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NASCAR is a sport with plenty of urban legends, and Talladega Superspeedway has perhaps the spookiest. There is a contingent of people who believe that Talladega Superspeedway is haunted. Where did this legend come about?

• Talladega Superspeedway was built in 1969 by NASCAR founder, Bill France Sr. The track has since become one of the wildest, most dangerous, and most popular tracks on the schedule.
• Talladega’s reputation comes both from urban legend and the reputation of the track itself. It’s a track that many drivers don’t love to race at.
• Most fans don’t seem to subscribe to the “Talladega is Haunted” theory. However, a few fans do believe this urban legend.

The Legend

The story of Talladega Superspeedway being haunted goes back to well before the track was even built Some legends go back to just after the Civil War. However, they all center around the legends of local Native American tribes.

According to NASCAR.com, there are three theories about why the track is haunted. One is that a Creek shaman cursed the land after Andrew Jackson captured the land from the tribe. Some believe the track was built on a burial ground, a popular haunted theory throughout pop culture. The last one, and maybe the most appropriate, is that a chief was thrown off of a horse during a race.

None of these theories deterred Bill France, who built the track in 1969. However, some people believe that Talladega is haunted due to some rather strange stories.

Strange Incidents

Perhaps the spookiest incident in Talladega history came in 1973. Former Cup Series Champion Bobby Isaac was leading the 1973 Alabama 500, when, as legend has it, a strange voice told him to pull off the track, or something bad would happen to him. Isaac pulled off the track and quit, and Coo Coo Marlin finished the race for the team according to an archived Racing Reference “Historical Motorsports Stories” by nascarman.

That was the last time Isaac drove a Cup Series car in the 1973 season. He made part-time efforts between 1974 and 1976, including 1 race at Talladega in 1974, finishing 8th.

The video above also explains how a hauler driver always has mechanical problems when he comes to Talladega. Aside from that, the stories are little more than an urban legend.

Ultimately, Talladega being “Haunted” is merely just a legend. However, it is a fun topic whenever strange things come up at the track.