Atlanta Motor Speedway

South of Atlanta, in Hampton, Georgia, a broad oval of asphalt has spent more than six decades turning a day at the races into a regional event. The circuit many fans still call Atlanta Motor Speedway is now EchoPark Speedway, a name adopted in 2025 through a sponsorship agreement. Its story is unusually visible in the shape of the track itself: the venue opened as Atlanta International Raceway in 1960, was substantially reconfigured in 1997, and received another major redesign before the 2022 NASCAR season.

A track built for speed—and repeatedly remade

The speedway’s official history dates the original construction to 1959–60 and its first race to July 31, 1960. Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Dixie 500. The first course was a conventional oval; in 1997, the frontstretch and backstretch were swapped and the layout became a quad-oval. A 2021 repaving and re-profiling increased the banking in the turns from 24 to 28 degrees and narrowed the racing surface. The present circuit measures 1.54 miles, with four turns banked at 28 degrees and an infield of roughly 120 acres.

Those changes matter to a visitor because the venue is not a static monument. Each generation of drivers has had to read a slightly different track, and the modern high-banked configuration encourages close, fast racing. Speedway Motorsports says the facility occupies about 850 acres. Its scale is also a reminder that a race weekend is an entire-site operation: grandstands, garages, pit road, hospitality areas and the infield all contribute to the experience.

From Atlanta International Raceway to EchoPark

The place was known as Atlanta International Raceway at its opening and later became Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bruton Smith acquired it in 1990; Speedway Motorsports was formed in 1995. The latest change arrived in June 2025, when Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive announced a seven-year naming-rights partnership. The former name remains familiar among fans, in older maps and in years of race coverage, so travelers may encounter both names while planning. They refer to the same Hampton venue, not two separate tracks.

The circuit’s NASCAR history is part of a wider story about how oval racing has evolved. Atlanta began as one of the early high-speed paved tracks, then adopted the quad-oval geometry in 1997. The 2021 project adjusted the banking and surface to create a different style of competition. Rather than presenting the venue as an unchanged relic, its history is best understood as successive attempts to reshape the racing and keep the facility relevant.

What a track tour can show

On non-event days, the speedway offers guided track tours by appointment. The official tour description lists a lap around the oval, Victory Lane, pit road, infield and garage areas, a suite visit and stops focused on the track’s NASCAR history. Access depends on track availability, and the operator says prices vary by date. Tours are generally scheduled on weekdays at several times, but visitors should use the current booking page or contact the speedway before setting out; a tour is not a walk-in museum with guaranteed daily entry.

For fans, the most memorable element may be standing in places normally seen through a television broadcast: the lane where crews work, the garages used during race weekends, or Victory Lane after a celebration. The route and access can change for operational reasons. Confirm the tour date, meeting location, duration and inclusions directly with the venue, especially if the visit is tied to an event weekend.

Planning a visit from Atlanta

Hampton lies south of Atlanta, and the speedway’s own visitor information places it about 30 miles from the city. The official address is 1500 Tara Place, Hampton, Georgia; roads and traffic conditions can make the journey longer than the mileage suggests. A car is the most straightforward way to reach the facility, particularly on race days, when traffic plans and parking arrangements may differ from an ordinary weekday. Check the event page for entry gates, parking, prohibited items and any shuttle or accessibility details before departure.

There is no single year-round opening schedule for the full venue. NASCAR weekends, concerts and other events have their own ticketing and gate hours, while track tours operate only on selected dates. Ticket prices, seating availability and event rules are event-specific; avoid relying on an old itinerary or third-party listing. The official EchoPark Speedway and NASCAR calendars are the reliable places to confirm what is happening on the day you plan to go.

That distinction helps set expectations. A race ticket does not automatically include a behind-the-scenes tour, and a tour booking is not admission to a competition. If you are traveling with children or visitors who do not follow NASCAR, the guided tour can make the engineering and layout easier to appreciate; on a race weekend, the spectacle, noise and scale are the attraction. Ear protection is sensible for young children and anyone sensitive to loud sound.

EchoPark Speedway is both a working motorsports facility and a piece of Atlanta-area sports history. Its name has changed, its turns have been reshaped and its racing style has evolved, yet the same broad purpose remains: to bring people together around speed. Knowing that history before arriving makes the site easier to read—from the geometry of the quad-oval to the behind-the-scenes spaces revealed on a tour. The best visit begins with a current event or tour reservation, not an assumption that the gates are always open.