Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Last updated

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega nights.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Adam McKay
Written by Will Ferrell
Adam McKay
Produced byJimmy Miller
Judd Apatow
Starring
Cinematography Oliver Wood
Edited by Brent White
Music by Alex Wurman
Production
companies
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • August 4, 2006 (2006-08-04)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$72.5 million [1]
Box office$163.4 million [1]

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American sports comedy film directed by Adam McKay who co-wrote the film with Will Ferrell. [2] It features Ferrell as the titular Ricky Bobby, an immature yet successful NASCAR driver. The film also features John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Jane Lynch, and Amy Adams in supporting roles. NASCAR drivers Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. appear in cameos, as do broadcasting teams from NASCAR on Fox (Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip, and Dick Berggren) and NASCAR on NBC (Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach Jr., and Benny Parsons).

Contents

The film was released theatrically on August 4, 2006, through Sony Pictures to critical and commercial success, grossing $163.4 million worldwide on a $72 million budget.

Plot

In rural North Carolina, Ricky Bobby is born in the backseat of a speeding car when his father, Reese, accidentally misses the turnoff for the hospital. Ricky sees his father only once after that, at age 10, at school. During this encounter, Reese tells Ricky, "If you ain't first, you're last", advice which Ricky takes to heart. Fifteen years later, Ricky works on the pit crew of Dennit Racing driver Terry Cheveaux. When last-placed Cheveaux decides to take a bathroom break, Ricky replaces him and finishes third. Larry Dennit Sr. gives Ricky a permanent seat and he quickly rises to be one of NASCAR's most successful drivers. He meets his future wife Carley when she flashes her breasts after one of his wins.

Ricky persuades Dennit to field a second team for his best friend, Cal Naughton Jr., and they become an unstoppable duo using their "Shake and Bake" slingshot technique on the track. Ricky's newfound arrogance, however, aggravates Dennit's alienated son, who retaliates by adding talented, openly gay French Formula One driver Jean Girard to the team. Girard not only taunts Ricky, but outperforms him and becomes the team's top driver. Desperate to beat Girard, Ricky crashes at Lowe's Motor Speedway, suffers an apparent mental health crisis on the track, and is hospitalized. Fearful of wrecking again, his performance drastically declines and Dennit subsequently fires him. Carley leaves him for Cal, who still considers Ricky his best friend, but Ricky insists that their friendship is over.

Ricky and his two unruly sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, move in with Ricky's mother Lucy, who is determined to reform the boys. Ricky takes a job as a pizza delivery man, but when he loses his driver's license, he is reduced to delivering pizza by bus or by bicycle. When his life hits rock bottom, Reese returns and uses unorthodox methods (such as putting a live cougar in his car) to help Ricky regain his confidence. But after causing trouble at an Applebee's restaurant, Reese abandons the family again. Before he does, he refutes his quote, "If you ain't first, you're last", that has steered Ricky's life. Reese confesses that he was high (on drugs) when he said it, and that it does not make sense. Ricky's former assistant, Susan, persuades him to return to NASCAR. They quickly develop a romantic relationship when Ricky takes Susan's advice and races at Talladega Superspeedway. Before the race, Ricky meets with Girard, who admits he came to America hoping to lose to a superior driver so he can retire. At the speedway, Ricky makes amends with Cal, while reuniting with his pit crew. With no sponsors, Ricky's car is painted with a cougar and the word "ME" to build his own self-confidence.

During the race, after Ricky climbs from last to second behind Girard, Cal uses their slingshot technique to help Ricky pass Girard. In the final laps, however, Dennit orders Cal to knock Ricky out of the race. When Cal refuses, Dennit orders Ricky's replacement driver to take Cal out instead, causing a massive wreck that eliminates everyone except Ricky and Girard. On the last lap, Ricky and Girard collide, wrecking their cars. They hastily exit their vehicles and run towards the finish line, and Ricky dives across the line first. Girard offers Ricky a handshake for allowing him to retire, but Ricky responds by kissing him on the lips. Both drivers are disqualified for exiting their cars and Cal, who was originally in third place, becomes the winner. Following his victory, Cal and Ricky reconcile and become friends again. In the parking lot, Reese congratulates Ricky, who declares that it was no longer about winning, since his family loves him no matter where he finishes. Ricky, his family and Susan leave to go to Applebee's.

