This weekend, the NASCAR triple header of the Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck Series heads to the 1.5-mile trioval of EchoPark Speedway. Formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, the track is located 20 miles south of Atlanta in Hampton, GA.
The venue has played a large part in NASCAR’s history including thrilling championship deciding races, nerve wracking qualifying speeds and is even a final resting place for some.
1) Five Fast EchoPark Speedway Facts Includes Name Changes
Opened in 1960, the facility was first called Atlanta International Raceway under the ownership of First Georgia Securities Corporation, with Richard King as its president. The early plans called for a 50,000-seat track on 400 acres of land.
Cost to build the track back in the day was $1.8 million. The first driver to win the 1960 inaugural event was Fireball Roberts.
It was a rocky start with financial problems, changes of management and stock options gone awry. In 1990, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) led by president Bruton Smith, led a month’s long effort to buy the track. A deal was finally reached in October of that year as SMI paid $19.8 million to secure the facility. The name was changed to Atlanta Motor Speedway and held that name until last year when EchoPark signed a multi-year naming rights agreement.
2) Shape Changes of the Track Included Layout and Total Flip
The original oval configuration was designed to look like a smaller replica of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The distance around AMS was 1.522 mile in 1960 with 24 degrees of banking in the corners and five in the straightaways.
In 1997, SMI turned into a quad oval with a total repave that lengthened the track to 1.54 miles while keeping the same degrees of banking in the turns and straights. As part of the change, the frontstretch became the back and the back became the front. SMI also expanded the quad oval’s seating to 71,000 and placed the Start/Finish Line in front of the now enlarged grandstands.
Then, in 2021, there was another renovation that kept the distance the same, but the turns were changed from 24 to 28 degrees. In turn, this led to pack racing of two and three-wide action throughout the races for each series.
3) Geoff Bodine Lays Down a Record Qualifying Run
In November 1997, with new asphalt around the track, drivers quickly found out the speeds they carried around AMS had greatly increased.
It was Geoff Bodine who set the sport on its ear with lap of 197.468 mph/28.074 sec. in qualifying. The record still stands today as the fastest ever qualifying lap in non-restrictor plate race.
“It was a crazy lap,” Bodine said. “But I was disappointed. I wanted to run 198. That’s a record that won’t be broken.”
4) Greatest Championship Deciding Race in History
In 1992, AMS was still the final race in the NCS season where the championship was decided. Coming into the event, it was a three-driver battle between Davey Allison, Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki.
As the laps ticked down, the points lead was swapped back and forth between the three. Allison would be eliminated in a crash leaving Kulwicki and Elliott to battle for the crown.
With all eyes on the Georgia native of Elliott and the short track ace and driver/owner of Kulwicki, it literally came down to the last lap to decide the champion. By virtue of laps led, Kulwicki won the crown.
Sadly, he would lose his life the next year in a plane crash while enroute to Bristol Motor Speedway.
5) Tombstones off Turn 1
EchoPark has the typical items one finds at a NASCAR track. Parking lots, tailgating parts and souvenir row. However, for fans going past the outer parking lot in Turn 1, they will encounter something quite unique.
A cemetery with dated tombstones marking actual graves.
The Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery is on record as one of the oldest in Henry County. In 1852, the cemetery and church property were deeded and sold. Graves reveal the final resting place for original founders and their descendants.
It is still actively maintained today.
Five Fast Facts About EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta