The 1.5-mile NASCAR track entered a new superspeedway era with the repave in 2022
Atlanta Motor Speedway has always been a high speed racetrack. However, before the most recent repave, it was also a worn out tire eating race track.
Hear from Kyle Busch below.
That combination was a racers dream. The cars were out of control in every corner. And the bumps in the track made it difficult to replicate lap after lap.
Drivers love that exact scenario. Each of them think they’re the best driver out there and under those circumstances, they can use their skills to surface with the lead.
But in 2022, the track was reconfigured. The corners were narrowed, banking was added and new rules were put in place by NASCAR to make it a superspeedway event. It became the first 1.5-mile superspeedway under the same rules of tracks like Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile) and Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-Mile).
The repave has changed the racing in Atlanta, Georgia.
On Saturday, Kyle Busch went to victory lane in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was his first win with Spire Motorsports after selling his own team.
And after the win, Busch talked about the changes at Atlanta…
Kyle Busch Motorsports sold to Spire Motorsports
Kyle Busch comments on the new Atlanta Motor Speedway
“Atlanta’s one of, if the not the fastest racetrack on the circuit, unrestricted,” Kyle Busch said from the media center after winning Saturday’s NASCAR Truck Series race.
“It’s definitely gotten that notoriety since 1997. With the pole of Geoff Bodine.”
In 1997, Bodine set a new track record with an average speed of 197.478.
“Sometimes when you run around here — I remember the early 2000s when we were qualifying here at night. Just the roar of the engine and and the speed you were carrying, this place is pretty intimidating.”
“Great, fun place to race. I’ll still say, I enjoy the old surface more but we got what we got here now.”
“Hopefully the fans enjoyed a good show.”
We still haven’t seen what Atlanta will be after some track deterioration
“Busch added, “Any form of restrictor plate style of racing is not high on my list.”
“Obviously, as much as the surface deteriorated there comes a point where something has to be done. They went through it. I just don’t understand or appreciate why we added the banking and the stuff that they did here.”
“Would I have much rather seen them just repave what we had? Probably, cause you would know then that when it deteriorates some it can get back to the old Atlanta ways.”
“When this deteriorates here, it’s going to be fast. It’s going to be damn-fast, sliding around. Like 10mph fastest around the corner, sliding around over the old track.”
“We’re racers though. We all wanna be fast and do what we can to be the fastest ones out there. It’s not like you’re scared of that. It’s just, the hits are harder.”
Atlanta Results: February 24, 2024 (NASCAR Truck Series)