In a post credits scene, Lucy is shown reading a story to Walker and Texas Ranger, both having been fully rehabilitated by her and who are now respectful and sophisticated children.

Cast

Drivers: Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, J. J. Yeley, Jason Leffler, Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Boris Said, Tony Raines, Mike Wallace, Kerry Earnhardt, Jeff Green, Jamie McMurray

Cars only: Casey Mears, Jeremy Mayfield, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Travis Kvapil, Mark Martin, Carl Edwards, Mike Bliss, Scott Wimmer, Jamie McMurray, Rusty Wallace, Kurt Busch, Elliott Sadler, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Ryan Newman, Scott Riggs, Joe Nemechek, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Burton, Ken Schrader, Kevin Lepage, Mike Skinner, Kenny Wallace, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Hermie Sadler, Robby Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Petty, and Johnny Sauter.

Broadcasters: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds, Dick Berggren, Bill Weber, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Bob Jenkins and Rick Benjamin

Production

Development

McKay and Ferrell first discussed a comedic film about a NASCAR driver while Ferrell was making Elf. Shortly after that film had wrapped, co-producer Jimmy Miller invited them to a NASCAR race in Fontana, California, after which McKay and Ferrell began writing the script. [3] They presented the idea to studios using only a six-word pitch: "Will Ferrell as a NASCAR driver". Studios responded enthusiastically to the pitch largely due to Ferrell's recent commercial success as a comedic leading man in films like Elf, Old School and Anchorman . After a bidding war, the rights were won by Sony Pictures. McKay and Ferrell knew that in order to make the film they envisioned they would need cooperation from NASCAR. After meeting with the filmmakers, NASCAR agreed to provide assistance for the film's production. [4] McKay and Ferrell sought to make a film that individuals involved with NASCAR would enjoy in the same way that people in the television news industry enjoyed Anchorman. Ferrell stated, "We were real adamant up front that our goal wasn't to make fun of NASCAR. We wanted to have fun with NASCAR." Despite NASCAR's involvement, many teams and drivers were reluctant to participate largely due to the negative feelings they had for the 1990 film Days of Thunder . Only two drivers ended up making cameos in the film: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray. [5] During development, the film's title changed from Talladega Nights to High, Wide and Handsome before eventually reverting to the original title. [6]

Filming

With the exception of one week of shooting at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, the entire film was filmed in North Carolina with the majority of filming occurring in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. Many of the racing scenes were filmed at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina and Rockingham Speedway also known as The Rock. Various other scenes were filmed in the Gaston County, North Carolina area, including the Pizza Delivery, DMV Driving Test, and Church Choir scenes. The Pizza Delivery sequence began in Downtown Cramerton, North Carolina and concluded at the Midtown Motor Inn in Gastonia, North Carolina. Both the DMV Driving Test and the Church Choir scenes were filmed on the campus of First Baptist Church in Cramerton, North Carolina. Scenes at The Pit Stop, the bar the characters frequent and Ricky Bobby and Jean Girard first meet were filmed in a recently closed sports bar in Charlotte. [7] The scenes for the Bobby residence were filmed at a mansion on Lake Norman. [8] [9]

McKay was adamant about wanting to incorporate stunts in the movie, and even had Ferrell and Reilly take driving classes at the Richard Petty Driving Experience with Ferrell later stating that he was "terrified" while driving the cars. Andy Hillenburg's Fast Track Enterprises and K4 Motorsports combined to provide race cars, hauler transportation and stunt coordination. Previously, the companies had assisted in promotion for Herbie: Fully Loaded , 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story , and other stock car racing films. Within Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, K4 Motorsports created custom wrapping for specific race cars, notably Bobby's "ME" car. [10] [11]

Reception

Box office

Ferrell at the premiere of Talladega Nights, September 12, 2006. Will ferrell at premiere.JPG
Ferrell at the premiere of Talladega Nights, September 12, 2006.

