Line #62 Film/TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/img_1093_7.JPG]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:''Best movie ever made.'' - Ricky Bobby [[note]] He's talking about ''Film/{{Highlander}}''[[/note]]]]
3
4	-> ''"If you ain't first, you're last."''
5
6	A 2006 comedy film parodying the world of UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}}, directed by Creator/AdamMcKay and starring Creator/WillFerrell, Creator/JohnCReilly, Creator/LeslieBibb, Creator/GaryCole, Creator/MichaelClarkeDuncan, and Creator/SachaBaronCohen, among others. It is a Creator/JuddApatow production, and considered by many to be the spiritual successor to ''Film/AnchormanTheLegendOfRonBurgundy'', which was also an Apatow production directed by [=McKay=].
7
8	Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) is a dim-witted yet charismatic NASCAR superstar who lives by the motto of his [[ParentalAbandonment missing father]] Reese Bobby (Cole): "If you're not first, you're last." Helping him always secure the number one spot on the track is friend and teammate Cal Naughton, Jr. (Reilly). A few years after his initial rise to stardom, Bobby has a wealth of endorsements, is married to a babe named Carley (Bibb), and together they raise their two boys, [[Series/WalkerTexasRanger Walker and Texas Ranger]] Bobby.
9
10	However, the good life Bobby has made for himself is put in danger when French Formula One racer Jean Girard (Cohen) makes a jump to NASCAR. After a humiliating loss puts Girard at the top of the NASCAR world, Bobby loses everything: his reputation, his endorsements, and even his wife (to Cal!). However, with the unorthodox training methods of Reese, and the support of his mother Lucy (Creator/JaneLynch) and his assistant-turned-lover Susan (Creator/AmyAdams), Ricky motivates himself to return to the NASCAR scene in order to restore his reputation.
11	----
12	!! ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' provides examples of:
13
14	* AffablyEvil: Jean Girard is one of the most likable characters in the film. In fact, he's not even evil, the story just makes him out to be that way simply because he's Ricky's rival.
15	* AffectionateParody: Of UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}} and Southern culture in general.
16	* AlwaysSecondBest: Cal feels this way towards Bobby. [[spoiler: He was finally able to beat him as well as Jean Girard in the final race due to technicality.]]
17	* AnachronismStew:
18	** At the final Talladega race, when the pace car pulls off on the last restart, Ricky Bobby's and Jean Girard's cars are side-by-side, a la a double-file restart. However, when the movie was filmed, this would not be how they would line up for a restart: while double-file restarts (or "Shootout-style restarts" as they were also called) did exist in 2005 in the Cup Series, they were only used in the exhibition races - the Clash at Daytona International Speedway, and the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In points races, the field lined up for restarts with two lines of cars - lead lap cars on the outside line, and lapped cars on the inside line; on restarts with less than ten laps remaining, all of the cars restarted single file whether or not on the lead lap. Double-file restarts were only implemented in point races starting at the 2009 Pocono 500.
19	** In a reverse case, we see Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. communicating with each other over their radios. After the Car of Tomorrow was adopted(partially in 2007, fully in 2008), it was possible to see a "two car tandem" where two cars would hook up nose-to-tail at restrictor plate tracks and be able to go much faster than the pack, which led to somewhat more competitive racing at Talladega and to a lesser extent at Daytona. In 2012, NASCAR took away the ability for drivers to directly communicate with each other in an effort to restore regular pack racing to plate tracks.
20	* AnarchyIsChaos: Ricky's children appear to have this view, despite admitting to not knowing what the term means. Or least the younger one doesn't.
21	* AntiVillain: Jean Girard, to the point where he's pretty much a DesignatedVillain. Especially since he’s more reasonable and honorable than most of the protagonists.
22	* ArtisticLicenseSports:
23	** The Texas Motor Speedway fall race is signed as the Dickies 500 (which is now the AAA Texas 500), but there are a few glaring inaccuracies to any NASCAR fan: one, the race ends in the day time, when both Texas races (spring and fall) end in the evening (the spring one is a Saturday night race), which is more true of the fall event (which was formerly called the Dickies 500) because it is in November. Also, the NASCAR on FOX crew is shown commentating for the race, when at the time of filming(and in the present day) it would have been the NASCAR on NBC team (or, from 2007 to 2014, the NASCAR on ESPN[=/=]ABC team) who would be covering the race. FOX covered the spring Texas race until 2019.
