Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway (formerly known Atlanta International Raceway from 1960 to 1990) is a 1.540 mi (2.478 km) race track and entertainment facility in Hampton, Georgia, 20 mi (32 km) south of Atlanta. It has annually hosted NASCAR Cup Series stock car races since its inauguration in 1960.
Quad-Oval (1997–present) | |
| Location | Henry County, Georgia, at 1500 Tara Place Hampton, GA, 30228 |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST) |
| Coordinates | 33°23′0.58″N 84°19′4.28″W |
| Capacity | 71,000-125,000 (depending on configuration) |
| Owner | Speedway Motorsports (1990–present) |
| Operator | Speedway Motorsports (1990–present) |
| Broke ground | 1958 |
| Opened | 31 July 1960 |
| Construction cost | $1.8 million |
| Architect | Dr. Warren Gremmel, Bill Boyd, Jack Black, Garland Bagley |
| Former names | Atlanta International Raceway (July 1960–October 1990) |
| Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 (1960–present) Quaker State 400 (1960–2010, 2021–present) NASCAR All-Star Race (1986) NASCAR Xfinity Series RAPTOR King of Tough 250 (1992–present) Focused Health 250 (2021–present) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fr8Auctions 208 (2004–2012, 2015–present) E-Z-GO 200 (2005–2008) Former: IndyCar Series Atlanta 500 Classic (1965–1966, 1978–1979, 1981–1983, 1998–2001) Atlanta Marathon (2021) AMA Superbike Championship (1993–1994) IMSA GT Championship (1993) |
| Website | https://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/ |
| Quad-Oval (1997–present) | |
| Length | 1.540 miles (2.478 km) |
| Banking | Turns: 28° Straights: 5° |
| Race lap record | 0:24.732 (224.163 mph) ( Billy Boat, Dallara IR-8, 1998, IndyCar) |
| Original Oval Circuit (1960–1996) | |
| Length | 1.522 miles (2.449 km) |
| Banking | Turns: 24° Straights: 5° |
| Road Course (1992–1996) | |
| Length | 2.522 miles (4.059 km) |
| Race lap record | 1:13.514 ( Juan Manuel Fangio II, Eagle Mk III, 1993, IMSA GTP) |
The venue was bought by Speedway Motorsports in 1990. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track. In 1997, to standardize the track with Speedway Motorsports' other two intermediate ovals, the entire track was almost completely rebuilt. The frontstretch and backstretch were swapped, and the configuration of the track was changed from oval to quad-oval, with a new official length of 1.540 mi (2.478 km) where before it was 1.522 mi (2.449 km). The project made the track one of the fastest on the NASCAR circuit. In July 2021 NASCAR announced that the track would be reprofiled for the 2022 season to have 28 degrees (previously 24 degrees) of banking and would be narrowed from 55 to 40 ft (17 to 12 m), making the track one of NASCAR's three drafting tracks alongside Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway (hence using superspeedway rules), despite being significantly shorter than Daytona or Talladega. It is now the most steeply banked mile and a half track in America. Despite the reprofiling being criticized by drivers, construction began in August 2021 and wrapped up in December 2021. The track has seating capacity of 71,000 to 125,000 people depending on the track's configuration.