The film grossed US$47 million in its first week, and was the No. 1 film at the box office, making it at the time, the largest opening weekend of Ferrell's career, before being passed by 2014's The Lego Movie . The film grossed $148.2 million in the US and Canada, and $15.1 million in other territories for a total worldwide gross of $163 million making it Ferrell's fourth highest-grossing film behind The Lego Movie, Elf and Anchorman 2 and McKay's highest-grossing film behind Anchorman 2 and The Other Guys . [1]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 71% based on 188 reviews, with an average rating of 6.51/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Though it occasionally stalls, Talladega Nights' mix of satire, clever gags, and excellent ensemble performances put it squarely in the winner's circle." [12] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A+ to F. [14]

Robert Koehler of Variety wrote: "Simultaneously teasing and loving a subject doesn't make for easy comedy, but writer-star Will Ferrell and director/co-writer Adam McKay pull it off with good-ol'-boy good nature in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Koehler was surprised by the racing aspects of the film, and praised McKay's direction and Oliver Wood cinematography, saying "he gets the grit, heat and feel of NASCAR racetracks with a near-documentary sensibility." [15] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly found the film increasingly uneven as it progressed but praised the racing sequences: "The races are scorchingly shot, and they lend the movie a zest that was missing from Anchorman ". [16] Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "From its pitch-perfect title through just about every detail, this sendup of sports-triumph movies maintains the right parodic pitch, if not always the highest mph on the laugh speedometer." [17] British magazine Total Film gave it a perfect five-star rating, with the following verdict: "Forget the recent blips; Ferrell is back in freewheeling form. More than just the year's funniest film, Talladega Nights is one of the best films of the year." [18] Automotive journalist Leo Parente said, "the most accurate racing film ever, trust me," while emphasizing that he was not being sarcastic. [19]

Filmmaker Christopher Nolan cited the film as a personal favorite of his, calling it "great". [20]

Promotional

V8 Supercars team Britek Motorsport incorporated the Talladega Nights logo into the paint scheme of their Ford Falcon BAs for the 2006 Sandown 500 and the 2006 Bathurst 1000. [21]

Accolades

AwardDate of CeremonyCategoryRecipientsResultRef.
Teen Choice Awards August 20, 2006 Choice Summer Movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky BobbyWon [22]
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards 2007 Worst Movie TitleWon [23]
The Spencer Breslin Award (for Worst Performance by a Child in a Feature Role) Grayson Russell Nominated
Houston TumlinNominated
Most Annoying Fake Accent (Male) Sacha Baron Cohen Won
Will Ferrell Nominated
John C. Reilly Nominated
MTV Movie Awards June 3, 2007 Best Kiss Will Ferrell and Sacha Baron CohenWon [24]
Teen Choice Awards August 26, 2007 Choice Comedy Movie Actor Will FerrellWon [25]

Home media

The first one million 60GB and 20GB PlayStation 3 units included a free theatrical promotional Blu-ray copy of the film.

The Blu-ray, Standard DVD and PSP UMD versions were released on December 12, 2006. When viewing, the opening menu gives viewers choices for Super Speedway (with footage of the film used as introductions for special features, scene selection, etc.) or Short Track (without video introductions). The film is presented on standard DVD in four different configurations, giving consumers the choice between either theatrical or unrated versions and anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1 aspect ratio) or pan and scan presentations. As for the audio, each standard DVD carries Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French with optional English and French subtitles. [26]

Extras for the standard DVD editions include a retrospective "25 Years Later" commentary track featuring most of the main cast, deleted and extended scenes along with bonus race footage, features, interviews with Bobby, Naughton, and Carley, a gag reel, a 'line-o-rama' feature with alternate dialogue from the film, and DVD-ROM content. The unrated disc contains additional deleted scenes ("Cal Calls Ricky" and "What'd You Do Today?"), an interview with Girard and Gregory, and commercials. The "Unrated & Uncut" DVD omits two scenes that were in theaters: Bobby, as a child, steals his mother's station wagon and the happenings of Bobby's pit crew. The scenes are not present in the deleted scenes either.

The Blu-ray release is available on a dual-layer disc with the majority of features presented in high definition. These include: nine deleted/extended scenes, three interviews, gag reel, line-o-rama, bonus race footage, Bobby & Naughton's Commercials, Bobby & Naughton's public service announcements, Walker & Texas Ranger, Will Ferrell Returns to Talladega and a theatrical trailer. Three non-high definition extras include: Daytona 500 Spot, NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup Spot, and Sirius and NASCAR Spot. In terms of technical aspects, this edition carries the unrated cut and presents the film with a widescreen transfer at its 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio and includes Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in English and French and an uncompressed PCM 5.1 audio track in English, along with English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean and Thai subtitles.

