There will be more storylines than ever to follow this year at Talladega Superspeedway, with three major new factors in the mix for 2006 at NASCAR's Most Competitive Track. The first new element fans will notice will be the track's change to a 3-day weekend format, starting with the April 28 - 30 Aaron's Dream Weekend. Most noticeable about this change is the move of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying to Saturday of race weekend.

Immediately following the spring event, crews will begin repaving the gigantic track in order to complete the new racing surface in time for the Oct. 6 - 8 UAW-Ford 500 event weekend. In addition to the new track surface, Talladega Superspeedway will host its inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday, Oct. 7. The addition of that 250-mile race means that this fall, race fans will witness 1,000 miles of racing in just three days!

"The development of all these things will be exciting to watch, especially when all three come together in the fall to produce 1,000 miles of the most competitive racing on the circuit. We're certainly going to have a busy year leading up to it, but it's going to be an incredible weekend of racing for our fans," said Talladega Superspeedway Vice President and General Manager Rick Humphrey.

The following provides more information about Talladega Superspeedway' s new things in store for 2006:

• 3-Day Race Weekend Format for both the Aaron's Dream Weekend slated for April 28 - 30 and the UAW-Ford 500 event weekend slated for Oct. 6 - 8, track activity will be condensed into three days instead of four for race fans, with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying moved to Saturday of race week. Every NASCAR sanctioned series will conduct its event as an impound race, with teams allowed two practices prior to qualifying their machines. Then after the field is set, no adjustments will be allowed before the race without penalty. The ARCA RE/MAX Series event will also be an impound race, however a final practice will be held after qualifying.
• In the spring, grandstands will be open Friday - Sunday, April 28-30 for Aaron's Dream Weekend. Friday, April 28 will feature two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practices and The Birmingham News Qualifying for the NASCAR Busch Series. Saturday, April 29 will feature The Birmingham News Qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the Aaron's 312 NASCAR Busch Series race. Sunday, April 30 will feature the Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race.
• In the fall, grandstands will be open Friday - Sunday, Oct. 6 - 8 for UAW-Ford 500 event weekend. Friday, Oct. 6 will feature NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying, two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practices and the ARCA RE/MAX Series race. Saturday, Oct. 7 will feature Discount Food Mart Qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Sunday, Oct. 8 will feature the UAW-Ford 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event, race four in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.
• While grandstands will not be open on Thursday of race week, the Ken Patterson Infield Media Center will be open to credentialed members of the media.

Talladega Superspeedway To Repave Track Following Spring Event Weekend:

• NASCAR's Most Competitive Track will be repaved for the first time since 1979, with the project slated to be complete in time for the 2006 UAW-Ford 500 event weekend, Oct. 6 - 8. The project will include complete asphalt repaving of the entire 2.66-mile tri-oval track, apron and pit road.
• A portable asphalt plant has been mobilized on property, and on-site work will begin next month, when trial batches of the asphalt pavement will be produced, and asphalt test strips will be constructed on Superspeedway property. The repaving project will begin immediately following the April 28-30, 2006 Aaron's Dream Weekend at Talladega.
• This will be the fourth paving project for Talladega Superspeedway, with the first being the actual construction of the track for its opening in September 1969, which was followed by a repaving project completed in time for the 1970 season. The third and most recent repaving was completed at the conclusion of the 1979 racing season. When drivers tested and practiced on the new surface prior to the May 4, 1980 race, they gave it rave reviews, pointing out how the new, smooth surface greatly enhanced drafting and overall handling ability.

Inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race Set For Oct. 7:

• Tailgating only gets better this year at Talladega Superspeedway, with the track set to host its inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday, Oct. 7 during the UAW-Ford 500 event weekend. Not only does the series bring the excitement of an entirely new form of racing, but the addition of this 250-mile race means that fans will witness an incredible 1,000 miles of racing in 3 days at NASCAR's Most Competitive Track!
• Many of the series drivers have either tested their trucks at Talladega Superspeedway in preparation for Daytona, or raced in other series here. More than half of the drivers who competed in the series last year have at least one start here in other series, and 10 of them have posted wins here in other series (Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Hamilton, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Blake Feese, Martin Truex, Jr., Terry Labonte, Ken Schrader, Jimmy Spencer and Mike Wallace).
• Since Talladega Superspeedway announced this event in July of last year, fan and driver feedback has been very positive. The series' Daytona season opener has become a huge favorite throughout motorsports, and most expect the inaugural event here to be just as spectacular, if not more!

The 2006 racing season at Talladega Superspeedway kicks off with Aaron's Dream Weekend set for April 28-30, featuring the Aaron's 312 NASCAR Busch Series race and the Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race.