Summer racing heating up at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Tom Francisco, Speedpics.net

Last Friday served as the first point series set of races in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags and Show-n-Shine at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This week AMS is getting ready for the first Thursday Night edition of Thursday Thunder, the race of legends and bandalero cars.

Atlanta Motor Speedway Director of Marketing and Promotion Dustin Bixby says the track is excited about all the upcoming.

“It was our opening night for our points and we had a lot of tight competition, as we expected coming into the season,” Bixby said of the Friday night races. “We’re really looking forward to another great season of our Friday night drags and Show-n-Shine presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts this year.”

The drag racing part of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags and Show-n-Shine involves 18 different divisions of racing, from high-powered vehicles all the way to cars you might see on the street. The races continue this week, with drivers trying to rack up high point totals.

In order to participate in the drag races, you must sign a safety waiver, wear a Depart- ment of Transportation approved helmet and have your vehicle pass an inspection by the AMS mechanics on site. The entrance fee for the drag races is $20. Registration starts at 6 p.m. on the night of the races at the main in- field tunnel. Minors ages 16 and 17 must have a safety waiver signed and on file with Atlanta Motor Speedway before they can take part in the event.

As for the Show-n-Shine portion of the Friday night event, you can register at the main infield tunnel at 6 p.m. The fee to show your vehicle off is also $20. However, drivers who want to take part in both events can do so by paying $30.

One race of the Thursday Thunder series for 2014 is already in the books, taking place back on May 17. This week is the true start to the event on its usual night.

This series of racing features legends and bandalero cars at the speedway. This event has been a springboard for many of professional racing’s young promising stars.

“We’ve had a lot of graduates, over about 60, that have gone on to race in a national touring series in NASCAR,” Bixby said. “Any- where from the K&N Series all the way up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Some of those big names have included Joey Logano, Reed Sorenson, David Ragan, as well as Chase Elliot now making his way up to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is currently driving in the Na- tionwide Series and is doing extremely well.”

You could be watching the next racing superstar down the road in NASCAR getting his start in the Thursday Thunder series at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags and Show-n-Shine and Thursday Thun- der are very affordable for the family. Pricing information on these events can be found by heading over to www.AtlantaMotorSpeed- way.com.

We all know the largest event of the season for Atlanta Motor Speedway is the Labor Day weekend of races that leads up to the Sunday Night Sprint Cup Series race under the lights of the speedway.

Right now, people can find great deals on purchasing tickets for the weekend of events by heading to the speedway’s website. A per- fect example of this is their current deal of $48 pre-race pit passes for the Sunday night race, in honor of No. 48 car Jimmie Johnson’s recent win at Dover International Speedway.

These passes allow you to get up close with the drivers before the race with the pur- chase of a grandstand ticket.

The Sunday night race is also very afford- able for families. Children under the age of 12 can get into the race for half price on a grand- stand ticket.

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