...Nascar Sprint Cup Series Night Race to come to Atlanta Motor Speedway!
By Michelle Kish
Atlanta, GA -Steeped in nearly 50 years of history, Atlanta Motor Speedway's most recent announcement is among its most historic changes.
Beginning in the fall of 2009, Atlanta Motor Speedway will host its first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup series night race and do so on Labor Day weekend. For a track that boasts the fastest speeds in NASCAR, survived two tornados and played host to Richard Petty's last race, this news might trump it all.
For NASCAR drivers, of whom many often cite Atlanta Motor Speedway as their favorite track, the announcement is equally exciting.
"Fans have been clamoring for a Sprint Cup Series race under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway," said AMS president and general manager Ed Clark. "It's thrilling to bring Labor Day racing back to the south on NASCAR's fastest track. This will be a great opportunity for Atlanta Motor Speedway to celebrate our 50th year of racing."
First proposed by Bruton Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., Atlanta Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in California had discussed exchanging dates before Talladega Superspeedway emerged as a partner in the schedule swap. With Atlanta gaining the Labor Day date, Auto Club Speedway will acquire Talladega Superspeedway's early October date and Talladega moves back three weekends into Atlanta's previous date at the end of October.
"It was a strategic move for each track," said Clark. "For us in Atlanta, we gain the excitement of a night race on Labor Day weekend, which should be thrilling for our fans. Meanwhile, Auto Club Speedway gets relief from summer heat in California, while Talladega postures themselves closer to the end of the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup."
For race fans, Atlanta's new Labor Day date has added significance. In racing, there is something special about a night race. Whether it's the moonlit asphalt, the unique atmosphere or the added pre-race tailgate time, a NASCAR Sprint Cup night race has a certain mystique reserved for the most remarkable of races.
And in NASCAR and the south, Labor Day is a heralded race date. Long the date of the Southern 500 at Darlington, NASCAR's first 500-mile race, the Labor Day race weekend has seen Bill Elliott and Jeff Gordon clinch a million-dollar paycheck in the Winston Million and served as Terry Labonte's first and last win.
Until the Labor Day race date moved to Auto Club Speedway in 2004, the Labor Day race had been a southern staple since 1959. Now, with Atlanta Motor Speedway acquiring the date, Labor Day racing's anticipated return to the south comes in 2009.
"Mark this day down as a great day in NASCAR history when traditional Labor Day weekend racing returns to the south," said Patrick Brigmond, an AMS fan and Bethlehem, Ga. native. "In my opinion, there is nothing more exciting than racing under the lights. Add to that Atlanta Motor Speedway's fast, three and four-wide racing, and this will be one of the most exciting, marquis events on the NASCAR schedule."
For NASCAR drivers, of whom many often cite Atlanta Motor Speedway as their favorite track, the announcement is equally exciting.
"Labor Day Weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway at night -- I can't think of anything better than that," said Jeff Gordon, a four-time winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "One of my favorite race tracks is Atlanta Motor Speedway. The place is fast, sparks are flying and I can't wait for it to happen."
For NASCAR upstart David Ragan, a Georgia native, the Labor Day date at Atlanta Motor Speedway holds a special significance.
"Racing under the lights on Labor Day weekend would be awesome," said Ragan, who was born in Unadilla, Ga. and raced Bandoleros at Atlanta Motor Speedway as a youth. "It's a good weekend just to come out, have a barbeque and watch a good race and it'd be fun for me because all my family will be around."
But before the first night race in Atlanta Motor Speedway occurs, the track is looking forward to its final October race date, the Pep Boys Auto 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Sunday, October 26.
"We're eager for our first night race, but we're still prepping for two great NASCAR races this October and next March," said Clark, referencing the Pep Boys Auto 500 and next year's Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday, March 8. "We've had a race in October or November since 1975, so this represents a big change for us. We want to have our best October race ever before we move to Labor Day weekend."
Tickets are currently on sale for October's Pep Boys Auto 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race and can be purchased by calling 1-877-9-AMS-TIX or visiting AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com, with adult tickets starting at $39 and student tickets beginning at $19.
Fans that purchase tickets to the Pep Boys Auto 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup will have the first option to purchase tickets to the historic Labor Day race weekend beginning immediately, while tickets for the Labor Day race will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, March 17, 2009.
