Is the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama cursed? That is a question that has plagued that racetrack since it opened. Remember, this track was supposed to have been built in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but “Big” Bill France was unable to beat the state’s blue laws, and honestly, wasn’t able to sway a political favor at the local level.
According to an article on NASCAR’s website on October 31, 2017, titled “May the Ghost be with you: The legend of the Talladega Jinx,” The way the legend goes, the Talladega Jinx surfaced before the superspeedway made its stake in the Alabama soil.”
“There are three prevailing theories to the Jinx’s formation: The first one suggests that when Andrew Jackson and fellow Native Americans seized the surrounding land from the Creek tribe, it caused a Creek shaman to curse the land. Another says that the speedway was built upon Indian burial grounds. The final one hypothesizes that a Native American chief was thrown off his horse and killed while racing in the area.”
When you enter this part of Alabama, and as you get closer to the track, even the names of nearby towns change. They reflect the names of Native American tribes, who had once inhabited the area. Even the name Talladega is derived from a Creek tribe, meaning “border town.”
Through the years, several accidents have occurred here, including Davey Allison in a helicopter crash and Tiny Lund in 1975.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.