Living Jackson Magazine

Aerial view of Road Atlanta, 2.54-mile circuit just outside of Jackson County that is recognized as one of the finest road racing facilities in the U.S.

Jackson is Racing!
by Dave Lynn

The peaceful serenity and natural beauty of Jackson County appeal to natives, visitors and new residents alike. Still just beyond the frantic pace of metro Atlanta, the small-town charm and rural atmosphere of the community mask one of the county’s major industries. Jackson is the heart of a thriving motorsports scene, and racing in Jackson County has a rich tradition, vibrant present and promising future.

The area is home to four great tracks, a variety of racing-oriented businesses and hundreds of race team members, other employees of the industry and fans. Peach State Speedway and Lanier National Speedway cater to oval track, stock car racing. Road Atlanta serves the road racing, sports car niche, and Atlanta Dragway serves those who like their speed in a straight line. Combined, the four tracks will host more than 100 racing events this year.

Among the racing businesses in the area, several have international reputations. Élan Motorsports Technologies, located in the Jackson County area of Braselton, is an umbrella company for a number of sister enterprises involved in the design and manufacture of racing cars and components used world-wide. It is the technology branch of the Panoz Motorsports empire.
BBS is a German wheel manufacturer whose North American headquarters can be found off of Highway 53. BBS wheels are probably the finest in motorsport and are also supplied as original equipment on many premium automobiles.

Since 1967, Peach State Speedway in Jefferson has been the center of Jackson racing activities. The inaugural race of that year was won by stock car legend “Tiger” Tom Pistone. It is Georgia’s oldest and fastest operating half-mile, paved oval track. In both 1968 and 1969, Peach State hosted a race on the main NASCAR circuit featuring all the big names of the era like Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, James Hylton, LeeRoy Yarbrough and Bobby Issac.

These days, Peach State is the home base for the Georgia Asphalt Series for pro late model stock cars. This series is the biggest late model touring series in the Southeast with more than 100 registered drivers and fields that regularly feature 30 or 40 cars. Of the 16 races in the series that includes tracks in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, Peach State hosts six of the events.

The track is owned by United Speed Alliance Racing (USAR), sponsors of the Hooters Pro Cup Series. This series is a 31-race schedule run all over the eastern U.S., including two stops at Peach State. While the Georgia Asphalt Series and the Hooters Pro Cup pro late model stock cars headline the events at Peach State, the feature race is supported by a number of other classes of stock cars including pro trucks, sportsman, mini-stock and “iceman.” Track Manager Micky Cain characterizes iceman as “outlaw” late models that don’t conform to all the usual rules applied to the touring pro late models.

The track itself is a paved half-mile banked oval. The grandstands hold 5,000 fans, and the total spectator capacity is in the neighborhood of 8,000. All those fans make the speedway the second biggest attraction in the county, just behind the Tanger Mall.

You can find Peach State about 4.5 miles outside the center of Jefferson, up Hwy. 82, off Lyle Field Road. If you are coming from I-85, take the Hwy. 82 exit 140 and head southeast a little less than four miles. Ticket prices range from $10 to $20.

Just across the Hall County line on Hwy. 53 lies the area’s other paved oval. At 3/8 mile, Lanier National Speedway is smaller and younger. Opened in 1982, Lanier puts on a great show throughout its racing season, March through October, with 27 events.
The race schedule varies from week to week, featuring a variety of different classes along with occasional special appearances by the thrilling winged sprint cars or open-wheel modified stock cars. The regular feature race showcases pro late model stock cars, and the track is also a part of the Georgia Asphalt Series schedule. Support classes include pro trucks, sportsman, modified minis, factory fours, pure stock, and Legend cars. The Legends are a very popular class of scaled down replicas of the earliest stock cars from the 1930s and 40s. They are powered by big motorcycle engines and provide very exciting racing action. Most nights have a schedule of six races.

In addition to the variety on the track provided by some 125 racers each week, spectators have a number of viewing options. Spectator capacity is about 2,500.

Lanier takes great pride in providing good family entertainment that includes a playground for the kids. No alcohol is allowed on the property. The speedway is located 17 miles west of Jefferson on Hwy. 53. It is 5.5 miles west of I-85 at exit 129. Ticket prices range from $12 to $20 for adults, $3 for children under 12.

Across Hwy. 53 from Lanier is Road Atlanta, a 12-turn, 2.54-mile circuit recognized as one of the finest road racing facilities in the U.S. Since opening in 1970, the track has played host to the biggest names in sports car racing, staging a wide variety of races including the original Can-Am series, SCCA National Championship Run-offs and even a Busch Grand National event. The beautiful park-like setting offers a variety of viewing options including grandstands, VIP tents and grass-covered hillsides. Alternately, you may elect to spend your time in the paddock area getting close to the exotic racing machinery.

In 2006 Road Atlanta will be the site of 14 spectator events including five for the Sports Car Club of America, one go-kart race sanctioned by the World Karting Association, three motorcycle races, a drift event and the Walter Mitty Challenge historic sports car weekend. The crown jewel of the track is the Petit Le Mans endurance sports car race that is modeled after the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans held in France. The Petit Le Mans lasts for 10 hours or 1,000 miles and finishes after dark.

Over 320,000 visitors come to Road Atlanta annually, and fans come from 33 states and 18 foreign countries to watch the action. Ticket prices vary greatly depending on the particular event. The complete range is from $10 to $85.

The Atlanta Dragway affords a very different but equally exciting form of racing. Just don’t blink, because some of the races are over in less than 4.5 seconds! This drag strip outside of Commerce was started in 1975 by Gene Bennett, and it was purchased in 1993 by the National Hot Rod Association, the country’s premier sanctioning body for drag racing. Since then, the improvements have continued at an accelerated pace, and currently plans are in the works for more paved pit areas and paving of the corporate hospitality areas.

The marquee event at the track each year is the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in May. The track has a total of 60 other events during the March through November racing season. From Jefferson the track is about 14 miles northeast just across the Banks County line. From I-85 take the US 441, Commerce exit number 149 and go north to the track. Ticket prices range from $5 to $55.

Regardless of which track you visit, you will find a friendly family atmosphere with plenty of entertainment for everyone. For those who are race fans these facilities are ideal to get up close and have a great view of the action. For those who are not
serious race fans there are plenty of other interesting diversions, not the least of which is simply enjoying a summer evening in a festive atmosphere, or sharing a family picnic on a picturesque hillside.

Perhaps Jefferson resident and Georgia Asphalt Series driver Taylor Satterfield sums it up best when talking about Peach State: “It’s my home track—nice facilities, good people, just being around friends and family.”

Dave Lynn is a graduate of Art Center College of Design and has a Master’s Degree from Georgia Tech. His specialty is automotive design. Lynn has worked for Panoz Auto Development and Élan Motorsports Technologies.

TRACK WEB SITES:
www.peachstspeedway.com
www.georgiaasphaltseries.com
www.lanierspeedway.com
www.roadatlanta.com
www.atlantadragway.com
www.usarprocup.com