Road Atlanta facts for kids
Circuit Logo (2018–present)
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Grand Prix Circuit (1998–present)
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| Location | Hall County, Georgia |
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| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (UTC−04:00 DST) |
| Coordinates | 34°8′48″N 83°49′4″W / 34.14667°N 83.81778°W |
| FIA Grade | 2 |
| Owner | NASCAR via IMSA Holdings, LLC (September 2012–present) Don Panoz (November 1996–August 2012) Frank Drendel, Jim Kanely, Eddie Edwards, George Nuse, and Bill Waddell (1993–October 1996) Whittington Brothers (1978–1992) David Sloyer, Earl Walker, and Arthur Montgomery (1969–1977) |
| Broke ground | 1969 |
| Opened | September 13, 1970 |
| Former names | Road Atlanta (1970–2018) |
| Major events | Current: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Petit Le Mans (1998–present) Grand Prix of Atlanta (1973–1992, 1994–1999, 2003, 2005, 2013, 2020) MotoAmerica (1980, 1987, 1989–1990, 1998–2010, 2012, 2015–present) Trans-Am Series (1972–1973, 1982, 1984, 1986–1987, 1989–1990, 1993–1995, 1999, 2002, 2009–present) Future: GT World Challenge America (1990, 1993–1995, 1999–2009, 2011, 2026) Former: SCCA Runoffs (1970–1993) NASCAR Busch Series (1986–1987) Can-Am Road Atlanta Can-Am (1970–1974, 1978–1980, 1982, 1984) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1998–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.540 mi (4.088 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:07.056 ( Christian Klien, Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, 2008, LMP1) |
| Motorcycle Circuit (2008–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.550 mi (4.104 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:23.828 ( Jake Gagne, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2023, SBK) |
| Motorcycle Circuit (2003–2007) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.548 mi (4.100 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:20.731 ( Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2007, SBK) |
| Original Circuit (1970–1997) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.520 mi (4.055 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:08.639 ( Davy Jones, Jaguar XJR-14, 1992, IMSA GTP) |
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a famous race track in Braselton, Georgia, USA. It's about 4 kilometers (2.54 miles) long. This track hosts many exciting events, from professional car and motorcycle races to special driving schools.
The circuit has 12 turns, including a super-fast section called the "esses" between turns three and five. Turn 12 is also famous for being a steep downhill turn. NASCAR owns the track through its company, IMSA Holdings, LLC. Road Atlanta is home to the big Petit Le Mans race and AMA motorcycle races. In 2018, Michelin became the main sponsor, giving the track its current name.
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History of Road Atlanta
The idea for Road Atlanta started in 1969. Three people, David Sloyer, Earl Walker, and Arthur Montgomery, bought a large piece of land in Georgia. They wanted to build a top-notch race track. When another race was canceled, Road Atlanta quickly stepped in to host a major event called Can-Am. The track was built very fast, taking only six months to get ready!
The very first race happened on September 13, 1970. Many important racing series came to Road Atlanta in the 1970s. These included Can-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA Camel GT, and Trans-Am. The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) also held its national championships there for over 20 years. In 1986, Road Atlanta even hosted the first-ever road race for the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series.
Changes and New Owners
The track changed owners several times. In 1993, a group of business people bought it and started making improvements. They built new buildings, fixed up old ones, and made the track wider and smoother.
In 1996, Don Panoz bought Road Atlanta. He made big changes to the track layout. He removed a section called "the Dip" and added a chicane (a tricky set of turns) at the end of the long back straight. These changes helped the track meet international racing standards, allowing it to host bigger global events. A new pit area and spectator seating for 10,000 people were also added.
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Famous Races and Moments
Major racing returned in 1998 with the first Petit Le Mans endurance race. This race became very popular worldwide. During one early Petit Le Mans race, a Porsche 911 GT1 car lifted off the ground and flipped into the barriers. Similar incidents happened with other cars in later races, showing how challenging the track can be!
Petit Le Mans is still a yearly event at Road Atlanta. Before the 2007 race, the entire track surface was repaved. Walls in the "esses" were also moved back to make it safer for drivers and give fans a better view. In 2008, turns 4 and 12 were changed slightly to improve safety for motorcycle racers.
In 2008, Road Atlanta also hosted a stage of the Tour de Georgia, a big bicycle race. Cyclists rode the track in reverse for safety reasons. In 2012, IMSA Holdings bought the track. This led to the joining of two major racing series, Grand-Am and American Le Mans.
In 2019, the track officially became Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta because of a new agreement with Michelin. In 2020, the track even hosted the PNC Atlanta 10 Miler and 4k Races due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Road Atlanta in Video Games
Many video games feature Road Atlanta! It first appeared in the 1985 Commodore 64 game Racing Destruction Set.
Later, it was included in the 1999 PC game Sports Car GT. You can also race on Road Atlanta in the Xbox game Forza Motorsport and all its newer versions.
The track was also made for Electronic Arts' F1 series games from 2001 to 2002. Fans have even created versions of the track for other PC games like rFactor and NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. You can find it in the PlayStation 2 game Le Mans 24 Hours and on iRacing.com.
Most recently, in November 2022, Road Atlanta was added to the PlayStation game Gran Turismo 7. This was part of a special update to celebrate the game series' 25th anniversary.
Events at the Raceway
Current Events
- February: ChampCar Endurance Series
- March: Trans-Am Series Mission Foods Road Atlanta SpeedTour, SCCA Super Tour
- April: Historic Sportscar Racing Classic Motorsports Mitty
- May: MotoAmerica MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road Atlanta, Formula D Drift Atlanta
- July: Sports Car Club of America Summer Sizzle
- September: Historic Sportscar Racing Classic 10 Hour at Road Atlanta, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America
- October: IMSA SportsCar Championship Petit Le Mans, Michelin Pilot Challenge Fox Factory 120, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Global MX-5 Cup
- December: 24 Hours of LeMons, National Auto Sport Association
Future Events
- GT America Series (2026)
- GT World Challenge America (2026)
- GT4 America Series (2026)
- TC America Series (2026)
Past Events
- AMA National Championship (1971–1974, 1980, 1986–1988)
- AMA Superbike Championship (many years between 1980 and 2012)
- American Le Mans Series (including Grand Prix of Atlanta and Petit Le Mans)
- Can-Am Road Atlanta Can-Am (many years between 1970 and 1984)
- Ferrari Challenge North America (many years between 1995 and 2023)
- IMSA GT Championship (including Grand Prix of Atlanta and Petit Le Mans)
- NASCAR Busch Series (1986–1987)
- SCCA National Championship Runoffs (1970–1993)
Track Configurations
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Grand Prix Circuit (1970–1997)
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Short Circuit (1998–present)
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Grand Prix Circuit (1998–present)
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Motorcycle Circuit (2003–2007)
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Motorcycle Circuit + Turn 4 Chicane (2008–present)
See also
In Spanish: Road Atlanta para niños
