Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta International Raceway opened its gates in July 1960 for the Dixie 300. The original 1.522-mile 'true' oval configuration was basically two quarter-mile dragstrips connected at each end with equally built 24-degree banked sweeping turns.
Glenn "Fireball" Roberts set the mark to beat with a qualifying speed of 133.129 mph. Roberts went on to win the inaugural event in a field of 45 cars.
In 1990, Bruton Smith purchased the speedway after many years of financial problems including Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Smith changed the name to Atlanta Motor Speedway and in 1997, the track was reconfigured to match its sister tracks, Charlotte Motor Speedway and the new Texas Motor Speedway. The start/finish line was moved to the former backstretch, a 'dogleg' was added which increased the distance to 1.54 miles, and the asphalt was replaced.
In November 1997, Geoffrey Bodine captured the first Bud Pole Award on the reconfirgured track with a speed of 197.478 mph.
Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts three events each year: the ZMAX 500 in April-IRL, the Cracker Barrel 500 in March, and the season-ending NAPA 500 in November. The tri-oval speedway is surrounded by Musco lighting for night racing and sits on 870 acres just outside the small town of Hampton. The facility also includes a 2.5-mile road course, and a quarter-mile Legends track.
Atlanta Motor Speedway is the largest sports facility in Georgia, with 125,000 permanent grandstand seats. There is infield reserved and unreserved camping RV and tent camping, with new bathhouses that are kept nearly sparkling clean throughout a race weekend, along with plenty of spaces around the outside perimeter of the track.
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