Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499 is a NASCAR Nextel Cup stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The race has always been held in early May or late April. The Aaron's 499 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates, the others being the UAW Ford 500, the Pepsi 400, and the Daytona 500. The 1997 event, won by Mark Martin, was the fastest NASCAR race to date ever run, at an average speed of 188.354 mph (303.126 km/h).
The race, from 1970 until the demise of the Grand Slam as a result of the Ferko lawsuit, was known as the second leg of the sport's Grand Slam.
Despite the name the race is slightly over 500 miles in length.
[edit] Past winners
- 2006 Jimmie Johnson (race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain)
- 2005 Jeff Gordon (194 laps / 516.04 miles due to green-white-checkered rule)
- 2004 Jeff Gordon
- 2003 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
- 2002 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
- 2001 Bobby Hamilton
- 2000 Jeff Gordon
- 1999 Dale Earnhardt
- 1998 Bobby Labonte
- 1997 Mark Martin (race postponed two weeks due to rain)
- 1996 Sterling Marlin
- 1995 Mark Martin
- 1994 Dale Earnhardt
- 1993 Ernie Irvan
- 1992 Davey Allison
- 1991 Harry Gant (race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain)
- 1990 Dale Earnhardt
- 1989 Davey Allison
- 1988 Phil Parsons
- 1987 Davey Allison - (178 laps / 473.48 miles, darkness- caused by long delay caused by repairs to repair damaged catchfencing in a Lap 22 crash)
- 1986 Bobby Allison
- 1985 Bill Elliott
- 1984 Cale Yarborough
- 1983 Richard Petty
- 1982 Darrell Waltrip
- 1981 Bobby Allison
- 1980 Buddy Baker
- 1979 Bobby Allison
- 1978 Cale Yarborough
- 1977 Darrell Waltrip
- 1976 Buddy Baker
- 1975 Buddy Baker
- 1974 David Pearson (170 laps / 452.2 miles due to energy crisis)
- 1973 David Pearson
- 1972 David Pearson
- 1971 Donnie Allison
- 1970 Pete Hamilton
