NASCAR's introduction of the restrictor plate and the subsequent appearance of pack racing in the late 1980s exacerbated its chaotic reputation, with "Big One" accidents involving 10 or more cars occurring often; a phenomenon that has lasted into the present day.

[12] Talladega Superspeedway is known for its infield party scene during race weekends, gaining a reputation for a chaotic, Woodstock/Mardi Gras-type atmosphere.

"[18] Considered to be "notoriously rowdy" in the 1980s,[19] by the 2000s, Talladega Superspeedway officials started to crack down on "hard-core lawlessness", adding in a makeshift jail and making the scene "more civilized".

[22] An official announcement was made on February 18, 1964, with stated hopes of building 50,000 seats and a budget of "near a million dollars";[23] it was also touted as a "little Daytona".

However, while France Sr. later stated that plans were "far away from building" in March, local residents near the airport immediately raised opposition towards the proposal in the Spartanburg City Council; particularly due to concerns of increased noise.

"[25] According to multiple people associated with Talladega Superspeedway's beginnings, sometime in 1965, former driver and businessman Fonty Flock convinced France Sr. to scout the Anniston, Alabama, area.

[27] At the beginning of 1966, The Anniston Star reported that France Sr. was negotiating to build a $1.5 million (adjusted for inflation, $14,086,154) facility in Eastaboga near the Talladega Municipal Airport.

[30] The measure was signed by governor George Wallace soon after; by this point, Talladega Industrial Development Board chairman O. V. Hill stated that the budget for the project had rose to $6 million (adjusted for inflation, $56,344,615), and planned to host a capacity from 40 to 50 thousand seats.

[31] Leaders of the now-proposed 2.5 miles (4.0 km) track also hoped to raise $3 million and acquire approximately 1,500 acres of land to kickstart the project.

[36] In June, France Sr. stated in The Anniston Star that the "bond market just isn't what it should be at the present"; however, speculated rumors of Pure Oil, a subsidiary of Union Oil, investing the entire amount needed to finance the project were also being made, with a feasibility report stating that the project was "highly favorable".

[37] In the next month, a party associated with France and Pure Oil were reported to have invested two-thirds of the financing needed for its construction,[38] along with the city of Talladega offering 650 acres.

[48] During construction, the track was advertised to have bankings steeper than Daytona International Speedway and potential average speeds over 200 miles per hour (320 km/h).

[50] In April 1969, a 4 miles (6.4 km) "roval" road course was announced by France Sr.[4] That same month, reports by the Associated Press stated that AIMS was selling 70 tickets daily on average.

[54] The first tire tests for the facility were ran by LeeRoy Yarbrough and Donnie Allison in early August, with both claiming unofficial world closed circuit speed records.

[60] On race weekend, although the track surface was completed, numerous amenities, including VIP suites, were either unfinished or "barebones" according to longtime motorsports journalist Dave Despain.

[27] Chrysler, who was set to debut the winged Dodge Charger Daytona at the event, replaced Bobby Allison with PDA scab Richard Brickhouse.

[70] However, second-place finisher Jim Vandiver, who was driving an older Dodge model, accused NASCAR of rigging the race; the protests were unsuccessful.

[73] In October 1970, AIMS appointed Don Naman, promoter of the Tennessee-based Smoky Mountain Speedway, as the track's first general manager.

[78] Within 1972, attendance had rose with Naman stated hopes of building new grandstands;[79] the track also had a better reputation in local Alabama media.

So he put together kind of a little public relations deal of talking about how Talladega was built on an old Indian burial ground... You heard the Bobby Isaac story, right?

At the 1982 Winston 500, L. W. Wright, a confidence trickster, was able to launder thousands of dollars worth of equipment from multiple organizations, including Sterling Marlin, Goodyear, and NASCAR themselves.

[115][116] At the 1986 Winston 500, spectator Darren Crowder broke into the race's safety car and took it for a joyride in what is considered by longtime NASCAR journalist Steve Waid as "Talladega’s most bizarre incident".

[117][118] At the 1987 Winston 500, Bobby Allison blew a tire in the track's frontstretch at high speeds, causing his car to go airborne and crash into a protective catchfence, injuring four spectators.

In 1990, upgrades to all of the frontstretch grandstands were made so they could withstand a double-tiered system; 2,000 seats were also added to the Birmingham Tower, along with a new media center.

[149] The early 2010s saw steep attendance declines due to the effects of the Great Recession; a peak of approximately 190,000 in the 2003 Aaron's 499 had fallen to 108,500 by the 2012 iteration of the same event.

[170][171] The next year, the track came under controversy when a member of Bubba Wallace's crew reported a potential noose in the midst of the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.

[176] Since the track's inaugural season of racing in 1969, the facility has held two annual NASCAR weekends for most of its history: the spring Jack Link's 500 and the fall YellaWood 500.

[194] As of April 2024, the fastest official lap records at Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) are listed as: In June 2005, a collaborative movie project between NASCAR and Sony Pictures was announced, with Will Ferrell slated as the lead actor.

[204] Initially put into doubt,[205] the working title was eventually announced as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby in February 2006.

[213] In 2010, The Legend of Hallowdega, a mockumentary film produced by RadicalMedia as part of an Amp Energy advertising campaign that poked fun at the alleged Talladega Curse was released on Halloween of that year.