In October 2016, the film was re-released on Blu-Ray to coincide with its 10th anniversary. The 2-disc set includes all new bonus features, as well as both versions of the film and the features found on the original releases of the film.

Real-world homage

On the final lap of the 2009 Aaron's 499 (one of two Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway), Carl Edwards crashed after Brad Keselowski made contact with his car on the final lap. His car turned backwards, went airborne, bounced off and crushed Ryan Newman's hood, flew into the catch fence, and came to a stop on the track apron. At this point, his car was just beyond the pit-road exit, as Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line. Edwards climbed out of his car and jogged to the finish line. He received a standing ovation from the crowd. Fox play-by-play commentator Mike Joy commented on how it was "shades of Ricky Bobby". [27] Although Edwards did cross the finish line but on his feet, he was still handed a DNF since his car did not cross the line and Edwards finished in 24th. Edwards was later asked about this on Larry King Live ; he responded, "I'm kind of a Will Ferrell fan. He did that at the end of Talladega Nights." [28]

At the 2012 Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Kurt Busch's unsponsored No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet Impala used Ricky Bobby's "ME" paint scheme. Busch and his team were heard reciting movie lines over the team radio. [29] He was running up front when contact from behind sent him spinning, he went on to finish 20th. In October 2013, Busch's No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet was sponsored by Wonder Bread for the 2013 Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega. Its paint scheme was based on Ricky's original No. 26. [30] He finished 18th in the race.

During qualifying at the 2013 United States Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel and his race engineer Guillaume "Rocky" Rocquelin made reference to the movie over team radio when Vettel posted the fastest lap and gained pole position. The pair referenced the movie in saying "shake and bake" over the team radio, the same phrase used by Bobby and Naughton. [31]

During his victory lap and postrace interview following the 2021 Quaker State 400, driver Kurt Busch exclaimed "Shake and Bake!" in reference to his teammate Ross Chastain, who assisted Busch in holding off his brother Kyle Busch for the victory. [32]

For the 2023 YellaWood 500 at Talladega, the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Ford Mustang GT of Chase Briscoe sported Cal Naughton Jr.'s Old Spice paint scheme while the No. 41 Mustang of Ryan Preece used Ricky Bobby's Wonder Bread paint scheme. [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Earnhardt</span> American racing driver (1951–2001)

Ralph Dale Earnhardt was an American professional stock car driver and racing team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. His aggressive driving style earned him the nicknames "the Intimidator", "the Man in Black" and "Ironhead"; after his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the Cup Series circuit in 1999, Earnhardt was generally known by the retronyms Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Sr. He is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history and named as one of the NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers class in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Earnhardt Jr.</span> American racecar driver

Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. is an American stock car racing driver. He competes occasionally in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro for his team JR Motorsports. A third generation driver, he is the son of 7-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt and relative to many former and current drivers in the NASCAR ranks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davey Allison</span> American racecar driver (1961–1993)

David Carl Allison was an American NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the oldest of four children born to Bobby and Judy Allison. The family moved to Hueytown, Alabama, and along with Bobby Allison's brother, Donnie, Red Farmer and Neil Bonnett, became known as the Alabama Gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Busch</span> American racing driver

Kurt Thomas Busch is a former American auto racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. He is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the 2017 Daytona 500 winner. He is the older brother of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch.

Kerry Dale Earnhardt is a former NASCAR driver and the eldest son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt. He is the half-brother of former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller. He was employed by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. as a consultant specializing in driver development until 2011. His younger son, Jeffrey Earnhardt, began racing for DEI in 2007 and currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Kerry Earnhardt is known for his physical similarity to his father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series</span> 57th season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 57th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 34th modern-era Cup series. The season began on Saturday, February 12. The ten-race Chase for the Nextel Cup started with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 18, and ended on Sunday, November 20, with the Ford 400.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GEICO 500</span> Auto race held at Talladega, United States

