With the NASCAR Cup Series‘ Quaker State 400 right around the corner, it will be the last race weekend under Atlanta Motor Speedway‘s current configuration. On Tuesday, track operator Speedway Motorsports announced a slight redesign that will turn the 1.5-mile track into the tallest intermediate circuit on the schedule.
The banking in the turns will be increased from the current 24 degrees to 28°, the highest of tracks in the intermediate category; Charlotte and Texas Motor Speedways, both of which are D-shaped ovals with doglegs on the frontstretch, have turns banked at 24° (Texas’ first two turns are 20°). Atlanta’s straightaway banking will remain at 5°.
In contrast to the growing banking, the track width will contract from 55 feet to 40. The frontstretch will have a width of 52 feet, while the backstretch and turns will be set at 42 and 40, respectively.
Atlanta is no stranger to major changes. For much of its history, the track was a 1.52-mile “standard” oval before being reconfigured to the current quad-oval in 1997. The track surface has remained the same since, resulting in an aged course that has proven popular with fans.
“As Atlanta’s racing surface has aged, we’ve challenged ourselves to reimagine what NASCAR racing at an intermediate track can be,” Speedway Motorsports head Marcus Smith stated. “With high banks in the turns, narrower width and new pavement technology, Atlanta will be unlike any other mile-and-a-half track on the circuit. It’s all new for ’22 and this will be specifically designed for close, competitive racing.”