|
Ready to start
their engines
Speedway gearing
up for largest single-day sporting event in Georgia
With more than 125,000 people expected for Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops
MBNA 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 870 acres of land will be in use for this gigantic
racing weekend.
“When you look at the attendance just for the spring and fall races,
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 marquee events, the spring and fall
Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 NASCAR Winston Cup races, 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. Sunday.
“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 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 has been recognized
by several key organizations for its important role in promoting tourism,
with the 2001 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 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 kicks off with Georgia-Pacific
Qualifying Night, followed by the Brawny 150 Presented by Pork The Other
White Meat, a 150-lap shootout with the NASCAR Goody’s Dash racers
on the frontstretch quarter-mile Thunder Ring.
The action will continue with the Aaron’s 312 Busch Series race and
the drama of 12 extra miles. The weekend will culminate on Sunday with
the running of the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Winston Cup race, one of the
final events of the season, when every point will be at a premium.
Seats are available for the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 weekend at Atlanta
Motor Speedway, and weekend ticket packages start at just $69. For more
information call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at 770-946-4211,
or call Ticketmaster.
Back
to the Top of the Page Back to the Sports Home Page
|