The GEICO 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race is usually held in April or May. The 1997 event stands as the fastest NASCAR race to date ever run with an average speed of 188.354 miles per hour (303.126 km/h) and was the first race at Talladega Superspeedway that was not interrupted by a caution period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YellaWood 500</span> Auto race held at Talladega, United States

The YellaWood 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, hosting an event in the NASCAR playoffs. The race is one of four NASCAR Cup Series races currently run with tapered spacers, the others being the GEICO 500 in May, the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and the Daytona 500. Through 1996, this race was normally held in early August or late July. In 1997, it was moved to early October due to the uncomfortably hot summer temperatures, and sometimes unpredictable summertime thunderstorms in the Alabama area. In 2009, the race moved again, this time to November 1 as part of a realignment agreement with Atlanta and Fontana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series</span> 55th season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 55th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 32nd modern-era Cup Series season. The season began on February 8 at the Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. Despite only winning one race throughout the whole season, Matt Kenseth, driving the No.17 Ford for Roush Racing, was strongly consistent following the lone win, and was crowned the Winston Cup champion. His only win came in the third race of the 36 race season. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins and 264 points over second-place finisher Dodge, who had nine wins and 203 points. Ford finished the year third with seven wins and 200 points, and Pontiac finished fourth with one win and 125 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series</span> 54th season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 54th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 31st modern-era Cup Series season. It began on February 10, 2002, at Daytona International Speedway, and ended on November 17, 2002, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, was declared as the Winston Cup champion. Bill Elliott won the 2002 NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award. He would win it for the 16th and final time in his career. He withdrew from the ballot after receiving the award. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was captured by Ford after winning 14 events and gaining 245 points over second-place finisher Chevrolet, who had 10 wins and 211 points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series</span> 53rd season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 53rd season of professional stock car racing in the United States, the 30th modern-era Cup series. It began on February 11, 2001, at Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 23, 2001, at New Hampshire International Speedway. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports was declared as the series champion for the fourth time in seven years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry McReynolds</span> NASCAR crew chief and TV broadcaster

Lawrence Joseph McReynolds III is a NASCAR crew chief and current racing analyst on Fox Sports as well as a columnist on Foxsports.com. In the past, he has served as an advisor to Petty Enterprises, and as a minority owner in Bang! Racing.

The Big One is a phrase describing any crash usually involving five or more cars in NASCAR, ARCA, and IndyCar racing. It is most commonly used at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, although occasionally seen at other tracks as well, such as Dover Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Aaron's 499</span> Motor car race

The 2003 Aaron's 499 was held on April 6, 2003, at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. It was the eighth race of 36 in the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Jeremy Mayfield was the polesitter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Aaron's 499</span> Motor car race

The 2009 Aaron's 499 was the ninth race of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. With a distance of 500.8 miles (806.0 km), it was held on April 26, 2009 at the 2.66 miles (4.28 km) Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. Fox Sports broadcast the race starting at 1 PM EDT, with MRN and Sirius XM Radio carrying the radio broadcast over the air and on satellite respectively. The race had nine cautions, 25 different leaders, and 57 lead changes, the most lead changes of the season up until that point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 Aaron's 499</span> Motor car race

The 2002 Aaron's 499 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that was held April 21, 2002, at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. won the race, his first of the season and the second of his four straight wins at Talladega. His teammate Michael Waltrip finished second and Kurt Busch finished third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 UAW-Ford 500</span> Stock car race

The 2006 UAW-Ford 500 was a stock car race that took place on October 8, 2006. The 38th annual running of the event, it was held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, before 160,000 spectators; the 188-lap race was the 30th in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the fourth in the ten-race, season-ending Chase for the Nextel Cup. Brian Vickers of Hendrick Motorsports won the race; Kasey Kahne finished second, and Kurt Busch came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega</span> Motor car race

The 2015 CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on October 25, 2015, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Contested over 196 laps – extended from 188 laps due to a green-white-checker finish – on the 2.66 mile (4.2 km) superspeedway, it was the 32nd race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, sixth race of the Chase and final race of the Contender Round. Joey Logano won the race, his sixth of the season and third in a row, thus sweeping the entire Contender Round. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second. Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Alabama 500</span> Motor car race

