Wednesday, October 23, 2002
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Wednesday, October 23, 2002 |
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NASCAR comes to town for NAPA 500
With more than 120,000 people expected for the Oct. 27 NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, heavy preparations are under way for what is annually the largest sporting event in Georgia. Signs are being hung, logos being painted and tents being erected. All of the speedway's lush 870 acres of land will be in use for this gigantic racing weekend. "When you look at the attendance just for the NAPA 500 and MBNA America 500, that's equivalent to filling up the Georgia Dome several times, just for a single race," said Gary Stokan, president of the Atlanta Sports Council. "And that doesn't even include the support races at AMS." Atlanta Motor Speedway's two events annually, the spring MBNA America 500 and the fall NAPA 500, contribute an estimated $455 million to the Atlanta economy - 51 percent of the city's total revenue derived from sports. That's larger than the Super Bowl, the Peach Bowl, and the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, Falcons and Thrashers combined. "Atlanta Motor Speedway is obviously responsible for a huge part of the sports business in this town," Stokan said. "Race events bring people from all over the world to Atlanta, much more than the local teams and local events." Fans from all 50 states and more than a dozen foreign countries are expected for this international event, which will be televised live on NBC beginning at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 27. "The amount of attention Atlanta Motor Speedway attracts from people in every state and from all across the world is invaluable," Stokan said. "In addition to the many race fans and media members who come to Atlanta, there are millions more watching on TV. The Winston Cup events garner a tremendous amount of media, and that's the kind of attention you can't pay for." Atlanta Motor Speedway's NAPA 500 has been recognized by several key organizations for its important role in promoting tourism, with last year's event being named the Top Festival in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. "People might be surprised at the amazing impact Atlanta Motor Speedway events have on the metro Atlanta area, given all that Atlanta has to offer," Atlanta Motor Speedway President and General Manager Ed Clark said. "We're very proud to be recognized as one of the key elements in Atlanta's highly successful and storied sports tradition." This year's NAPA 500 will be the biggest in recent memory, with a new date and a completely revamped schedule. The all-new weekend kicks off with Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night, the first time NASCAR has qualified at night in track history. Adding even more excitement to our new Friday night lineup, the Goody's Dash Series will take to the track immediately after qualifying for a 150-lap shootout, the Georgia-Pacific 150, on the frontstretch quarter-mile Thunder Ring. The Aaron's 312 Busch Series race moved to Saturday, Oct. 26, from its usual spring slot, putting it right in the heart of the championship battle. As always, the weekend will culminate on Sunday with the running of the NAPA 500 Winston Cup race, one of the final events of the season, when every point will be at a premium. Great seats are available for the Oct. 25-27 NEW NAPA 500 weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and tickets start at just $40. For more information call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at 770-946-4211, or call Ticketmaster.
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