Track Blog
President's Blog: The Road To The Chase Runs Through AMS
Each February, when the air is chilly and windy, hope springs eternal for each team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With the start of each season, every team feels that it has a shot at qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 10-race playoff format – The Chase for the Championship. Now, as the season works its way through the latter part of the summer, the clock is ticking for many teams looking to make their way into The Chase. And for many of those teams, the road to the Chase runs right through the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Night Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
As if Labor Day race weekend under lights at Atlanta wasn't exciting enough, now there' s the factor of the race being a must-run well for teams if they want to make it into the Chase. It'll make racing under the lights on Labor Day weekend all the more exciting!
The final race prior to The Chase is the one following our race, at Richmond. Teams on the bubble of either barely making or missing the Chase can ill afford to have a bad night at Richmond. For that reason, running well under the lights at AMS will be all the more important. A bad finish at Atlanta could force one driver to need to finish within the top five at Richmond to make the Chase, while a good finish by another could all but lock them into the Chase, allowing them to coast into the final ten races.
Last year, for example, we saw Kasey Kahne rebound from a tough race at Bristol to win our night race. As a result, he all but locked up a spot in the Chase.
For many teams, making the Chase can define whether or not a season is successful. These next few races could end up being some of the most exciting of the year because of how much is at stake, and we're excited to be in the middle of it here at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
There are so many things that make race weekend exciting at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend. You've got the gathering of old and new friends in the parking lots, grandstands and campgrounds; the atmosphere of a night race and just getting to have a great time on Labor Day weekend. Add in the fight to get into the Chase to the mix, and you've got a race weekend that you've got to be a part of!
Our staff is continuing to work to provide a more than full weekend for our fans on Labor Day weekend, giving them an experience that they will never forget! With this in mind, we're excited to announce a great event for our fans on Friday, Sept. 3 of Labor Day weekend – the Friday Fan Fest Presented by Your Georgia Best Chevy Dealers! We'll kick things off around 6 p.m. with a NASCAR driver Q&A session hosted by Rutledge Wood of SPEED and it'll include David Ragan, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and other drivers to be announced later! Then, we'll have a concert by Drivin' N Cryin' followed by the Georgia Best Chevy Dealers 150, a 150 lap late model race on the ¼-mile "Thunder Ring" featuring the Southern Superstars Short Track Series!
Best of all – this is a FREE event if you purchase either Saturday or Sunday NASCAR tickets! All other admission is $10.
Here at Atlanta Motor Speedway, we want to give our fans an experience they will never forget while they are with us. We cannot wait to have all of you with us for Labor Day weekend under the lights at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
See you at the track!
Ed
There's Nothing Quite Like A Night Race
Hey everyone! This is Ed Clark, President and General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway! For most race fans, whether you have grown up going to your local short track or attending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, the summertime means Night Racing! Looking ahead, the NASCAR schedule is peppered with night races, all of which will set the table for the NASCAR Night Race Weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend! For quite some time, we worked with NASCAR to have a night race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the response of you, our fans last September made the decision for host a night race one that we absolutely are glad we made!
There are few things in racing that are both as electric and magical as a night race. To begin with, you've got the atmosphere. Fans have been tailgating all day (with some having been at the track even longer) and have been having good times together. All of this builds up to that evening's activities inside the track for the night race. When you turn on the lights at the track, the feel is just different. The weather is cooler and the lights of the track reflect off of the cars as the fly around the track at the lightning-fast pace. If you look close enough, you can see sparks light up the dark night as cars either make contact with each other or the track's outside wall.
And of course, night racing tends to bring out something else – hot tempers. For whatever reason, night racing is synonymous with driver confrontations – maybe it's a throwback to racing on Saturday nights that so many drivers grew up doing and many of us fans are used to. Some of the more-famous driver run-ins have happened during night races, from Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Sr. at Bristol to Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. a few years back at Richmond.
When those races were over, the action of the night before was a very hot topic. When the Labor Day night race weekend is over at Atlanta Motor Speedway, you'll want to say that "I was there. I was a part of the Largest Labor Day Party in the USA."
Labor Day weekend will be an incredible time here at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The closer it gets, the more excited we are about it. It consumes all of what our staff is doing right now and we hope you'll join us to be part of it!
