More Atlanta Motor Speedway News

Denny Hamlin & Martin Truex Jr Receive Massive Boost After Joe Gibbs Racing’s Qualifying Redemption at Atlanta

Discover Joe Gibbs Racing's impressive turnaround in Ambetter Health 400 qualifying, igniting anticipation for the Atlanta Race!
Martin Truex Jr, Joe Gibbs, and Denny Hamlin

Atlanta Pit Road Drama: William Byron & Michael McDowell Wreck Amid Brutal Speeding Penalty Barrage

Daytona 500 winner, William Byron falls victim to bad luck along with Michael McDowell who was involved in the pit-lane disaster
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice & Qualifying Jul 22, 2023; Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver W

Is Eliminating Practice at Superspeedways a Terrible Idea for NASCAR?

For the 2024 NASCAR Cup season, none of the cars will get any time to run in practice sessions at superspeedways, but is that a good thing?
NASCAR

26-Year-Old Xfinity Driver Gets Attacked by J. J. Yeley’s Crew Chief After Massive On-Track Incident

Rev up for intense NASCAR action as Xfinity driver and J. J. Yeley’s Crew Chief clash at Atlanta Motor Speedway, sparking drama on and off the track!
NASCAR Xfinity Series ALSCO 300 – Practice

Massive Lap 2 Wreck Fest Headlines Cup Series’ Atlanta Quest as FRM Star Jeopardizes Entire NASCAR Grid

Trouble comes early in the Atlanta Cup Series race as FRM driver triggers the biggest pile-up in the history of the race track.
HAMPTON, GA – MARCH 19: Aric Almirola of the Smithfield Ford leads a pack of cars into turn three during the Ambetter He

Huge Blow to Chase Eliott’s Atlanta Hopes, Meets Similar Bitter Fate as Joey Logano

Chase Elliott suffered a big blow ahead of the 2024 Ambetter Health 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, owing to a technical infringement.
NASCAR: Cup Practice

HMS Legend Refuses to Throw “Rusty” Chase Elliott “Under the Bus” & Makes Huge Turnaround Prediction on Home Turf

Ahead of Atlanta, legendary HMS crew chief credits Chase Elliott, picking him in his tier 1 prediction despite the Daytona disappointment.
NASCAR: Cup Qualifying

Kyle Busch Warns Entire Grid of Detrimental Consequences of NASCAR’s Atlanta Revamp

RCR's lead driver, Kyle Busch speaking in an interview ahead of the Atlanta race expressed his discontent with the revamp of the track.
NASCAR: Cup Series Playoff Media Day

Corey LaJoie Hunting for Atlanta Redemption After “Inexperienced” Fumble Benefited Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott is the major hurdle in Corey Lajoie's path to a maiden win at the Atlanta Motor Speedway this year, after 2022's debacle.
Untitled design – 2023-03-08T162810.535

“Don’t Know How to Get Any Hungrier”- Brad Keselowski Shuts Down Negative Hype Around Painful Winless Streak

Following the Daytona disappointment, Brad Keselowski snubs the 100-winless race streak narrative, revealing his mindset for Atlanta.
NASCAR: Cup Practice & Qualifying

Elated SVG Dissects the First-Ever NASCAR Podium Finish Amidst Ford’s Atlanta Muck-Up

After starting off his Xfinity Series debut strongly at Daytona, Shane van Gisbergen surpasses all odds to bring home a podium in Atlanta.
NASCAR: Grant Park 220

“Selfish” Ross Chastain Publicly Bashes NASCAR’s Controversial Atlanta Ruling: “Haven’t Heard a Legitimate Answer”

Trackhouse Racing star Ross Chastain takes a dig at NASCAR for not allowing the teams to practice before the Atlanta clash.
NASCAR: Cup Qualifying

About Atlanta Motor Speedway

USA Today via Reuters

Atlanta Motor Speedway- 2021 Latest News, Winners, Qualifying, Track

Atlanta Motor Speedway (in the past Atlanta International Raceway) is a 1.5-mile race track in Hampton, Georgia, United States, 20 miles (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has hosted NASCAR Cup Series stock vehicle races since its initiation in 1960.

The initial scenes of the 1980 film Smokey and the Bandit II were shot at the track, as were scenes of the 1983 film Stroker Ace; a 40th commemoration stunt show to recognize the 1977 shooting of the first Smokey and the Bandit in close by Jonesboro, Georgia, was held at AMS in 2017 and went to by Burt Reynolds.

The track was highlighted in the 1982 Kenny Rogers film Six Pack. Previous U.S. President Jimmy Carter once filled in as a ticket taker at the track and went to a few races there as Georgia's lead representative and as U.S. president.

History

The setting was purchased by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 townhouses were worked over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to normalize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two middle ovals, the whole track was totally remade.

The frontstretch and backstretch were traded, and the design of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with another authority length of 1.54-mile (2.48 km) where before it was 1.522-mile (2.449 km). The project made the track one of the quickest on the NASCAR circuit. It has a seating limit of 71,000 - 125.000 relying upon design.

The track facilitated a NASCAR Cup Series race end of the week yearly on Labor Day weekend from 2009 to 2014. The 2009 move from an October race date to Labor Day weekend was likewise joined by an adjustment in start time, denoting the main NASCAR Cup Series under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the arrival of Labor Day weekend NASCAR dashing toward the Southern United States.

Different features of the facility are a quarter-mile track between the pit street and the fundamental track for Legends racing and a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) FIA-endorsed street course. In 1996, the speedway facilitated the Countryfest show, pulling in more than 200,000 fans.

For the vast majority of the 1990s and 2000s, the track flaunted the most elevated velocities on the NASCAR circuit, with a common passing lap speed of around 193 mph (311 km/h), first posted by driver Breton Roussel on June 22, 1990, and a record lap speed of more than 197 mph (317 km/h).

In 2004 and 2005, the likewise planned Texas Motor Speedway saw marginally quicker qualifying times, and as the tracks' individual racing surfaces have worn, qualifying speeds at Texas have gotten reliably quicker than at Atlanta.

2021 Race

Ryan Blaney won the race, driving a Ford. Kyle Larson led for 269 laps, but Blaney overtook him eight laps from the end because Larson's tires were wearing out.

With Blaney’s win, NASCAR had its sixth different champion in its first six races of 2021.

Quick Facts

LocationHenry County, Georgia, at 1500 Tara Place Hampton, GA, 30228
OperatorSpeedway Motorsports, Inc.
Major EventsNASCAR Cup Series

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

Quaker State 400

NASCAR Xfinity Series

EchoPark 250

TBA

NASCAR Camping World Truck

Series Fr8Auctions 200

Atlanta Track Club

Atlanta Marathon

Length1.54 mi (2.48 km)
Most WinsDale Earnhardt (9)
Most StartsRichard Petty (65)
PolesBuddy Baker, Ryan Newman (7)