24	** NASCAR probably wouldn't allow that view-obstructing Fig Newtons sticker on Ricky's windshield.
25	--->'''Mike Joy:''' Ricky Bobby, who never met a sponsor he wouldn't push, [[RefugeInAudacity has a huge Fig Newtons sticker on his windshield!]]\
26	'''Darrell Waltrip:''' I think NASCAR'll black-flag him for that!\
27	'''Mike Joy:''' He ''sold'' the windshield!\
28	'''Ricky Bobby:''' This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
29	** In the race where Ricky tries to win while driving in reverse there should have been roof flaps deploying. Every NASCAR car has flaps that open up on the roof to prevent them from getting airborne as a result of a crash. They only open when the car is moving in reverse with sufficient wind speed.
30	** Ricky Bobby's career starts when, while just a member of the pit crew, he starts to co-drive the #26. While NASCAR does allow co-drivers to get in a car after a race has been started (which often happens with a driver who's recovering from a serious injury who needs to start for the championship but can't expect to complete the whole race[[note]]for instance, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart had substitute drivers at Talladega in 2013 and 2016 respectively while they recovered from back injuries[[/note]]), the relief driver must have practiced in a Cup car during that weekend at that track of the event. Since Ricky Bobby is on the pit crew, he would not have practiced a car and therefore would not be allowed to drive the car in the race.
31	** When Reese goes to pick up the two Talladega tickets, the sign at the vendor window says "Saturday Tickets." In reality, both of Talladega's Cup races are held on Sunday. The Saturday race would be the Xfinity Series race on the spring weekend, and the Truck Series race on the fall weekend. The only Cup races held on Saturdays are night races, of which none happen at Talladega because it does not have lights.
32	** NASCAR did not implement the double file restarts for lead lap cars in point races until midway through the 2009 season[[note]]They were done before then, but only in exhibition events[[/note]]. Since Ricky Bobby and Jean Girard were both still on the lead lap, Ricky would have had to line up behind Girard since he was in second place when the caution flag came out. At the time of filming, Ricky would have been disqualified attempting to restart that way, meaning he could not have won the race, even if he had crossed the line before Girard.
33	** When Ricky and Cal execute "Shake N' Bake", they downshift, then pull out of line. A few times this occur, they're racing at Talladega. Talladega is a plate track, meaning that with the exception of restarts, and entering and exiting pit road (which they did at full speed), no shifting is required. Also, Ricky is single-handedly passing multiple cars at Talladega. With today's aero package, overtaking even one car alone without slipstream is very rare.
34	** In the climactic race, team owner Larry Dennitt gives Cal team orders, through Cal's crew chief, to take out Ricky so as to keep Ricky from getting past Jean. When Cal refuses to comply, Dennitt orders his third car, Ricky's old #26, to crash Cal out to prevent him from helping Ricky. That would be really stupid for Dennitt to do, because NASCAR monitors radio communications, and the officials would see this as an attempt to manipulate the finish of the race, especially since the #26 shoving Cal into the wall took out most of the field. While Cal's team would probably survive unscathed[[note]]Although most likely, he'd be signed on by another race team immediately after this[[/note]], all of the other Dennitt teams would be subjected to severe monetary fines, point deductions, as well as the suspensions of several personnel, as evidenced by the penalties handed to Michael Waltrip Racing when they were caught trying to manipulate the finish of the 2013 Federated Auto Parts 400 to get Martin Truex, Jr. into the Chase.[[note]]NASCAR caught MWR engaging in "team orders", which included having Clint Bowyer intentionally spin to bring out a caution, then having Brian Vickers make an unscheduled green flag pit stop, all to ensure Truex got into the Chase instead of Jeff Gordon or Joey Logano. They issued 50 point deductions to all three Waltrip cars, the largest fine NASCAR had issued to anyone to date ($300,000), as well as probations and suspensions among many Waltrip crew members. The resulting fallout also cost Truex his ride due to NAPA withdrawing their sponsorship from Waltrip and instead partnering with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to sponsor Chase Elliott's ascent from the Nationwide to the Cup Series. This incident also indirectly led to the downfall and folding of MWR by the end of the 2015 season. Ironically, Truex would get the last laugh of everyone by going on to greater success with Furniture Row Racing, including a Cup Series championship in 2017, lasting with them until Barney Visser shut down the team at the end of 2018, at which point Truex and his entire pit crew were shifted to a new ride with Joe Gibbs Racing.[[/note]]
35	** Girard and Ricky are disqualified for getting out of their cars and racing on foot to the finish line. Their mangled, obliterated, more-metal-and-fiberglass-shavings-than-cars cars which may have been leaking fuel or coolant and possibly about to go up in flames at any given moment. This happened on the final lap. In real life, once the final lap is started the next flag will end the race, whether it's checkered or yellow. If the caution occurs before the field reaches the finish line, the field is frozen at the moment of caution and the finishing order is determined by photographic evidence and video replays.
