More Atlanta Motor Speedway News

Denny Hamlin Shrugs Off Ty Dillon’s Post-Race Jab, Reminds Fans of His One-Sided Atlanta Records

Denny Hamlin enjoyed the banter with Ty Dillon after being knocked out by the Kaulig Racing driver at EchoPark Speedway.
CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 12: Denny Hamlin ( 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Clips Haircuts Toyota) talks with members of his crew dur

Ryan Blaney Drops 5-Word Honest Verdict on Racing in Atlanta After Saturday Night Wreckfest

Ryan Blaney shares his take on Atlanta's chaos-filled racing after a wild Quaker State 400 weekend as the Big One takes out half of the field.
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice Nov 8, 2024; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) duri

How Chase Elliott’s Wreck-Fest Triumph Shook Up Rick Hendrick’s Driver Hierarchy at HMS

Chase Elliott’s Atlanta win proves he’s no longer HMS’s “third guy,” reshuffling Rick Hendrick’s Cup Series driver hierarchy in 2025.
Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Kyle Larson

Fans Erupt As NASCAR’s $1,000,000 Tournament Kicks Off Under Heavy Controversy

After a failed opportunity to grab a hefty prize, fans bash NASCAR while suspecting foul play in the in-season tournament.
NASCAR Atlanta

Chase Elliott Ends HMS’s 9-Year-Long “Running Joke” With Once-in-a-Lifetime Offer for Fans

After faltering for a long time, Chase Elliott broke through multiple winless skids, with one bringing smiles to a cancer kid.
Chase Elliott, Atlanta

Carson Hocevar Warned by NASCAR Champion After Spire Motorsports Reignite Old Beef

After Carson Hocevar's fresh round of controversy on social media, Ryan Blaney takes it to be the last straw and sends out a warning.
Carson Hocevar

Racing Community Reacts as HMS Star’s Atlanta Statement Rubs Fans the Wrong Way

Hendrick Motorsports star driver's comments after crashing out of the Quaker State 400 weren't appreciated by the race fans.
Rick Hendrick

Rick Hendrick’s HMS Issues Strong Promise to Fans, Vowing to Resurrect Struggling Star

Hendrick Motorsports eyes full playoff representation in 2025, rallying behind Alex Bowman to complete their four-car championship push.
Rick Hendrick

Dale Jr.’s 18-YO Driver Shares 4-Word Verdict on Wild Atlanta Race After Career-Best Finish

Young Trackhouse Racing phenom bags his best NASCAR Cup Series finish during the wild race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr

Chase Elliott Admits Teammate’s Sacrifice That Denied Brad Keselowski the Atlanta Win

In a recent interview, Chase Elliot admitted teammates' sacrifice that prevented Brad Keselowski from winning the race in Atlanta.
Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski

Chase Elliott’s Crew Chief Heaps Praise on His Philanthropic Efforts After His Special Win in Atlanta

Chase Elliott’s Atlanta win was more than just a victory lap—it honored a young designer, a proud crew chief, and teammate support.
CHARLOTTE, NC – MAY 25: Chase Elliott ( 17 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) talks with members of his cr

Veteran NASCAR Broadcaster Drops 7-Word Cheeky Remark on Chase Elliott Win at Wreckfest in Atlanta

NASCAR royalty trolls Chase Elliott’s EchoPark win but still calls Atlanta NASCAR’s best track in a bold twist fans didn’t see coming.
Untitled design – 2025-06-30T205800.774

About Atlanta Motor Speedway

article-image

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)