Monday night, fans of Will Ferrell will have the opportunity to watch one of his most popular films. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is airing on AMC. The film starts at 10:15 p.m. ET, giving viewers many opportunities to yell “shake and bake!” Talladega Nights will also air on Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Released in 2006, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby starred Ferrell as the titular character and followed his rise to the biggest name in stock car racing, as well as his fall after a wild crash. Bobby loses everything, including his wife, before partnering with his less-than-reputable father (Gary Cole) for an incredible comeback. He must also defeat French Formula 1 champion, Jean Girard.
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Talladega Nights had a stacked cast that featured Ferrell, Cole, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, and Jane Lynch. David Koechner, Andy Richter, and Leslie Bibb also had key roles in the NASCAR-centric film. Talladega Nights became a favorite among comedy and stock car racing fans for several reasons, including the countless quotable scenes, to the point that the film is “certified fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes.
Talladega Nights also highlighted several real-world NASCAR figures to add some authenticity. Larry McReynolds, Mike Joy, Darrel Waltrip, and Jamie McMurray all appeared in the film. They joined a long list of drivers that either made cameos or showed up in race footage. For example, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Casey Mears all showed up for multiple deleted scenes, one which featured the drivers greeting Bobby as he returned to the garage. Earnhardt, in particular, told Bobby that he still owed him $30.
While some NASCAR fans believe that Talladega Nights is more of a joke compared to Days of Thunder and more serious projects, there are many that continue to embrace it. One driver, Kurt Busch, even went a step further in 2012. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver, who was with a small Phoenix team at the time, did a race at Talladega Superspeedway with Bobby’s paint scheme on his car.
Busch showcased this scheme while promoting the Armed Forces Foundation. He drove with a stuffed cougar in the car and quoted several lines from the film while talking over the radio with his crew chief. Additionally, the broadcast team referred to Busch as Bobby during several different points of the race while making jokes about the movie.
