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 National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCARs top racing series. ... This article is about the sport of stock car racing. ... Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. ... Talladega is a city located in Talladega County, Alabama. ... Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  Ranked 30th  - Total 52,419 sq mi (135,765 km²)  - Width 190 miles (306 km)  - Length 330 miles (531 km)  - % water 3. ... Artist rendering of a NASCAR restrictor plate A Restrictor plate or air restrictor is a device installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power. ... The UAW Ford 500 is a NASCAR Nextel Cup stock car race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. ... The Pepsi 400 is the current name for the 400 mile (approx. ... The Daytona 500 is a 200-lap, 500 mile (805 km) NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. ... Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959 in Batesville, Arkansas) is a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver for Ginn Racing, driving the #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, and is also a part-time driver in the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series for Roush Fenway Racing, Hendrick... The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ...

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. It was also previously part of the Winston Million. The Winston Million was a now-defunct cash prize award program on the NASCAR Winston Cup series, based on the Grand Slam concept. ...

The name is derived from a sponsorship agreement with the Aaron's chain of lease-to-own stores. The 499 name is designed to mimic the chain's tendencies to offer rentals "For $99" per month. Despite the name, the race is slightly over 500 miles in length. Aarons is a lease-to-own retailer, whose principal rival is Rent-a-Center. ... This article or section should include material from Tenancy agreement A lease is a contract conveying from one person (the lessor) to another person (the lessee) the right to use and control some article of property for a specified period of time (the term), without conveying ownership, in exchange for...

Past winners

• 2007 Jeff Gordon
• 2006 Jimmie Johnson (race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain)
• 2005 Jeff Gordon (194 laps / 516.04 miles due to green-white-checker finish 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

Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American race car driver. ... James Kenneth Jimmie Johnson (born September 17, 1975, El Cajon, California) is a current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race car driver who drives the #48 Lowes Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS owned by his teammate Jeff Gordon and operated by Rick Hendricks Hendrick Motorsports. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ... Bobby Hamilton (born May 29, 1957 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a driver and owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit. ... This article is about the elder Dale Earnhardt. ... Bobby Labonte Bobby Labontes former JGR car on display at the Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters. ... Mark Anthony Martin (born January 9, 1959 in Batesville, Arkansas) is a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver for Ginn Racing, driving the #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, and is also a part-time driver in the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series for Roush Fenway Racing, Hendrick... Sterling Marlin (born June 30, 1957 in Columbia, Tennessee) is a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver who currently drives the #14 Waste Management Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Ginn Racing. ... Ernie Irvan (born January 13, 1959 in Salinas, California) is a former race car driver in NASCAR. Wife: Kim Baker Irvan Married: November 21, 1992 Children: Jordan (August 12, 1993), Jared (February 9, 1998) Parents: Vic & Jo Irvan Career highlights 15 career NASCAR Winston Cup victories 22 career NASCAR Winston... David Carl Davey Allison (February 25, 1961 - July 13, 1993) was a NASCAR race car driver, best known as the driver of the Robert Yates Racing #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford. ... Harry Gant Harry Phil Gant (born January 10, 1940 in Taylorsville, North Carolina) is best known for driving the number 33 Skoal Bandits car on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. ... Phil Parsons Phil Parsons (born June 21, 1957 in Detroit, Michigan), is a former NASCAR driver. ... Bobby Allison (born December 3, 1937) was one of the first NASCAR drivers and was named one of NASCARs 50 greatest drivers. ... Bill Elliott car that set the record for the fastest recorded time in a stock car - 212. ... William Caleb Cale Yarborough (born March 27, 1939 in Timmonsville, South Carolina, near the Famous Darlington Raceway), is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and was one of the series engaging personalities. ... Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937 in Level Cross, North Carolina) is a renowned former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver. ... Darrell Waltrip in 2003 Darrell Lee Waltrip (born February 5, 1947 in Owensboro, Kentucky) is a three-time former NASCAR Winston Cup champion, the 1989 Daytona 500 winner, and current television race commentator with Fox Broadcasting Company. ... Elzie Wylie Buddy Baker, Jr. ... David Pearson (born December 22, 1934 in Whitney, South Carolina) is a former American NASCAR racecar champion. ... Donnie Allison is a former driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. ... Pete Hamilton is a former NASCAR racer. ...

Notable races

• As noted before, in the 1987 race, the catchfencing was severely damaged when a wreck by Bobby Allison caused his car to go airborne and shear it off. Probably as a direct result, the carburetor restrictor plate was mandated for this, the fall race, and the two Daytona Races beginning the following year.
• In the 2003 race (which was marred by a crash on lap 4 that damaged 27 cars, including Earnhardt), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won his fourth consecutive race at the track, but not without controversy. After the 2001 spring race (thanks in part to Mike McLaughlin's blocking in the Busch race en route to a win), NASCAR painted a yellow line on the bottom of the track at both Talladega and Daytona, to serve as an out of bounds line (with any car that drops below to gain a position to be immediately black flagged unless they gave the position back or were forced below it). Earnhardt Jr. appeared to go under the line to pass leader Matt Kenseth and get the win. NASCAR ruled that Earnhardt was forced below the line, making it a clean pass.
• Jeff Gordon's 2004 win was marked by a spinout by Brian Vickers with 4⅓ laps to go. NASCAR's rule at that time was that if a race went past five to go and had a caution, they would not throw out the red flag and stop the cars to ensure a green flag finish. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had just raced past Gordon for the lead, but at the previous scoring loop, Gordon was still ahead. The race finished under yellow and while Gordon did his victory burnout, fans littered the track with garbage to protest the finish (it was believed that Vickers' crash and the subsequent cleanup would not have taken very long to clean up). This reaction would result in the green-white-checkered rule being instituted in the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series less than two months later.

Bobby Allison (born December 3, 1937) was one of the first NASCAR drivers and was named one of NASCARs 50 greatest drivers. ... Mike McLaughlin (born October 6, 1956 in Waterloo, New York) is a former NASCAR Busch Series driver. ... Matt Kenseth in the garage deep in thought. ... Vickers crew working on his 2004 car Brian Lee Vickers is an American NASCAR driver. ... Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...