The rumble of custom-built vehicles echoed through the hallowed grounds of Talladega Superspeedway this May as Battle in Bama & OBS Nationals returned in full force. Set against the legendary high banks of one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks, this year’s event wasn’t just a truck and car show—it was a full-blown celebration of craftsmanship, community, and Southern automotive culture.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Battle in Bama has evolved from a regional truck gathering into one of the premier custom automotive shows in the country. With its move to Talladega Superspeedway in 2023, the event expanded into two shows in one with the addition of the OBS Nationals. Not only did it gain more room to grow, but it became another destination event at a venue rich in motorsports legacy — and the 2025 edition capitalized on every opportunity.
The South’s Finest
Held over three jam-packed days (Thursday through Saturday), Battle in Bama 2025 expanded its offerings following a successful inaugural visit to Talladega in 2024. The show attracted thousands of custom vehicles from across the U.S. — everything from classic minitrucks to bagged and body-dropped C10s to high-end Pro Street and shop builds. The infield of the Superspeedway was transformed into a sea of polished chrome, patina, wild paint, and innovative fabrication.
Feature areas of the car show included:
- OBS Nationals designated parking
- V.I.P. Garage car displays inside NASCAR garages
- C10 Million-Dollar Row
- Pro Street Takeover
- Minitruckin’ Boulevard
- Club Parking
Not Your Average Show
What sets Battle in Bama apart is the experience. The weekend was packed with tons of things to see and do. You could spend all day weaving inside and outside looking at all the gorgeous vehicles or peruse the vendor booths from major aftermarket brands (including the Edelbrock Group). Every day was a different experience and each night a different activity. Thursday night was a cruise-in to a local park with a fireworks display. Friday was a pre-party at Big Bill’s pavilion and Saturday featured parade laps around the Superspeedway itself—a bucket list moment for many attendees.
Highlights included:
- Autocross on the Turn 1 apron
- Burnout contest
- Swap meet and marketplace
- Kids zone and food trucks
- Monster Truck rides with Shane England
- Celebrity appearances
- Friday night pre-party at Big Bill’s pavilion
- Saturday evening awards ceremony
The venue also offered access to Talladega’s NASCAR garages, providing showgoers a rare behind-the-scenes look at big-league racing infrastructure. Although if there were one complaint, it would have to be that the infield fences made it challenging to access different areas of the show at times.
Grip Autocross at Battle in Bama
Battle in Bama added a new competition for 2025 that brought an even more raucous sounds to echo off the grandstands — autocross, presented by Grip Autocross out of Gadsden, Alabama. Competing vehicles had to be derived from a production model, be licensed and insured, and have a minimum 200 treadwear tires. They had four classes: Small Tire Car (with a front tire of 255mm or smaller), Big Tire Car (with a front tire of 265mm or larger), Mod-Stock Truck, and Pro Truck.
The course was set up on the sprawling Turn 1 apron. Thursday was a test and tune day where the competitors could get to know the course layout, tweak their setups, and run as often as they wanted. Unfortunately, rain showers plagued the day for the beginning of the test runs, and didn’t dry out until just before shutdown at 5:00 p.m., so no one really got a good read on their suspension setups. Friday and Saturday, each class ran according to its assigned group time.
The course was essentially a glorified out-and-back, left-and-right slalom with a hairpin at the far end. It wasn’t a complicated layout; however, it was technical and extremely fast, with some competitors reaching speeds of over 80 mph in third gear at the end of the first slalom before the hairpin. After the hairpin, the back slalom got tighter with more nefarious cones to hit. It kept the corner workers busy all day as competitors pushed the limits of what their vehicles could do.
The competition was fierce in each class, especially toward the pointy end of the ladder. With 16 cars in the Small-Tire Car class, the podium consisted of an ND Miata Cup car (26.891), a Factory-Five AC Cobra, and an NA turbo Miata. There were 10 cars in the Big-Tire Car class, with a Toyota Supra (25.923) taking top honors over two Camaros. Mod Stock had 7 trucks with an OBS Chevy (27.715) taking First and a ’71 F100 pulling double-duty for Second and Third. The Pro Truck class had 12 competitors with an International Scout taking top time with a 26.031-second time over a ’65 Chevy C10.
A Community-Driven Event
Founded by custom auto enthusiasts Craig and Lauren Rowley, Battle in Bama has stayed true to its roots even as it moved and scales. The 2025 show drew clubs from nearly every state and even international attendees, reflecting its reputation as a “can’t-miss” event in the custom truck and car scene. Truly, that is what Battle in Bama means for many of the attendees. It’s a sort of “family reunion” for club members who may only see friends once a year at this event. That is not to say that you were left out if you were a “lone wolf” without a club. Many friendships are forged by parking next to someone you don’t already know.
Looking Ahead to Battle in Bama 2026
With another successful year in the books, Battle in Bama shows no signs of slowing down. With its unique blend of custom culture, iconic venue, and grassroots energy, the event continues to raise the bar for automotive gatherings in the South and beyond. Organizers did a terrific job of implementing changes from suggestions and advice from the previous year, and plans are already in motion for 2026. Rowley is already teasing new features, expanding opportunities, and more ways for builders and fans to connect. If you think this year was big—just wait until next spring.
We’ll see you there! For more great car show coverage, pop on over to our Lifestyle section!
(Special thanks to Edelbrock Group Tech William Cantrell for some of the photos!)
