The mid-1960's: Anniston race driver and insurance man Bill Ward has a casual conversation at Daytona with International Speedway Corporation founder William H.G. (Bill) France about the possibility of building a speedway in Alabama.

1966: Ward orchestrates a meeting between then-Talladega Mayor James Hardwick and other city officials to consider the idea of building a major racetrack on land owned by the City of Talladega. After a trip to Daytona, the men were convinced.

May 23, 1968: Construction begins on what would come to be known as Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS).

Sept. 14, 1969: Alabama International Motor Speedway (AIMS) opens with its first race, the Talladega 500, named in honor of the local people who helped bring the track from vision to reality. Richard Brickhouse wins the inaugural event. Richard Childress makes his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series career start and later credits his winnings with getting the ball rolling on forming Richard Childress Racing.

Late 1969 - Early 1970: The track is paved for the second time.

1970: Don Naman becomes the first general manager of Talladega Superspeedway.

April 12, 1970: The second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race - the Alabama 500 - is held at AIMS, marking the beginning of twice-a-year visits by the sanctioning body's top series.

May 16, 1971: Donnie and Bobby Allison, famed "Alabama Gang" brothers finish first and second respectively in the first ever Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Winston begins a race sponsorship at Talladega Superspeedway that endures until 2000.

Aug. 20, 1971: Paula Murphy, or "Miss STP" as she was first known in drag racing, made a record closed course run at TSS for women in the STP '71 Plymouth (assigned to Fred Lorenzen) at 171.499 mph.

May 7, 1972: Darrell Waltrip makes his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start in the Talladega 500.

Aug. 12, 1973: Dick Brooks wins the Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, posting his first and only win in NASCAR's top series.

May 5, 1974: Neil Bonnett makes his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start in the Winston 500. The race is stopped twice by rain, but is shortened in laps because of the international energy crisis. Although it is scored as a 188-lap race, only 170 are run because it is one of 15 events NASCAR voluntarily cut short for the sake of fuel conservation.

Aug. 9, 1975: Mark Donohue replaces A.J. Foyt as the world record holder for speed on a closed course by driving a Porsche 917-30 around Talladega Superspeedway at 221.160 mph. Donohue's world record stands for four years until it is broken in Italy. His national record stands until 1986 when it is broken by Rick Mears at Michigan International Speedway.

May 2, 1976: Buddy Baker takes a third consecutive Talladega win, a streak that goes unbroken until 2003.

May 6, 1979: Bobby Allison wins the Winston 500 by what is still considered the largest margin of victory at Talladega Superspeedway - one lap and 50 seconds.

Aug. 5, 1979: Kyle Petty makes his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start in the Talladega 500.

Late 1979: The 2.66-mile Talladega tri-oval is paved for the third time since the track was constructed (including initial construction and then repaving in late 1969-early 1970).

Aug. 3, 1980: Alabama native Neil Bonnett takes his first and only Talladega NEXTEL Cup Series victory in the Talladega 500.

Aug. 2, 1981: In one of the closest finishes in NASCAR Nextel Cup racing, Ron Bouchard beats Darrell Waltrip by a foot, who is only one foot ahead of Terry Labonte as the cars come across the line three-wide in the DieHard 500. While Bouchard was in third place 500 yards from the finish line, he used the draft to "slingshot" around both Waltrip and Labonte to capture his only win in stock car racing's premier series.

April 29, 1982: Benny Parsons becomes the first NEXTEL Cup Series driver to break the 200 mph mark in qualifying at a speed of 200.176 mph.

Aug. 1, 1982: Darrell Waltrip becomes the first repeat winner of the Talladega 500. There had been 13 different winners since its inception in 1969.

July 31, 1983: Dale Earnhardt posts his first NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win at Talladega in the Talladega 500. He would go on to become the track's winningest driver.

May 6, 1984: The Winston 500 firmly establishes Talladega Superspeedway as NASCAR's Most Competitive Track, setting the all-time NASCAR record for lead changes with 75, a number that still stands.

May 5, 1985: Bill Elliott comes from nearly two laps down after a lengthy pit stop to repair a loose oil line to spectacularly take a win under green and turning an average speed of 186.288 mph.

July 28, 1985: Davey Allison makes his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series career start in the Talladega 500.

Nov. 26, 1985: Lynn St. James sets the record as the first woman to exceed 200 mph, driving a Ford Mustang Probe Prototype at Talladega Superspeedway.