For Courtney Kemp, everything really is "Better in Metter." We'd like to congratulate Courtney as the winner of our "Celebrate the 50th with 50" promotion. Courtney, of Metter, Ga., has won fifty frontstretch tickets to the Labor Day weekend NASCAR Sprint Cup Series night race at Atlanta Motor Speedway! It's safe to say that she will now have a lot of brand new "best friends" wanting one of her tickets.
We've also launched our latest fan promotion, "Best Video to Victory Lane." Fans can submit a Youtube video (consisting of video or still images) from their experience at NASCAR event at Atlanta Motor Speedway and enter at www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/50. Don't forget to include a link to your Youtube video! We're looking forward to seeing the videos that our fans will be sending in of them enjoying the racing and the atmosphere around NASCAR at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
Get ready for the fireworks! You don't have to wait until July Fourth for fireworks! Just come on out to Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 1st and 2nd for what will one of the Atlanta area's earliest and biggest fireworks displays! We'll have fireworks on July 1 sponsored by Marco's Pizza after Thursday Thunder. Then on July 2, we'll have them again prior to Friday Night Drags! We hope to see you at the track as we celebrate America's Independence!
I hope to see you at the track very soon! If you see me, be sure to say hello and feel free to pass along any suggestions of what we can do a better job of!
President's Blog: Getting Ready For The Big Party
Hey everyone! This is Ed Clark, President and General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway! Well, it's June, the time that some of us like to grill out, spend time with family or just have a good time! But the times we have during the summer are nothing compared to what will happen on Labor Day weekend right here at Atlanta Motor Speedway! When NASCAR returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway, it won't just mean that night racing is back in Atlanta. It'll mean that finally, after months of waiting, it will be time for the biggest Labor Day party in the USA! If there's one thing that we saw last September, it's that there is far more to a weekend at the track than the racing alone..
The overall experience is what makes a race weekend fun for our fans! We saw it last year with our fans starting to arrive nearly two weeks before the race itself. These fans were here not just for a race, they were here for all that comes with being at the track on a race weekend – the gathering around a grill where all of your friends are cooking up their favorite foods, making new friends and seeing some old ones and just have a great time all around!
Last September, our fans sent a clear message that they just enjoyed being at the track. So in response to that, we've made the weekend bigger and better! On Friday, we'll have a fan event that will include a concert, interactive activities for fans and a 150-lap late model race! We want to make race weekend as much of a fun experience for our fans as possible. Staging Friday's event is just another part of our goal of doing that. Plus, admission to Friday's event is free if you have tickets to either the Great Clips 300 or the Sprint Cup Series race. Otherwise, fans can get in for just $10!
Here at Atlanta Motor Speedway, we see our Labor Day race weekend as not just a race, but as an event. Of all events throughout the country, this is the one going on that you cannot afford to miss out! You won't want to be sitting around on the Monday following our race weekend wishing you had been a part of it! Plan to join us for the biggest Labor Day party in the USA!
And it's easier than ever to be here! Sprint Cup Series tickets start at just $39!
Last week, we announced that Foreigner would be playing at the pre-race concert prior to the Sprint Cup Series night race. We spent some time with the band last week and I'll tell you this much – from what we saw from them, they will be putting on one heck of a show on Labor Day weekend! Plus, these guys are pretty big race fans as well! You won't want to miss it!
We are placing a lot of emphasis on creating atmosphere around the racing on Labor Day weekend. Having a band of the caliber of Foreigner here will undoubtedly play a big role in doing that!
Fans can watch the pre-race concert from stagefront and get a close-up view of driver introductions with a pre-race party pass for just $49! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to not only see a legendary rock band from a great point of view, but also see your favorite driver from a pretty close vantage point as well!
In case you can't tell, we're all very excited about the Labor Day night race weekend! We hope that you, like all of us, are making big plans for the weekend just like we are. We are continuing to make this the largest event in the history of Atlanta Motor Speedway and hope that you will join us for the Largest Labor Day Celebration in the USA!
I hope to see you at the track very soon! If you see me, be sure to say hello and feel free to pass along any suggestions of what we can do a better job of!
See You At The Track!
Ed
Get to Know an AMS Employee!
It takes so many things to make Atlanta Motor Speedway work. From the ticket takers and security staff to the safety workers and even those in the corporate offices, so many people play a role in making AMS function each day. Here's a chance to get to know one of them, Ted Austad!