36	** Ricky's car is shown to have a 5-speed transmission with a reverse gear. NASCAR only allowed a 4-speed transmission with a reverse gear until 2022 when the new Next-Gen car introduced a 5-speed transmission with reverse.
37	* AsHimself:
38	** Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is seen near the beginning asking Ricky for his autograph to drive home how popular Ricky is at the start of the movie.
39	** As well as fellow driver Jamie [=McMurray=], who learns the hard way what Ricky Bobby picked up on sale at Target (the bird).
40	** The teams from both FOX (Mike Joy, Larry [=McReynolds=] and Darrell Waltrip, and NBC (Bill Weber, Wally Dallenbach, and Benny Parsons) at the time of filming make appearances. The NBC team establishes that Ricky's comeback race is supposed to be the 2005 UAW-Ford 500, of which some of the racing footage was comprised from.
41	** Jean Girard introduces Ricky Bobby to Elvis Costello and Mos Def.
42	* BalladOfX: Name title
43	* BelatedChildDiscipline: Ricky's two sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, are supremely rowdy brats who spend most of their time causing a ruckus that [[ManChild Ricky]] is usually all too eager to enable. When Ricky [[RichesToRags ends up losing his career as a racer]], divorced from his GoldDigger wife, and is forced to live with his mother, Lucy, he brings his sons along with him. Alongside the main plot of Ricky [[CharacterDevelopment learning to get his groove back]] is a subplot where Lucy puts her foot down over her grandsons' behavior and introduces "Granny Law" to whip them into shape. She ends up being quite successful, and by the end of the film, Walker and TR have become significantly more well-behaved and polite kids.
44	* BerserkButton: "Don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby!"
45	* BlindDriving: Reese makes Ricky do this. [[EpicFail It doesn't go well.]]
46	* {{Bratty Half Pint}}s: Ricky's sons stop acting like "retarded gang-bangers" after Ricky's mother gets after them, though at the beginning you'll probably be surprised that their parents don't punish them for mouthing off to other family members. Especially once Cal incites them.
47	* BrickJoke:
48	** Ricky casually drives down the street ... with a cougar in the passenger seat.
49	** During his confrontation with Girard at the latter's house, Ricky quotes ''Film/{{Highlander}}''. Girard, who's never seen it, seems interested in the film after Ricky gives it glowing praise. Later during the final race, Girard informs Ricky that he did watch the film and thought it was "shit".
50	** While talking to an unconscious Ricky at the hospital, Cal reveals that he once did a spread for ''Playboy'' under the alias "Mike Honcho". When Cal comes to Ricky's aid during the final race...
51	-->'''Ricky:''' I don't believe it... if it isn't Mike Honcho himself!
52	* TheCameo: Music/ElvisCostello is a guest at Jean Girard's house.
