In any case, it did not find favour and was itself eventually removed.īy 1993 things had come to a head under the ownership of the Whittington brothers and the track entered into bankruptcy. The only significant change through the 1980s was the insertion of a chicane along the back straight, though it only seems to have seen serious competition use for the during the 1992 Valvoline National Championship Runoffs, though it may have been in use for karts or motorcycles at the time. Safety, in particular through the dip at the end of the back straight, was becoming marginal as speeds grew ever higher. Racing continued much as it always had, but it was clear that money was lacking for any significant improvements. Road Atlanta was sold in 1978 and went through a number of owners in a short period of time, creating a downward spiral of the track's fortunes. Multiple owners see track's fortunes wane Among the drivers that day was the moustachioed Amercian comedian Dick Smothers, co-driving in John Greenwood's Chevrolet. Even NASCAR paid a visit, with the Camaros, Mustangs and Firebirds, of the Grand American division taking part in the Lanier 250 in May of 1973. Through the 1970s, the circuit continued to thrive, with Can-Am returning and visits from Formula 5000, IMSA Camel GT and Trans Am, as well as several SCCA events - including the annual Valvoline Runoffs - all helping to bolster the racing calendar. A huge crowd gathered to watch the most sophisticated cars of the day turn 75 laps on the brand new circuit. Vic Elford, in a Chaparral 2J, won pole and Tony Dean, in a Porsche 908/02, won the 300 km Can-Am event, with Stirling Moss as the Grand Marshal. The first race was held on September 13, 1970. This plunged downhill through a compression before swinging to the left and uphill, turning right through a cutting and under a bridge in dramatic style, before then careening back downhill through a high speed right-hander and back to the start. When the excavation, grading and surfacing was complete, a fast and challenging road racing circuit lay in wait for the Can-Am stars – possibly one of the best in North Amercia.įrom the start, the lap climbed uphill through the sweeping first turn to a series of esses which guided the cars along a snake-like course to the foot of the hill, before a further climb took drivers through a series of turns onto the long back straight. The rush was on to complete the circuit in time but, remarkably, the track emerged from the red Georgia clay in just six months. As work progressed on the $1.3million facility, Road Atlanta got its first big break, when the Can-Am Championship announced that the new facility would replace flood damaged Bridgehampton in September. Work began in 1969 and continued into the following year. The 12-turn track was the brainchild of David Sloyer, Earl Walker and Arthur Montgomery, who conceived the sprawling facility on a 750-acre tract of land in Hall County.
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