What is your job title?
Special Events & Promotions Coordinator
How long have you been at Atlanta Motor Speedway?
I've been here for four years full-time and for three years part-time.
Briefly describe what you do at the track.
I develop special events or lease the facility for special events, as well as coordinate in-market promotions for the speedway
What was your first race at Atlanta Motor Speedway?
1998 NAPA 500 when I was working for 600 Racing which is now known US Legends Cars International.
How did you end up at Atlanta Motor Speedway?
I worked with the speedway in the late 1990's developing the Legends Car Series, Thursday Thunder and introducing the Bandolero Car. I then returned to the speedway as a part time announcer for the Thursday Thunder in summer of 2003 and then also for the NASCAR weekends in fall of 2004.
What's your most vivid memory of Atlanta Motor Speedway?
Opening night of Friday Night Drags in July 2006. We were expecting around 1,000 and we stopped counting at 4,000. It was pretty crazy!
What's the favorite thing about your job?
Watching family and friends enjoy an event at the speedway. There is not a better feeling than seeing someone enjoy an event that you helped create, promote or plan.
What's something that typical fans may not know about Atlanta Motor Speedway?
There are two graveyards within the 872 acres which encompasses Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Do you have any hobbies or other activities that you take part in away from the track that you'd like to share?
I play ice hockey on a regular basis and also collect beer cans.
President's Blog: A New Rivalry Brewing?
Hey everyone, this is Ed Clark, President and General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is heading toward the summer with the Coca-Cola 600 in its rear-view mirror. If there’s one thing that the racing at our sister track of Charlotte Motor Speedway has shown us, it is that we may very well have a very exciting rivalry on our hands between Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson.
There was a time, if some recall, that Jimmie Johnson was close to unbeatable at Charlotte, with Johnson going so far once as to referring to the track as “My House.” He’s won a total of six points events there, including winning five out of six races between 2003 and 2005.
But recently, Johnson has not enjoyed the same dominance, and Kurt Busch punctuated that. A week after romping to win the All-Star Race, Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 this past weekend. Johnson, meanwhile, is enduring some rough spots. In his past five races, Johnson has finished no better than 10th, and has been involved in accidents and also fell victim to a late-race pit road penalty at Dover.
Busch has now not only asserted himself as the driver to beat at the track that Johnson once dominated, but is also as a possible leading contender to dethrone Johnson as the four-time defending champion of the Sprint Cup Series. Remember – Busch also said earlier this season that he’d rather lose to any other car in a race except for the No. 48 car. Maybe, just maybe, there is a budding rivalry between Busch and Johnson.
Both of these drivers want to win badly. The great thing about Busch and Johnson is that although both have won a lot of races in addition to being past Sprint Cup Series champions, both still want to win very badly. It should definitely be fun to watch what happens with these two teams during the summer, as we get closer to racing under the lights returning to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend!
It’s hard to believe, but the month of June is here! That means that we’re less than 100 days from Night Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend! As the summer goes on, we will be having some exciting promotions for our fans, giving them chances to win some incredible prizes! This is the 50th anniversary of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway, so we will be having lots of contests to thank our fans for their support through the years!
The first of these is through the “50 for 50” promotion. One lucky fan will win 50 tickets to the Sprint Cup Series night race at Atlanta Motor Speedway! And it’s simple to enter. Just go to www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/50!
If you win this contest, odds are that you will have a lot of brand new “best friends,” you know, the people that you have not heard or spoken to for a number of years! But you won’t have a chance to be the winner of 50 tickets if you don’t enter, so be sure to enter to have the chance to host one of the biggest Labor Day parties ever!
Question of the week: A lot of us will be arriving on Thursday when the infield is opened. Will there be anything going on for the fans at the track on Friday?
This is something that we’re very excited about! We will be having a fan event at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday of race weekend! One of the comments we heard from a lot of fans after last September’s race was a desire of have more to do throughout the race weekend.
We have also heard from many of our fans that there is a strong desire to have a Friday night event following the very exciting open-wheel modified race this past March.
We want to create a top-of-the line atmosphere for everyone that is here on Labor Day weekend, so we’ll be having a fanfest event on Friday of race weekend.