53	* ComicallyIneptHealing: After Ricky Bobby stabs himself in the thigh to prove to Cal and Lucius that he's paralyzed after a crash, Lucius suggests they use another knife to cut the first knife out of Ricky's leg [[note]] this joke was adlibbed by Michael Clark Duncan, drawing on his time working at a gas company, where he encountered drills getting stuck while driving through concrete and the solution was to drill around the stuck drill bits to get them out [[/note]].
54	-->'''Lucius''': (driving a second knife into the wound) ''We'll use this knife to pry it out.''
55	* CoolOldLady: Though not shown, Eleanor Roosevelt is attributed a quote at the beginning of the movie
56	--> America is all about speed. Hot, nasty badass speed.
57	** Ricky's mother, Lucy, certainly counts when she whips [[SpoiledBrat Walker and Texas Ranger]] into shape.
58	* CreatorCameo: Director Creator/AdamMcKay has one scene as driver Terry Cheveaux. When Chevaux exits the #26 car mid-race to eat, Ricky Bobby takes the wheel and Chevaux is [[PutOnTheBus Wally Pipped]].
59	* CuckoolanderCommentator: NBC reporter John Hannafin continuously mistakes people in the grandstands for famous celebrities.
60	-->'''Bill Weber:''' Now let's go to John Hannafin, who's in the stands with a country music legend. \
61	''[cuts to Hannafin in the stands]''\
62	'''John Hannafin:''' Thank you, Sean. I'm here with one of the greatest country music stars of all-time, Music/KennyRogers. Kenny, what do you think of the race so far? \
63	'''"Kenny Rogers":''' ''[clearly not Kenny Rogers]'' It's great. They're going really fast.\
64	'''Bill Weber:''' John, that's ''not'' Kenny Rogers.\
65	'''John Hannafin:''' ''[not hearing Weber]'' In the song "The Gambler", you sang "You gotta know when to walk away and know when to run." Should Ricky Bobby have stayed away from racing? \
66	'''"Kenny Rogers":''' Mr. Bobby's very competitive. If he wants to race, he should race. \
67	'''John Hannafin:''' Well, this is John Hannafin with Kenny Rogers. And now back to you, Bill. \
68	'''Bill Weber:''' Well, that, of course, was ''not'' Kenny Rogers. \
69	'''Benny Parsons:''' Not even close!
70	** And later, Hannafin is shown interviewing a black man he mistakes for NBA legend Larry Bird - who was ''white'':
71	--->'''Bill Weber:''' Come on, John! Pay attention!\
72	'''Benny Parsons:''' I'm honestly concerned he might have had a stroke.
73	* CulturedBadass: Jean Girard, who drinks espresso and reads [[Creator/JeanPaulSartre Sartre]] while racing.
74	* DangerTakesABackseat: Done intentionally by Reese with the cougar in the back seat of his car.
75	* DareToBeBadass: Susan gives this kind of speech to Ricky.
76	* DarkHorseVictory: [[spoiler:Both Ricky and Girard are disqualified for having exited their cars, so the win goes to Cal, who was in third place when the big crash took out the entire grid except for Ricky and Girard.]]
77	* DefeatMeansRespect: Girard is seeking out someone good enough to defeat him. He embraces Ricky Bobby at the end.
78	* DisappearedDad: Reese Bobby.
79	* DramaticDrop: A bar patron drops his beer the second Jean Girard introduces everyone to his husband.
80	* {{Eagleland}}: The red-blooded American Ricky Bobby vs. cultured gay French Jean Girard.
81	** To further cement Ricky's {{Eagleland}} stereotype, he owns multiple [=SUVs=], eats a bountiful harvest of fast food for every meal, has a shallow, gold-digging trophy wife, and prays to "Lord Baby Jesus" - and gets paid to promote Powerade every time he says grace.
82	* EmergencyMultifaithPrayer: When he thinks he's on fire after he crashes.
83	--> “Help me Jesus! Help me Jewish God! Help me Allah! Help me Tom Cruise! Tom Cruise use your witchcraft on me to get the fire off me! Help me Oprah Winfrey!” -- Ricky Bobby
84	* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Carley Bobby.
