We spent hundreds if not thousands on meat and lots of water,” Eubanks said. “We are able to feed others if they want to come by, but we have plenty to eat here for a few days.”
Many fans said they were excited to see the track’s infamous 33-degree banking in its four turns, the steepest in auto 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 in its four turns. (FOX News)
“The coolest thing is coming over here and checking out how high up that wall really is. Seeing it for the first time. Just crash after crash for years. After years of seeing it, I got to see it,” said Caleb Eubanks.
Drivers begin qualifying on Saturday morning to secure their starting position for Sunday’s race.