It will include some interactive activities for fans and a 150-lap Late Model race featuring the Southern Superstars Short Track Series on the ¼-mile Thunder Ring on the frontstretch of Atlanta Motor Speedway!
If you purchase tickets to the Great Clips 300 or the Sprint Cup Series race, admission is free. Otherwise, admission is just $10!
I hope to see you at the track very soon! If you see me, be sure to say hello and feel free to pass along any suggestions of what we can do a better job of!
See you at the track!
Ed
President's Blog: NASCAR Hall of Fame
Hey everyone, this is Ed Clark, President and General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Major League Baseball has Cooperstown. The NFL has Canton. Now, NASCAR has its Hall of Fame in Charlotte. This past weekend, the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame was inducted. We’d like to send our personal congratulations out to the members of NASCAR’s inaugural Hall of Fame Class – Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Junior Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Sr.!
Sunday was, without question a proud day for our sport, whether you are a driver, crewmember, track official or most of all, a fan of NASCAR! Not only did we recognize the lives of five men who have helped craft the sport into what it is today, but it also gave many of us a wonderful reminder of the hard work of many over time that has made NASCAR so great.
One of our staff members told me about a quote made by Kyle Petty during the weekend that really, I think, underscores the importance of recognizing the history of the sport through the Hall of Fame. Kyle was quoted at one point during the weekend that the Hall of Fame is important so that younger fans today will know that Richard Petty did more than just be in the movie “Cars.”
That is one of the best things about having a NASCAR Hall of Fame that fans can now celebrate the sport’s past and always be reminded of the sport’s beginnings.
As for the induction ceremony itself, it did not disappoint. There were some lighthearted moments. You had Rick Hendrick recalling the meeting in Daytona Beach that was portrayed in “Days of Thunder” between himself, Bill France Jr., Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Geoffrey Bodine with Childress also recalling Earnhardt’s famous line about ‘kerosene rags.’ You also had Junior Johnson’s anecdote about the difference between being committed and involved. And you can’t forget Richard Petty ending his speech by quoting Gomer Pyle – “Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.”
But there were also some heartfelt moments. Kyle Petty’s speech about his father, Richard Petty was certainly heartwarming, as was Richard Childress’s time when he spoke about Dale Earnhardt Sr. It was very touching to see, during Earnhardt Sr.’s on-stage induction, that the entire Earnhardt family was together on-stage.
Without question, NASCAR hit the ball out of the park with this Hall of Fame. I’ve already had a handful of people tell me that they are already making plans to go to the Hall of Fame this summer. After seeing Sunday’s festivities, it’s hard to blame them!
The summer is almost here, and things are heating up both on the track and within our office here at Atlanta Motor Speedway! In June, we will start our summer legends racing series, Thursday Thunder.
In this time of families looking for economical ways to find entertainment, it’s hard to top the value of Thursday Thunder! Adults get in for $5 and kids ages 6-11 are admitted for $1. Levy Restaurants will also be here giving fans affordable food offerings while at the racetrack.
We have numerous activities for kids and families planned for Thursday Thunder this summer such as the kids candy and coin scramble on June 3! In addition, there’s also the racing itself on the Thunder Ring.
If you grew up going to a local short track, then this racing is right up your alley. At Thursday Thunder you’ve got seasoned veterans plus some of the South’s best rising stars on the track! Joey Logano, David Ragan and Reed Sorenson each started their racing careers at Thursday Thunder. You never know what future racing star you may see at Thursday Thunder, so come on out for some great family entertainment and racing all at the same time!
Question of the week: Will you be doing any contests this summer or be having some prize giveaways?
I’m glad someone has asked this, actually. We’ve got a lot of exciting contests and promotions that we are planning on for this summer in advance of night racing return to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Labor Day weekend. And yes, contests are part of that! In fact, we had a meeting last week about some of the prizes we’re giving away, and I’ve got to tell you, if I wasn’t working at a racetrack, the chance to win these prizes would have me very excited!
I hope to see you at the track very soon! If you see me, be sure to say hello and feel free to pass along any suggestions of what we can do a better job of!
See you at the track!
Ed
President's Blog: Preparing for Labor Day
Hey everyone! This is Ed Clark, President and General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway! Without question, this is shaping up to be an exciting week if you are a NASCAR fan.