May 4, 1986: All but one of the 42 starters in the May 4, 1986 Aaron's 499 qualified at more than 200 mph. Positions 41 and 42 made the field on provisionals, thus the event technically became the first "all-200" field in stock car history.

July 27, 1986: Twenty-six drivers lead laps in the Talladega 500, setting an all-time series record that stands until the Talladega fans again see 26 different leaders in the 2001 Aaron's 499.

May 1, 1987: Bill Elliott sets an all-time series qualifying record by winning the pole for the 1987 Winston 500 at a blazing 212.809 mph speed. Patty Simko establishes the world record for women's qualifying with a speed of 199.604 mph.

May 3, 1987: Alabama native Davey Allison celebrates his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career win in front of hometown fans. His father Bobby, the race's defending champion, was involved in a frightful crash that later resulted in NASCAR's implementation of restrictor plates at Talladega. Bobby Allison suffered only minor injuries in the accident. The average speed of the field was 207.049 mph, the fastest field in stock car history.

Early 1988: Current NASCAR President Mike Helton becomes Talladega Superspeedway's new general manager and in less than a year, is promoted to president of the facility. Don Naman becomes executive director of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

July 31, 1988: Ken Schrader wins the DieHard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, marking his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series career win.

Oct. 11, 1988: Lynn St. James sets women's national speed record at 212.577 mph driving a Ford Thunderbird at Talladega Superspeedway.

Early 1989: AIMS becomes officially known as "Talladega Superspeedway." The announcement is made at the Talladega Country Club, where members of the media have gathered for an "unveiling" but see nothing within the room to unveil. However, the darkness outside the room's large windows successfully cloak a large-scale rendering of the track's new name and logo, until spotlights illuminate it for all to see.

Dec. 14, 1989: Patty Moise breaks the women's speed record by going 216.607 mph around Talladega Superspeedway in a Buick.

Jan. 23, 1990: Patty Moise breaks women's speed record again by going 217.498 mph around Talladega Superspeedway in a Buick.

May 6, 1991: Harry Gant becomes the track's oldest NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series winner at 51 years, 3 months and 26 days.

February 1993: Grant Lynch becomes the third general manager of Talladega Superspeedway. He was promoted to his current post of president in November of that year. Mike Helton relocated to Daytona Beach, Fla. at the start of the next year to become NASCAR's vice president of competition.

July 25, 1993: Three drivers swap the lead four times on the final lap of the DieHard 500 until Dale Earnhardt edges Ernie Irvan by six inches for the win. That dramatic finish also makes the DieHard 500 at Talladega the first 500-mile race to produce 1,000 official lead changes over its history, an amazing feat considering the race was only 25 years old and has only 188 laps - or opportunities - to record lead changes.

July 24, 1994: Apollo 11 Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was the Grand Marshal of the DieHard 500 at Talladega. Aldrin added a personal touch in commanding the drivers to start their engines, stating "Gentlemen, energize your groundcraft."

May 10, 1997: Mark Martin wins the Winston Select 500, which has no caution flags and still stands as the track's fastest race to date at an average speed of 188.354 mph. The event is completed in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds.

Oct. 12, 1997: The second Talladega race of the year is moved from the summer months of July and August - as it had been enjoyed since 1969 - to the fall.

April 26, 1998: The day of the DieHard 500 is made all the more special when the Grand Marshals are introduced. Alabama Gang members Bobby and Donnie Allison, Red Farmer and Susan Bonnett (on behalf of her late husband, Neil) give the command "Gentlemen, start your engines."

April 23, 1999: When teams and fans arrive for the first Talladega race of the year, they are greeted by a new entrance to the track's tunnel and main parking areas, the first of several facility improvements that have occurred in the off season. In the infield, a new NASCAR NEXTEL Cup garage awaits to accommodate up to 62 cars, as well as a new care center. Also, a big announcement is made to herald even more facility improvements. Track officials announce that a new and improved grandstand will replace the one existing out of Turn Two, and will be named "Allison Grandstand" after the legendary Alabama racing family of Bobby, Donnie, Davey and Clifford Allison.

Oct. 17, 1999: Dale Earnhardt wins the Winston 500, completing a sweep of both events at Talladega that year. He is the only driver in the track's history to sweep both events in a season on two separate occasions. However, some may argue that Darrell Waltrip shares that distinction, since he visited Talladega's Gatorade Victory Lane twice in both 1977 and 1982. However, the second 1977 trip was for a win credited to Donnie Allison, who had Waltrip take over the wheel for him as a relief driver on the last 23 laps of that race.