85	* {{Expy}}: John Hannafin, the roaming NBC reporter at the last race, may be based on FOX Sports' Jeff Hammond.
86	* FairWeatherMentor: Inverted. Ricky's father refuses to stay around when things are going well, and usually ends up intentionally screwing it up.
87	-->'''Reese:''' Well, it looks like everything is just about perfect now. Making me a little...twitchy.
88	* FallenOnHardTimesJob:
89	** Ricky briefly works as a pizza delivery driver after his traumatic accident takes him out of racing. After a few accidents with his truck, he has his license revoked and has to deliver with a bike.
90	** Lucius and his pit crew work at a car wash during Ricky's time away from racing. Due to a force of habit, they accidentally start to change the tires on a customer's car.
91	* FamiliarSoundtrackForeignLyrics: Jean Girard is established as a badass driver, and a real threat to Ricky, in a scene scored with Marie Laforet's French-language cover of [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand "Paint It Black"]].
92	* {{Fanservice}}:
93	** Carley Bobby, whose first act in the movie is to take her shirt off to flash Ricky.
94	--> '''Ricky Bobby''': (at seeing Carley's chest) "Please be 18!"
95	** She does it twice at the end to Ricky, prompting two guys to faint and the rest to get out their cellphones. Miraculously, Ricky turns her down, and Susan flashes her boobs at Carley. [[WorthyOpponent Carley is impressed.]]
96	* FlexibleTourneyRules: Averted. Girard and Ricky [[spoiler:are disqualified for exiting their cars.]]
97	-->'''Bill Weber:''' That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen in all my years! Of course, [[LampshadeHanging it's completely illegal and in no way counts]], but man, what a show!
98	* GoldDigger: Ricky's wife Carley, who is only with him for his money and prowess as a racer and dumps him for Cal the moment he's no longer #1.
99	* GoldenMoment: Susan’s monologue about how Ricky is only representing himself, and is not running the race [[WellDoneSonGuy to gain anyone’s love or approval]]. This is repeated again by Ricky’s dad after the race. As is typical of these moments, it is followed up by a moment-breaking joke [[ItMakesSenseInContext about Applebee's]]
100	* GreenEyedMonster: While Larry Dennit Jr. claims that everything he does to Ricky is to help the Dennit racing team win the overall points championship, it's clear that he just wants to ruin Ricky because he resents the close relationship Ricky had with his father.
101	* HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic: A variation, Ricky and Cal wear full-face helmets with larger visors that expose their entire face. By contrast, Girard wears a regulation helmet, which only shows his eyes.
102	* HilariousOuttakes: A number of them during the credits, most of which consist of the actors going above and beyond many of the already funny scenes to purposefully [[{{Corpsing}} corpse]] their fellow actors.
103	** Several examples consist of Cal and Ricky's commercials that were ultimately cut from the film - like an advertisement for funeral homes or a public message about packs of stray dogs that are roaming through major cities.
104	* HumiliationConga: Practically the entire movie is this for Ricky. Especially his first few encounters with Girard and the TrainingFromHell his dad puts him through.
105	* ImplausibleDeniability: Ricky thinks he's unable to walk. Earlier in the movie before the knife scene he ''gets out of the wheelchair he's in to block a basketball''.
106	* IncrediblyLamePun: After Ricky flips his car trying to beat Girard, one of the announcers lets loose with a groaner of a pun as Ricky's car lays upside down in pieces.
107	-->'''Mike Joy:''' ''That Wonderbread car is '''toast'''.''
108	* InstantlyProvenWrong: After Ricky backs into a shopping cart, he tells a police officer that it won't happen again. He then looks backward to start backing up, but then goes forward and runs into the officer.
109	* InsultBackfire: Cal reminds Ricky that "these colors don't run," when Jean Girard has Ricky pinned down by the arm, threatening to break it. Both the United States and France have red, white, and blue flags.
110	* JesusWasWayCool: Ricky and Cal discuss their visions of Jesus during evening prayer, with Cal imagining Jesus wearing a tuxedo T-shirt, which shows that He’s formal but also knows how to party.
111	** Ricky insists on praying to ''baby Jesus'', which his family calls him out on when he says grace. "He was a grown man! He had a beard!"
