From moonshiners running from the law during the prohibition era to Dawsonville native Bill Elliott winning the 1988 Winston Cup Series, racing cars is in the blood of North Georgians. Thanks to this long-loved history of racing, North Georgia has a wonderful selection of race car-inspired activities for locals and tourists alike. Longtime NASCAR fans, beginner and semi-pro kart racers, enthusiasts who appreciate a nice car, and those who just want to learn the history of the automobile in Georgia can all find something to love in this racing roundup we curated for you. Make a road trip out of it and hit these various landmarks to fuel your love of racing.
Located in Bill Elliot’s own town of Dawsonville, Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) is more than just a racetrack. The facility includes a racing academy, a karting track, membership options, corporate event space, and much more. AMP’s membership options provide the adrenaline rush of racing experiences with the lux feel of a country club environment. There are various levels of membership options to meet each individual’s personal preferences, but some of the membership plans to choose from include car and motorcycle memberships or karting memberships. Racing academy options include teen driving classes, kart racing school, competition racing school, and a junior kart driving school for ages 5 – 11. If you’re looking for a one-time thrill, stop by for their “Arrive and Drive” karting with top-of-the-line Sodi RT8 karts.
atlantamotorsportspark.com
After you get your thrill fix at the Atlanta Motorsports Park, head down the road to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in downtown Dawsonville, a nonprofit museum founded in 2002 to preserve the rich history of racing in Dawsonville. Peruse artifacts showcasing the changes in motorsports over the decades and exhibits, including the Chase Elliot exhibit, as you take a walk through decades past. A recent renovation brought six racing simulators and a new garage exhibit displaying some of the machinery of Red Vogt, known as NASCAR’s first master mechanic. After a long day filled with kart racing and race car history, stop by the Pool Room for a bully burger at the NASCAR-themed burger joint.
georgiaracinghof.com
Next, head to Woodstock to visit the historic Dixie Speedway, a 3/8-mile Georgia red clay dirt track with over 5,000 seating capacity. While the Woodstock area changes and grow, Dixie Speedway continues to be the same in the best way possible. The Georgia clay track was built in 1968 and has been owned and operated by the Swims family since 1976. While they host multiple races, concerts and events throughout the year, you don’t want to miss the upcoming 30th Anniversary Dixie Fall Monster Truck Nationals. This event boasts a car crushing battle of the ages, a race between five of the world’s fastest monster trucks, a freestyle Motocross battle in the air, waterless boat races on Sept. 20 and 21. dixiespeedway.com
Welcome to Sugar Creek Raceway, Blue Ridge’s premier destination for weekend races. Built in 1968, Sugar Creek Raceway is a third of a mile, dirt oval track. Be sure to stop by this fall for one of their weekend events. On Sept. 14, Sugar Creek Raceway is hosting the Classic Vintage Racing Series for a peek into the yesteryear of racing. The Topless Outlaws will be visiting on Sept. 21, where they will race for the grand prize of $3,000. On October 19, the second annual Applefest is coming to Sugar Creek Raceway with Super Late Models, 602 Late Models, Pony, Front Wheel Drive, and more. racesugarcreek.com
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a 12-turn, 2.54-mile track tucked in beautiful Braselton. What is now a world class motorsports facility with more than 400,000 visitors annually was just a farmer’s field until 1969 when the idea for Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta was born. The facility hosts an array of events each year. On Sept. 20 – 22, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is hosting the Historic Sportscar Racing with five feature races and a double header format for the highly anticipated WeatherTech Sprint races. On Oct. 9 – 12, the Motul Petit Le Mans returns for the 25th year, featuring four days of races with the highlight event being the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans race on Saturday. This event is chock full of family fun with food trucks, vendors, car displays, a kid’s zone and more. roadatlanta.com
If you’re an avid NASCAR fan or if you know someone who is, chances are you have heard of Georgia’s own Atlanta Motor Speedway, located just south of Atlanta in Hampton. This historic track was originally planned in 1958, but with insufficient funds, four of the five original founders chose to abandon the cause before it hurt their wallets anymore. The solo remaining original founder, Garland Bagley, was eventually joined by Dr. Warren Gremmel, Bill Boyd, Jack Black and Art Lester and they spent 1.8 million to execute the facility. But even after all those funds were poured into the grounds, it was still unusable for the general public. When the facility was finally up to par, it opened its gates in 1960 as “Atlanta International Raceway” and became the seventh superspeedway in the country.
Unfortunately, the raceway continued to struggle financially for the next few decades until Brutom Smith purchased the facility in 1990 and changed the name to Atlanta Motor Speedway. The name change isn’t the only thing Smith brought to the beloved track; he also updated the stadium capacity to 25,000 and added suites, making the facility a far cry from the muddied seats fans were used to in previous decades. Smith also made the space attainable for other entertainment avenues as well. Beyond races, the facility hosts car shows, concerts, business conventions and more. In 1994, a nine-story building with office spaces, 46 condominiums, a ballroom, and even more suites was added, and the space continued to grow the next few years to meet the needs of fans and racers alike.
In 2021, the Atlanta Motor Speedway proved that the improvements will keep being made when they announced the multi-million dollar project of repaving the 1.5-mile track and increasing the banking from 24 degrees to 28 degrees to produce superspeedway style racing.
With all the historical facts of the Atlanta Motor Speedway in mind, you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in the speed of the race at the Quaker State 400 for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff on Sept. 8. If you are interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, track tours are available by appointment Monday through Friday. atlantamotorspeedway.com
Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville has one overarching goal: connect people, whether they are car lovers or not, to the cultural diversity that encompasses the automobile. Savoy achieves this goal through rotating exhibits, educational experiences, and the Savoy Collection of various makes, models, and eras of vehicles on display. This fall, check out the Moonshine Runners exhibit, which highlights prohibition-era hotrods until Nov. 3; the High Performance Sports Car exhibit, highlighting limited production, top of the line exotic cars, starting Nov. 5; and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Part 2 exhibit, which highlights race cars from Andretti, Foyt, and Unser from Oct. 1 until February. In addition to these exciting exhibits, Savoy Automobile Museum has dozens of automobiles on display, including a 1961 Ford Falcon, a 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk, a 1952 Ferrari Type 375, 1931 Ford Model A Fordor, a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, and many more. savoymuseum.org
Finally, put your racing knowledge to the test with Go-Kart Racing at K1 Speed for the fastest indoor racing experience in Atlanta. K1 Speed, located in Duluth with a Buckhead location coming soon, is different from your average go-kart racing facility because they have fully electric, high-performance European karts. K1’s electric karts are the way to go because they have no engine bogging, don’t let off noxious fumes or emissions, and can go up to 45 MPH. Whether you want to drop in for a quick session with the Arrive and Drive package, compete in a racing league to get your adrenaline fix, host a birthday party, or execute the perfect corporate outing, K1 Speed is ready to meet your racing needs. After you win your race, stop by the Pit Cafe to recharge your battery with food and beverages before hitting the arcade area. k1speed.com
With all these race car-inspired destinations in North Georgia, you are sure to have a busy fall this year! As you are in the stands watching a race or speeding through a track on a kart, hopefully you will take a minute to appreciate how deep the roots of racing are in Georgia.