Mid-November, 1999: W. Brett Shelton is promoted from director of operations to become the fourth Vice President/General Manager of Talladega Superspeedway after having joined the staff in August of 1997.Construction begins to add 7,400 seats to Talladega Superspeedway's Tri-Oval Tower. Crews also begin work on four new tram routes to transport fans from parking areas to points near speedway entrances.

April 16, 2000: Talladega Superspeedway fans are introduced to a variety of new services and accommodations to make their experience at the track better than ever through the implementation of a new Guest Services program, which includes tram service, security and guest relations centers located throughout the grounds, as well as informational booths for general information.

Oct. 15, 2000: The final Winston 500 is run at Talladega Superspeedway, drawing to a close a 30-year race sponsorship which is considered at the time to be the longest-running.

Late October 2000: Talladega Superspeedway begins off-season construction to add 25 rows - or 5,200 seats - to the O.V. Hill South Tower, just south of the middle of the tri-oval on the frontstretch. The track also adds a Shower House complete with dozens of showers, water closets and diaper changing stations to accommodate fans in the track's all-reserved infield.

January 2001: Rick Humphrey is promoted from director of operations to become the fifth Vice President/General Manager of Talladega Superspeedway after having joined the staff in 1997 as director of public relations. W. Brett Shelton takes the post of president of Michigan International Speedway.

Oct. 6, 2002: Recording artist Sheryl Crow and her band perform for fans just before the start of the race in support of her "C'mon C'mon Tour." Legendary quarterback Ken Stabler serves as Grand Marshal and the musical group Little Big Town perform the National Anthem. Jamie McMurray fills in for the injured Sterling Marlin in the EA SPORTS" 500, making his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start ever at Talladega Superspeedway.

April 6, 2003: Dale Earnhardt Jr. concludes a four-race winning streak at Talladega, winning the Aaron's 499. The win establishes him as the driver with the most consecutive wins at Talladega, a record set previously by Buddy Baker's three wins between spring 1975 and spring 1976.

Sept. 28, 2003: The newly-crowned 2004 Miss America Ericka Dunlap gives the command, "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines" as the Grand Marshall of the fall NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race.

Oct. 3, 2004: Talladega Superspeedway officially celebrates its 35th Anniversary with the running of the EA SPORTS" 500. Grand Marshals of the event, Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr. of Orange County Choppers, unveil a custom motorcycle commissioned by the track to commemorate the occasion. The bike is later auctioned on eBay, with proceeds benefiting Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. takes his fifth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway, making him second only to his father in number of wins here.

May 1, 2005: Jeff Gordon posts his fourth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway in the Aaron's 499, tying him with Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker and Darrell Waltrip for third place on the all-time series win count list behind Dale Earnhardt (10 series wins) and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (5 series wins). Popular comedian and actor Adam Sandler served as Grand Marshal for the event. Miss America 2005 Deidre Downs performed the National Anthem.

July 12, 2005: Eight families competing in the three-time Emmy winning television show "The Amazing Race" found a clue at the world's largest office chair in Anniston, Ala. that directed them to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and then inside Talladega Superspeedway to compete against one another racing multiple-rider "party bikes" around the track. The Bransen family of Park Ridge, Ill. was the first family to successfully complete the challenge at TSS to earn the next clue. The "Think Like An Office Chair" episode aired Oct. 18, 2005 on CBS.

July 26, 2005: Talladega Superspeedway officials announce that on Oct. 7, 2006, the track will host a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race for the first time in history. The announcement was kept a secret until the media assembled on pit road, and Talladega Superspeedway Vice President and General Manager Rick Humphrey unveiled a sign welcoming the series as two race trucks zoomed out of Turn Four and down the front straightaway. The trucks doubled back and drove up to pit road, and driver Ricky Craven emerged from one of the vehicles to greet the media and give comments on the announcement. The track was also pleased to have NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Director Wayne Auton as a guest for the announcement.

Sept. 1-2, 2005: History was both made and remembered when David Donohue and NBC Television "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno set a series of Grand American speed records at the track, driving a Porsche Carrera GT production car. David is the son of Mark Donohue, who set a similar series of records in a Porsche here three decades ago. The younger Donohue set three flying speed records in the production category, including a closed-course speed record here of 196.301 mph. Donohue also set records for the measured mile at 198.971 mph and the measured kilometer at 195.755 mph. Leno set three standing-start speed records in the same car, the fastest being 156.603 mph over the closed-course.

