Fantasy Racing Tip:
When looking at how well a driver does at Atlanta Motor Speedway, also consider their performance at Lowes & Texas because of their similar length & banking.
Atlanta Motor Speedway History
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a speedway in Hampton, Georgia, USA, 20 miles south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960, and added 46 condominiums over the northeastern side of the track in 1994. The track was almost completely rebuilt in a project that was completed in 1997, becoming one of NASCAR's fastest tracks in the process.
Other highlights of the facility are a quarter-mile track between the pit road and the main track for Legends racing and a 2.5-mile (4 km) FIA-approved road course. In 1994, the speedway hosted the Countryfest concert, attracting over 200,000 fans.
NASCAR's Fastest Track
For most of the 1990s and 2000s, the track has boasted the highest speeds on the NASCAR circuit, with a typical qualifying lap speed of about 193 mph and a record lap speed of over 197 mph.
In 2004 and 2005, the similarly designed Texas Motor Speedway saw slightly faster qualifying times, but as the tracks' respective racing surfaces have worn, qualifying speeds at Atlanta have again become consistently faster than at Texas (2005 and 2006).
The NASCAR circuit has two tracks, the longer Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway, that were once much faster than Atlanta, with lap speeds usually exceeding 200 mph, but restrictor plates were mandated for use on those tracks in 1988 after Bobby Allison's violent crash at Talladega the year before, reducing average lap speeds to about 190 mph. NASCAR does not currently require restrictor plates at Atlanta.
AMS A Hurricane Shelter?
In early September 2004, AMS found an unexpected use: as a shelter for evacuees from Florida fleeing Hurricane Frances. While there were no indoor facilities available, visitors waited out the extremely slow-moving storm parked in their recreational vehicles, after creeping along for hours in traffic on nearby Interstate 75.
Hit By Tornado
In 2005, the speedway received heavy damage on the evening of July 6, caused by an F2 tornado spawned from the remains of Hurricane Cindy. Roofs and facades were torn off buildings and the track was covered in debris from the tornado, which the National Weather Service confirmed the next day to have had winds of 120 to 150 MPH.
A 50-foot scoreboard tower was knocked down, and others were leaning over, as were many tall lamp posts. Several units at the speedway condominiums were damaged. (Five of the 48 units are regularly occupied.) Everyone managed to get out safely, and there were no injuries reported, in large part because it struck late (9:30PM) on a non-race night.
Officials estimate the complex suffered 40 to 50 million U.S. dollars in damage, which may or may not include the Tara Field airport next to it. Despite this, it opened in time for the next major race.
The damage was severe enough for the track, however, to demolish the main Weaver and Ford Grandstand which had stood in place from its 1960 construction; a smaller (13,000 seat) grandstand on the frontstretch will been added, but the track is removing seats, as sellouts have been rarer since the track lost its prestigious championship decider.
(Cite: Wikipedia.org)
Top 10 Drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway
| Top Active Drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway (View More) | |||
| Name | Race Starts | Average Start | Average Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Johnson | 18 | 7.6 | 10.2 |
| Tony Stewart | 23 | 16.0 | 11.6 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr | 22 | 15.1 | 11.7 |
| Jeff Gordon | 27 | 13.1 | 11.7 |
| Carl Edwards | 12 | 10.8 | 12.5 |
| Ward Burton | 16 | 17.6 | 12.6 |
| Brad Keselowski | 1 | 36.0 | 13.0 |
| Matt Kenseth | 21 | 22.4 | 13.3 |
| Greg Biffle | 15 | 13.7 | 14.7 |
| Denny Hamlin | 10 | 14.8 | 15.7 |
Last 10 Race Winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway
| Previous Races Winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway (View More) | |||||
| Date | Race | Pole Winner | Race Winner | Laps Led | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/07/2010 | Kobalt Tools 500 | Joey Logano | Jimmie Johnson | 84 | 4th |
| 09/06/2009 | Pep Boys Auto 500 | Martin Truex Jr | Kasey Kahne | 60 | 2nd |
| 03/08/2009 | Kobalt Tools 500 | Mark Martin | Kurt Busch | 235 | 2nd |
| 10/26/2008 | Pep Boys Auto 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Carl Edwards | 98 | 4th |
| 03/09/2008 | Kobalt Tools 500 | Jeff Gordon | Kyle Busch | 173 | 6th |
| 10/28/2007 | Pep Boys Auto 500 | Greg Biffle | Jimmie Johnson | 8 | 6th |
| 03/18/2007 | Kobalt Tools 500 | Ryan Newman | Jimmie Johnson | 135 | 3rd |
| 10/29/2006 | Bass Pro Shops / MBNA 500 | Matt Kenseth | Tony Stewart | 146 | 11th |
| 03/19/2006 | Golden Corral 500 | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | 85 | 1st |