Not only do you have the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race at our sister track in Charlotte, but this Sunday will also mark the induction of the first NASCAR Hall of Fame class. Like anything else, the first time you do something is very special. For instance, many of our employees here at Atlanta Motor Speedway still have pleasant memories of the first time they went to a race. There’s just something special about the first time that you do something.
And that is definitely the case when it comes to the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s first induction class with Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt Sr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty each being inducted.
I had the high honor of being among the voters for this year’s Hall of Fame class. And I’ve got to tell you, selecting just five inductees was tough! It’s like being asked who your favorite child is – you don’t want to pick one over the other.
The experience of being able to be a part of the process was very special. Not only were we making history by voting in NASCAR’s first Hall class, but there was so much history in that room among the voters. You had a who’s who of some of the best drivers, owners and others from NASCAR history. It was a very humbling process to be a part of.
The opening of the Hall of Fame is a great day of NASCAR fans. They now have their very own Hall of Fame and it is without question something anyone associated with the sport, whether they are a fan or a competitor, can be proud of.
One of the main things that we are doing to build up as the Labor Day night race weekend approaches is doing all that we can to create a first-class fan experience for our fans that is centered around the racing going on at the track. Think about it. Being in the outdoors and grilling out, visiting with friends and just having a good time – all in the outdoors in the South. It really doesn’t get much better than that!
Last September, one thing we heard from fans was a desire to have some type of track activity on Friday. Although we are still firming up details, I can tell you that we are close to announcing some activities for fans on Friday of race weekend, ones that will serve as a great kickoff to a weekend of night racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
Question of the week: Will you be having a Pre-Race concert again in September?
Yes we will! Last year we had a very good response from fans that attended the Pre-Race Party with Diamond Rio and Jason Michael Carroll performing. Not only did those attending get a great view of a concert, but they also enjoyed stagefront access to driver introductions. You’re so close you can almost see the stitching on the drivers’ firesuits!
We’re excited about this year’s concert as well! While we can’t yet reveal who will be performing, I can tell you that the concert will be by someone that we are all very excited about and are sure many of our fans will be excited as well!
Fans can go ahead and purchase passes for the Pre-Race Party for $39. But don’t wait too long! After the first 200 Pre-Race Party passes are sold, the price is $49!
Thanks again for all that you do to support Atlanta Motor Speedway and we hope to see you at the track! If you see me at the track, be sure to say hello and feel free to pass along any suggestions of what we can do a better job of.
See you at the track!
Ed
President's Blog With AMS President and GM Ed Clark!
Hey everyone! This is Ed Clark, President and General Manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway!
We’re excited to introduce a new way to stay in touch with our fans – The President’s Blog from Atlanta Motor Speedway! With each installment, we’ll talk some racing and also get you the latest news on what’s going on at Atlanta Motor Speedway!
During the offseason, one thing that some of us here at Atlanta Motor Speedway were asked by some fans was whether or not anyone could challenge Jimmie Johnson this year and stop him from winning a fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.
One name some tossed around during the offseason as a title contender was Denny Hamlin. But that prediction looked to be somewhat in doubt earlier this year when Hamlin announced he would undergo knee surgery. Well, let’s just say those concerns have been put to rest. With last weekend’s win at Darlington, Hamlin has now won three times this year. That’s the same amount as Johnson so far in 2010, by the way. In fact, Johnson and Hamlin are the only two drivers to win multiple races on the Sprint Cup level this season.
But while Hamlin has been hot as of late, it’s hard to say the same for the No. 48 team. They’ve been plagued by bad luck recently, failing to finish two of the past three races. Seeing Johnson experience some bad luck certainly gives other teams some hope that with the right breaks, they can dethrone Johnson as the Sprint Cup Series champion. The No. 11 team is certainly among that group.
Although it’s very early in the season, it looks as of now that the championship could come down to two drivers – Hamlin and Johnson.
The great thing is that it’s only May and so much can happen. For all we know, two drivers outside the top ten of the points standings could be battling for the championship as the season winds down.
It seems a long time away, but Labor Day will be here before we know it! And that means racing under the lights is back at Atlanta! We had an incredible fan response to the race and the events around it last year, and we look forward to building on that this year!