Oct. 2, 2005: As UAW-Ford made its debut as the fall race sponsor at Talladega Superspeedway, Dale Jarrett concluded the UAW-Ford 500 event weekend in storybook fashion, putting a Ford in Gatorade Victory Lane for the first time in seven years. Statisticians recorded 50 lead changes in the race, the most all season. Alabama Governor Bob Riley proclaimed the day "Rusty Wallace Day" in honor of Wallace's final full season of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series racing prior to retirement. Other special guests included RCA recording artist and Alabama native Bo Bice, who sang the National Anthem.

April 27- April 30, 2006: Dale Earnhardt was remembered at Talladega Superspeedway in several special ways during the 2006 Aaron's Dream Weekend. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Thursday evening and in honor of that award and in celebration of Dale Earnhardt Day on Saturday, the four Dale Earnhardt, Inc. cars entered in the Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series races were adorned with special black paint schemes reminiscent of the scheme he ran while competing in the Busch Series. One of those cars, driven by Martin Truex, Jr. in the Busch Series race, wound up in Victory Lane on Saturday, on what would have been Earnhardt's 55th birthday. Special guest Will Ferrell was also a highlight of the race weekend as he visited the track to promote his forthcoming comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Ferrell served as the official Grand Marshal of the Aaron's 499.

May 1, 2006: Jimmie Johnson became the 34th different race winner at Talladega, emerging victorious in the Aaron's 499. The race contained 56 lead changes among 22 drivers - tying it for 10th in all-time lead changes and third for the all-time highest number of leaders. Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership Ken Butler took over Grand Marshal duties and enlisted the near-capacity crowd to participate. He started the command with "Gentlemen . . . " and thousands answered by thundering "Start Your Engines!"

May 2, 2006: Talladega Superspeedway President Grant Lynch kicked off the track's fourth paving project - the first in 26 years - by climbing aboard a trackhoe excavator entering Turn 3 of the track, and using the machinery to remove a large portion of the track's asphalt. Many members of the media were on hand to document the start of the monumental project.

July 17, 2006: Two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart visited Talladega Superspeedway to lend a hand in the monumental paving project currently underway. Before meeting with members of the media, Stewart talked with members of the paving crew, then climbed aboard the paver as it progressed through turn one applying the level-up course of asphalt.

August 30, 2006: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Dennis Setzer visited Talladega Superspeedway to help complete the paving project. Setzer climbed aboard a paver and helped completed the 12-foot transporter truck lane along the inside of the racing surface. Setzer also met with members of the media about the project in relation to the track's first NASCAR Crattsman Truck Series race set for Saturday, Oct. 7.

September 19, 2006: Talladega Superspeedway officials announced the official completion of Talladega Superspeedway's Paving Project 2006.

September 20, 2006: Six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers and teams participated in a Goodyear tire test on the new surface, and all commented on the smoothness of the new asphalt and the durability of the tires. Drivers and teams participating in the test were No. 1 Martin Truex, Jr., No. 25 Brian Vickers, No. 38 David Gilliland, No. 40 David Stremme, No. 32 Travis Kvapil and No. 12 Ryan Newman.

September 21, 2006: Hoosier brought two ARCA RE/MAX Series teams to Talladega for a tire test: Bobby Gerhart and A.J. Henriksen.

September 25, 2006: Thirty-five ARCA RE/MAX Series teams practiced on the new surface in a series open test

September 28, 2006: Five-time Talladega Superspeedway winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. flew in to give members of the media and superspeedway sponsors rides around the track in a brand new Monte Carlo SS.

October 6, 2006: The most successful driver in ARCA RE/MAX Series history, Frank Kimmel, takes his first career superspeedway win in the Food World 250 ARCA RE/MAX Series race. The event also marked the first stock car start for former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya, who competed in preparation for the his career in NASCAR driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Montoya finished third behind Kimmel and Steve Wallace, son of veteran driver Rusty Wallace.

October 7, 2006: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competes at Talladega Superspeedway for the first time in the John Deere 250. Mark Martin won from the pole position, becoming the first driver to win a race in each of NASCAR's top three series at Talladega Superspeedway.

October 8, 2006: Talladega Superspeedway enjoys its largest fall race crowd in history for the UAW-Ford 500, the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on the track's smooth new surface. Brian Vickers posted his first career win in a race that saw 63 lead changes among 23 different drivers, the most lead changes fans had witnessed anywhere on the circuit since the July 1984 race at Talladega in which the lead swapped hands 68 times.