“When there’s a will, there could be a way,” goes the saying. But tall hopes collide with harsh realities at Talladega Speedway. When veteran reporter Bob Pockrass was asked about Talladega ever installing lights, he laid it out straight, saying, “You’d never plan to have a night race,” because the project would have to cover the entire facility and even budget for an insurance policy.

In other words, it’s not something magical that’s stopping Talladega from shining on after sunset; it’s the price tag and logistics. Talladega’s fans may dream of drafting under the stars, but Pockrass’s blunt analysis reminds us that for a track in the middle of nowhere, night racing is technically possible yet financially and operationally prohibitive.

The high cost of lights and the road to night rac

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