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  Ride along with former Winston Cup champion Rusty Wallace as he gives CNN/SI a crash-course on NASCAR racing. Rusty's Know-How tips appear each week on CNN/SI.com. Daytona vs. Talladega
Posted: Tuesday June 29, 1999 07:56 PM
When you think of Daytona and Talladega, most race fans think they are exactly a like. They might look alike, but believe me, that's where the similarities end.
When big Bill France built Talladega back in 1968 he wanted it to be just like Daytona, only a little bigger and with the start-finish line down toward turn one. He wanted Talladega to be its own track, and man did he accomplish that because the differences between Daytona and Talladega to the drivers are vast. Daytona is a handling race track. Your car has to handle good to be in contention for the win. Obviously a fast race car is a requirement as well, but to get through the draft or stick with the draft, you must have a car that handles very good. For that reason two tires on a pit stop at Daytona doesn't work as well as four. Talladega is almost all about horsepower. Handling is probably more of a non-issue there than any other place we visit. If you have a strong engine and a decent car at Talladega, you have a much better chance of finishing up front than you do at Daytona. Because of that, two tire pit stops are almost the norm at Talladega. Why is all that the case? Many speculate that it has something to do with the racing surface. Because Daytona is located at the beach, the surface is a little slicker with sand and water in the air and it also tends to wear out tires faster. Talladega has none of those problems. Nonetheless, both race tracks always provide some of the most exciting racing of the year.
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