112	* KickTheDog: Poor Chip is on the receiving end of this during the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A0-u85aAYg dinner scene]], from hearing about his war medals being thrown off the side of a bridge to his grandchildren attacking him and threatening bodily harm on him. Ricky and Cal are certainly no better by encouraging the little punks, topped off with Ricky claiming that his sons are better than Chip has ever been in his life.
113	-->'''Ricky:''' All you ever did with your life is make a hot daughter. That's it! ''That is IT!''
114	* LadyDrunk: Dennit's wife ("Mrs. Jim Beam"), played to the hilt by Creator/MollyShannon, is very much a straight version. This causes some pretty embarrassing situations for her husband when they are in their private viewing boxes at the races.
115	%%* LargeHam: Ricky.
116	* ManChild: Ricky and Cal. Exemplified by a scene where Cal tries to rekindle their friendship by inviting Ricky to come over and play with G.I. Joe figures.
117	* ManOnFire: {{Parodied}} when Ricky crashed his car. He's not actually on fire, but he runs around shouting that he is. Adding to the hilarity, Cal then runs up to save him from the non-existent fire.
118	--> '''Ricky:''' I'M ON FIRE! HELP ME, JESUS! HELP ME, ALLAH! HELP ME, JEWISH GOD!
119	* MindScrew: Ricky completely dumbfounds Cal by apologizing to him, even though ''it was Cal who stole Ricky’ wife''. Cal's crew member suggests that [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal maybe Cal subconsciously resented Ricky for never letting him win and took retribution by stealing his wife]].
120	* MoodKiller: After Susan gives a stirring speech about Ricky driving for his own sake, Glenn completely ruins the moment by making an extremely nerdy metaphor about Ricky's car being his Excalibur.
121	-->'''Ricky''': Okay, Glenn. Everything cool that Susan said, you wrecked it.
122	* MsFanservice: Carley Bobby, played by Leslie Bibb.
123	* NakedNutter: After a crash, Ricky jumps out of his car, takes off his jumpsuit, and starts running around in his underpants and helmet yelling about being on fire. This is the start of his mental breakdown.
124	* OnlySaneMan: Lucius. It's relative.
125	-->'''Lucius''': We'll use this knife to pry it out!
126	%%* OverusedRunningGag Ricky running around in just his underwear and helmet thinking that he is on fire gets old the second time.
127	* ParodyProductPlacement: Parodied, as with many other aspects of NASCAR.
128	** Taken to the extreme when the dramatic wrecking of Ricky Bobby and Jean Girard is interrupted by an Applebee's commercial. This is an in-joke reference to how many criticized the original NASCAR on NBC coverage for their excessive commercial breaks.
129	** Perhaps even more extreme when Ricky thanks baby Jesus for certain products during dinner blessing due to contractual obligations. Ricky, Cal, Walker and Texas Ranger are all wearing jackets covered with sponsor logos.
130	** Lampshaded:
131	--->'''Mike Joy:''' Ricky Bobby, who never met a sponsor he wouldn't push, [[RefugeInAudacity has a huge Fig Newtons sticker on his windshield!]]\
132	'''Darrell Waltrip:''' I think NASCAR'll black-flag him for that!\
133	'''Mike Joy:''' He ''sold'' the windshield!\
134	'''Ricky Bobby:''' This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.
135	* PrecisionFStrike: From the well-mannered Girard. "By the way, Ricky, I saw the ''Film/{{Highlander}}'' movie! It was ''shit''!" Or Girard's earlier line, "[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Hakuna Matata]], ''[[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch bitches]]''!"
136	** Lucius wins the most colorful profanity award: "We have GOT to get that car back onto the race track or our sponsors are gonna shit a chicken!"
137	* QuoteMine: Parodied; see this page's image, above. If you can't make it out, it says "Best movie ever made." --Ricky Bobby. This is a line Ricky says in the movie itself, and he's actually talking about ''Film/{{Highlander}}''.
