Atlanta Motor Speedway

About 

Atlanta Motor Speedway is situated alongside U.S. Route 41, U.S. Route 19, and Georgia State Route 20. As of 2015, the track was reported to have a capacity of 71,000, although recent figures remain unknown due to the track’s parent company, SMI, withholding capacity statistics as of 2021. At its peak, the facility could accommodate up to 124,000 spectators, according to a 2010 report by Atlanta Magazine. The speedway spans approximately 850 acres and includes a nine-story condominium complex called Tara Place, completed in 1994.

 Tara Place features 46 units and a ballroom. The current layout of Atlanta Motor Speedway measures 1.54 miles (2.48 km) with 28 degrees of banking in the turns and five degrees of banking on the straightaways. The racing surface width varies, measuring 52 feet on the frontstretch, 42 feet on the backstretch, and 40 feet in the turns. From 1997 to 2021, the track had a width of 55 feet and 24 degrees of banking in the turns. When the track first opened as a true oval, it was advertised with 24-degree banking in the turns and slightly banked straightaways.

In 1992, a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) road course was added, combining the main oval with an infield section to create a “roval.” During the 1997 reconfiguration, a 1/4 mile (0.40 km) oval was also added on the frontstretch for legends car racing.

History

Opened in 1960 as Atlanta International Raceway, the track hosted its first race, the Dixie 300, on July 31, 1960, with Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts taking the win. In 1990, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bruton Smith purchased the track, renaming it Atlanta Motor Speedway. Smith’s company, Speedway Motorsports, Incorporated, invested millions in expanding and refurbishing the facility. The track now hosts a variety of events, including the Xfinity Series, Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, drag racing, Legends and Bandolero Racing, and car shows. Recently, a new drainage system was installed to prevent race postponements due to water seeping back up through the track after rainfall. A crowd of 25,000 spectators watched as Glenn “Fireball” Roberts drove to victory lane. The racetrack was constructed following the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. 

Atlanta Motor Speedway, located at coordinates 33°23′0.58″N 84°19′4.28″W, operates in the UTC−5 time zone, shifting to UTC−4 during daylight saving time. The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, which acquired it in 1990. Construction of the speedway began on September 17, 1958, with the facility opening its doors on July 25, 1960, at a cost of $1.8 million USD. Initially named Atlanta International Raceway, the track adopted its current name in 1990.

The speedway has hosted numerous major events over the years. In the NASCAR Cup Series, it currently hosts the Ambetter Health 400 and the Quaker State 400, with the latter having run from 1960 to 2010 and resumed in 2021. The track was also home to The Winston in 1986. Historically, the track has hosted events for the Indy Racing League, including the Atlanta 500 Classic, and the IMSA GT Championship’s Grand Prix of Atlanta in 1993, as well as the AMA Superbike Championship in 1993 and 1994.

The track, a quad-oval since 2022, measures 1.540 miles (2.478 km) in length with 28° banking in the turns and 5° banking on the straights. The current race lap record is held by Josh Berry, who clocked a time of 0:29.361 in a Ford Mustang GT during a 2024 NASCAR race. The previous quad-oval configuration, in place from 1997 to 2021, had the same length but featured 24° banking in the turns. During this period, Billy Boat set a race lap record of 0:24.732 (224.163 mph) in 1998 while driving a Dallara IR-7 in the Indy Racing League. The original oval, used from 1960 to 1996, was slightly shorter at 1.522 miles (2.449 km) with 24° banking in the turns. From 1992 to 1996, the track also featured a 2.522-mile (4.059 km) road course, where Juan Manuel Fangio II set a lap record of 1:13.514 in an Eagle Mk III in 1993.