It’s been 30 years since Bill Elliott set the NASCAR speed record of 212.809 mph at Talladega Superspeedway.
But when Bobby Allison nearly flew into the stands a few days later while wrecking on the frontstretch in the 1987 Winston 500 at ‘Dega, that would be the last race run at the 2.66-mile track without restrictor plates.
In the 30 ensuing years, numerous calls have been made to get rid of the restrictor plates, with other numerous calls seeking their retainment.
On Wednesday’s edition of NASCAR America, Steve Letarte, Kyle Petty and Marty Snider talked about a potential speed threshold at Talladega.
“If 215 is comfortable at Talladega, then where is the threshold?” Letarte asked. “It’s in a very uncomfortable position. The threshold at Talladega is way out there. If you pull these plates off, you’re looking at 235, 240 (mph).”
Added Petty, “We’d be out the other end.”
Check out the rest of their analysis in the above video.