138	* RealityIsUnrealistic:
139	** When the Big One hits during the final race, as the result of Cal's teammate hooking him into the wall for helping Ricky overtake Jean Girard, every single car in the pack piles in and only two cars (Ricky and Girard) are left running and on the lead lap. Big crashes that reduced the number of cars in contention significantly have happened in RealLife at the Cup and Xfinity races at Talladega and Daytona, although typically, with the exception of the huge crash in the 2002 Aaron's 312 Xfinity race[[note]]That crash is the largest in modern NASCAR history, with 31 cars involved in that single crash (only 12 drivers escaped the wreck undamaged; with Stacy Compton, eventual race winner Jason Keller, and Kenny Wallace being ahead of the crash; C.W. Smith, Hank Parker, Jr., Casey Mears, Tim Fedewa, Andy Kirby, Larry Gunselman, and Chad Chaffin being able to brake in time or had lost slipstream and fallen too far behind the crashed pack; and Christian Elder and Brad Teague already retired before the crash happened). Eventually, only 3 cars finished on the lead lap, with 3rd place Tim Fedewa (who was supposed to start-and-park) being half a lap down from them[[/note]], there are more than two cars still running on the lead lap.
140	** Twice during the scene in Ricky's mother's kitchen, Texas Ranger mouths Walker's words. Although this is a common actor's mistake, it makes sense in this particular context. These two are always planning and thinking together, so the idea that they can anticipate each other's every word is quite fitting.
141	* RefugeInAudacity: Somehow Ricky Bobby gets away with plastering a huge Fig Newtons sticker on his windshield.
142	* RelievedFailure: Jean Girard is happy to lose to Ricky Bobby (though technically, they both lost to Cal Naughton) as he can leave racing behind after losing to a Worthy Opponent.
143	* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: "If you ain't first, you're last." Ricky Bobby bases his entire life on this one phrase his father told him, and earnestly believes it to the point that he can't deal with the idea of someone being better than him. He has a nervous breakdown when he crashed in his first race against Jean Girard and needs training just to know how to drive properly again.
144	** [[spoiler: Subverted later on in the movie when Ricky's Dad says "I was HIGH when I said that! That doesn't make any sense at all. You can be second, third, fourth... hell, you can even be fifth."]]
145	* SeinfeldianConversation: One breaks out every single time someone tries to say grace. "I like to think of Jesus as a mischievous badger."
146	* ShoutOut: Ricky compares his making out with Susan to the Music/{{Whitesnake}} videos with [[MsFanservice Tawny Kitaen]].
147	* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: Creator/AmyAdams was left out of all advertising in favor of Leslie Bibb.
148	** Although she had some acclaim for Junebug (also filmed in North Carolina the year prior the StarMakingRole for Adams in ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' was still a year away when Talladega Nights was released. Her role in this film is more a case of RetroactiveRecognition.
149	** Adams did have a memorable line in the commercials and in the movie: "Ricky Bobby is not a thinker! Ricky Bobby is a driver!"
150	* SpiritedCompetitor: Jean Girard, looking for a WorthyOpponent.
151	* SpoiledBrat: Walker and Texas Ranger, until Granny whips them into shape.
152	-->"I am gonna paint your back porch red."
153	* StealthPun: Ricky brags that he's superior to his [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys French]] opponent because "these colors don't run." The French and American flags both use the same colors.
154	* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Ricky’s on-foot victory is disqualified, despite being [[RuleOfDrama an exciting and dramatic finish]].
155	-->'''Bill Weber''': “Ricky Bobby wins! You’ll never see anything like that in a hundred lifetimes! It was completely illegal and in no way will count, but man that was something!”
156	* ThisIsGonnaSuck: "I'm flying through the air now. This isn't good."
157	* ThrowingOffTheDisability: Ricky Bobby thought that he had become paralyzed despite the doctors telling him that he's fine and that his mind is making him think he's paralyzed. It took a knife to the leg to make him realize he's okay. The broken arm is another example of this. For the record, after Girard breaks his arm, Ricky would not in real life be able to start driving again so quickly - he'd have to be medically cleared to race by NASCAR.