While they last, we have tickets for as low as $39 in the Elliott Grandstand. Although the only view of pit road here is by way of the screenworks screen in front of the grandstand, a seat here is one of the most exciting at the track! Here, you can see cars whip their way into turns three and four – after coming to the end of the backstretch at close to 200 mph! In fact, one of our fans recently told us that the Elliott Grandstand is one of the best-kept seats in racing! To get your tickets for Labor Day, you can go to www.atlantamotorspeedway.com or call 877-9-AMS-TIX.
Question of the week: Do you have plans to build an NHRA Dragstrip?
This is a question that we’ve been asked a lot with the phenomenal success of Friday Night Drags. The answer to that is that at this time, there are no plans to build an NHRA dragstrip on our property.
Currently, the NHRA has a facility, which they own up in Commerce with Atlanta Dragway, so putting another facility here would really oversaturate the region.
The good news for fans of drag racing is that we’ve just started Friday Night Drags and that will continue through the summer months. We got off to a great start with the largest opening night crowd we’ve had for Friday Night Drags and an incredible number of participants. We’re very excited about what the summer holds as we move forward!
If you have not been out here in person for Friday Night Drags in person, come join us! We’ll be back on the track May 14 and 21 and the points opener is June 5.
Thanks again for all that you do to support Atlanta Motor Speedway and we hope to see you at the track! If you see me at the track, be sure to say hello and feel free to pass along any suggestions of what we can do a better job of!
Ed
Friday Night Drags Off To a Roaring Start, Resumes May 14
If the opening night of Friday Night Drags showed us one thing it is this - that our local fans love their drag racing!
Although it was not a points night, that didn't prevent a fantastic crowd of both spectators and competitors for the first night of Friday Night Drags in 2010. A crowd of spectators of nearly 5,000 witnessed the return of both Friday Night Drags and the Show-N-Shine. By comparison, Friday's crowd would have ranked among the top four crowds from a year ago, but it was the middle of the summer before we saw crowds in 2009 on the level of this past Friday. So a big thank you to our fans for not only coming out for the opening night of drags, but for also sticking with us throughout the night!
One thing is for sure - it figures to be an exciting summer of drag racing on Friday Nights!
Drag racing resumes May 14 and May 21 and the points opener is June 4!
Atlanta a Big Part of Earnhardt's History
In many ways, it's hard not to think of Atlanta Motor Speedway and have Dale Earnhardt Sr. come to mind.
In fact, a quick stroll around the AMS corporate offices reveals memories of Earnhardt Sr. After all, his nine victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway remain the most of any driver in NASCAR history.
So with the arrival of late April, a special time of year for Earnhardt's fans with what would have been his birthday rolling around, it's worth nothing that many of Earnhardt's career highlights came at
Atlanta.
"Dale loved racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was always a fast track, in both of its configurations, and it suited his style of driving - all out," Childress said earlier this year. "He won in 1980 and 2000 and seven times in between. The No. 3 team went to the racetrack with the belief that the trophy and the prize money was ours and the success we had at Atlanta gave us a little more swagger when we walked through the gates."
In the main conference room at the Speedway, where many meetings amongst the AMS staff take place, two large pictures adorn the wall - one of Earnhardt's photo-finish victory over Bobby Labonte in 2000 and a similar finish from a year later when Kevin Harvick edged Jeff Gordon in another photo-finish.
"The 2000 win was vintage Dale, racing hard with Bobby Labonte to the checkered flag and never giving an inch," Childress said. "The 2001 win with Kevin was such an emotional victory. We were all so numb from the loss of Dale. But with some extra help from above, Kevin did a great job behind the wheel and brought home the win."
That 2001 finish still sticks heavy for many of our staff that were here then. AMS President and GM Ed Clark still recalls the post-race celebration, when many fans just kept cheering and cheering after the race - one that came three races after Earnhardt Sr.'s untimely death at the Daytona 500.
But there was much more to Earnhardt's career at AMS than his dramatic 2000 victory. Take, for instance, in 1995 when he won at AMS in the No. 3 car in a race completed in three hours, three minutes and three seconds. How's that for hitting the numbers?
Atlanta's placement on the Cup schedule as the season's final race for a number of years also created many a fond memory for Earnhardt and his many fans. AMS hosting the season finale up until 2001 meant that each season's championship was celebrated and sometimes clinched at Atlanta. That means that Atlanta was usually a fun place for any driver when it came time to celebrate a championship, and that included the No. 3 team.