The 2017 Alabama 500 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on October 15, 2017, at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Contested over 188 laps on the 2.66 mile (4.2 km) superspeedway, it was the 31st race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, the fifth race of the Playoffs, and second race of the Round of 12. Brad Keselowski won the first stage and the race, while Ryan Newman finished second and Trevor Bayne finished third. Ryan Blaney won the second stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Earnhardt, Inc.</span> Museum and former NASCAR team

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) is a former race team founded by Dale Earnhardt and his wife, Teresa Earnhardt, to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series, the highest level of competition for professional stock car racing in the United States. From 1998 to 2009, the company operated as a NASCAR-related organization in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States. Earnhardt was a seven-time Winston Cup champion. He died in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Despite his ownership of the DEI racing team, Earnhardt never drove for his team in the Winston Cup; instead, he raced for his long-time mentor and backer Richard Childress at RCR. In the late-2000s, DEI suffered critical financial difficulties after drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, and sponsors Anheuser-Busch, National Automotive Parts Association and United States Army left the team; DEI consequently merged with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009, moving their equipment into the latter's shop, while the former's closed down. Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR operations was subsequently purchased by Trackhouse Racing Team in 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". Box Office Mojo . April 26, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  2. "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Martin". Lowe's Motor Speedway
    August 4, 2006 (United States)
    . June 9, 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2018 via www.imdb.com.
  3. "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)". Made in Atlantis. July 26, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  4. Dunne, Susan (July 30, 2006). "With film, NASCAR steers itself into Hollywood". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  5. "'Talladega Nights' at 10: An oral history". August 4, 2016.
  6. James, Brant (October 7, 2005). "NASCAR tosses crew chief out for violations". Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  7. "Emanuel Levy Cinema 24/7" . Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  8. Marusak, Joe (September 27, 2017). "Lake Norman mansion made Hollywood history. It can be yours". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  9. "Post-blockbuster Summer Movie Guide". HowStuffWorks . July 10, 2001. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  10. "Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site: NASCAR/Racing Movies". Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site. September 29, 2005. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  11. "'Talladega Nights' at 10: An oral history". August 4, 2016.
  12. "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  13. "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". Metacritic . Retrieved April 4, 2020.
  14. "TALLADEGA NIGHTS: BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY (2006) B". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  15. Koehler, Robert (July 31, 2006). "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  16. Owen Gleiberman (August 2, 2006). "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". Entertainment Weekly .
  17. "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". The Hollywood Reporter . August 11, 2006. Archived from the original on August 11, 2006.
  18. Total Film (September 15, 2006). "Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby review". gamesradar. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  19. Jackie Stewart / 'Weekend Of A Champion' Film - Shakedown Trackdown (Region Blocked by NBC)
  20. Christopher Nolan on his favourite Comedy Movie. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 via Youtube.com.
  21. "Five of the best movie themed Supercars". V8 Supercars. August 15, 2017.
  22. "Teen Choice Awards (2006)". IMDb. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  23. "Stinkers Bad Movie Awards - 2006 Ballot". The Stinkers. Archived from the original on May 4, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  24. Will Ferrell & Sacha Baron Cohen Win The 2007 Best Kiss Award - | MTV, June 3, 2007, retrieved April 29, 2022
  25. "Teen Choice Awards (2007)". IMDb. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  26. "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Blu-ray" . Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  27. NASCAR (February 1, 2012). Carl Edwards goes airborne into fence as Brad Keselowski scores first Cup Series win. YouTube . Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  28. "CNN LARRY KING LIVE - Aired April 28, 2009 -Joseph Ellis loved it, he giggled and wet his pants! 21:00 ET, CNN Transcripts". CNN .
  29. NASCAR (May 7, 2012). Ricky Bobby aka Kurt Busch takes the lead at Talladega. YouTube . Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  30. Pockrass, Bob (October 18, 2013). "Kurt Busch part pitchman, part showman with Wonder bread car". Sporting News . Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  31. Cork Gaines (November 16, 2013). "VIDEO: Sebastian Vettel Says 'Shake And Bake!' After Winning The Pole At the US Grand Prix - Business Insider". Business Insider.
  32. Albert, Zach (July 11, 2021). "'Shake and bake!' Ganassi teamwork, Chastain assist foil Kyle Busch's Atlanta bid". NASCAR . Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  33. ""Shake and Bake" for Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece at Talladega". Jayski's Silly Season Site . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.