158	* TookALevelInJerkass: Fame got into Ricky Bobby's head. He disrespects his father-in-law, treats Cal as a subordinate and believes he is the best driver on the grid, bar none. He mellows out after he reconnects with his parents.
159	* TookALevelInKindness: Both Walker and Texas Ranger after Granny whips them into shape with some much-needed discipline and turns them into decent kids.
160	* TrainingFromHell: Ricky's dad, Reese, helped Ricky Bobby regain his confidence by making him drive with a full grown cougar in the back of the car. And making him drive while ''blindfolded''. And making him run from the cops with a kilo of cocaine taped underneath his car [[spoiler:"Colombian bam-bam", later revealed to be a bag of Lucky Charms]].
161	-->'''Reese:''' You've got to drive ''with'' the fear.\
162	'''Ricky:''' THERE'S A COUGAR IN THE CAR!\
163	'''Reese:''' Yeah. That's the fear.
164	* TwoFirstNames: Any member of the Bobby family by default. Lampshaded at the beginning of the film.
165	* TwoTimingWithTheBestie: After Ricky is fired, Carly leaves him for Cal, because Cal [[GoldDigger will now be the top racer for Dentin]].
166	* UnusualPopCultureName: Ricky and Carly name their sons "[[Series/WalkerTexasRanger Walker and Texas Ranger]]". Carly later tells her father that if they wanted their sons to be wimps, they would've named them "[[Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman Doctor Quinn and Medicine Woman]]".
167	* WellDoneSonGuy: Ricky admits that his main motivation for racing and winning is to gain his father’s love and attention. [[AnAesop His dad tells him, though, that he shouldn’t race for anyone but himself]].
168	* WinWinEnding: [[spoiler:Literally every plot thread in the movie ends positively for all parties involved. For the main ones: Ricky finds the will to race again, beats Girard at Talladega, and rekindles his relationship with his long-lost father, as well as ''growing up'' a little from the expirence. Girard loses to Ricky (which means he's finally found a WorthyOpponent), earns enough of his respect to receive a kiss, and the two of them seem to be building a friendly rivalry. Cal realizes what a jerk he's been and helps Ricky beat Girard, but the manner of their finish gets them disqualified, so Cal wins Talladega instead ''(finally getting the gold medal he always wanted)''; after the race, he apologizes to Ricky, who accepts, but also lets Cal keep racing on his own team and earn his own fame. Ricky's mother turned his children into better people.]]
169	* WholePlotReference: The plot ''very'' loosely imitates ''Film/DaysOfThunder''. Ricky Bobby is similar to Cole Trickle; Jean Girard is a combination of Rowdy Burns and Russ Wheeler, etc. By coincidence, Creator/JohnCReilly appears in both movies (as Cole's head engineer in ''Days of Thunder'', here as Cal Naughton, Jr.).
170	* WithDueRespect: Ricky believes that using this phrase makes it ok for him to insult his employer to his face. His boss doesn't agree.
171	-->'''Ricky''': With all due respect, I didn't know you underwent an experimental procedure to have your balls removed.
172	-->'''Dennit''': ...''excuse'' me?!
173	-->'''Ricky''': [[InvokedTrope I said "with all due respect".]]
174	-->'''Dennit''': [[LampshadeHanging That doesn't mean you get to say whatever you want to me.]]
175	-->'''Ricky''': Yes it does! It's in the Geneva Convention! Look it up!
176	* WorstAid: Ricky stabs himself in the leg with a knife, and what do his buddies do? They try to dig it out...with ''another'' knife!
177	* WorthyOpponent: Jean Girard is looking for one, and after the final race believes he’s found it in Ricky Bobby.
178	** Carley seems to actually have some respect for Susan at the end when Susan flashes her boobs, proving that Carley's not the only one who can use {{Fanservice}} to her advantage.
179	* YourTelevisionHatesYou: Not a TV, but an arcade machine. When Ricky is at his lowest, he plays a NASCAR arcade game in a bar and when he wrecks out, a clip of Jean Girard plays to mock his driving.
180	--> '''Ricky:''' "How'd you get on a video game so fast?"

Context Film / TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby