Most of us will never buy a new Ferrari. For that matter, most of us are still saving our money to install cassette-decks in our used Yugos.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t go and watch really cool cars — that also lack tape decks — zip up and down the 2.54 mile road track at Road Atlanta.
The weekend of July 25, 2015 will be especially exciting! That’s when Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) racers rule the track.
Bring the family for a day of racing.
Here’s more info from RoadAtlanta.com:
Of all the groups running at Road Atlanta, SCCA encompasses the widest variety of competition vehicles. On any given weekend you’re likely to see races with production-based cars from the smallest commuter vehicle through fire-breathing Corvettes and Vipers, single-seat formula cars from 40 hp VW engines and 600cc motorcycle drivetrains through winged monsters that resemble F1 or Indy Cars, purpose-built, tube frame “silhouette” GT cars that resemble production cars, and multiple classes of open cockpit sports racers with varying levels of performance. And while we don’t (yet) have a class for SUVs or mini-vans, we DO have a class for compact pick-up trucks!
All these cars can’t be on the track at the same time so there are multiple races for the different classes throughout the weekend, sometimes as many as eight in one day. If you happen to be disinterested in what you’re seeing right now, wait thirty minutes for something else. And for those who like to move around to various viewing spots around the track, we also have selected races that last up to three hours as well.
Another thing that sets the SCCA apart is the accessibility to the participants, both racers and workers. There are few corporate sponsors involved in Club Racing, so as you wander through the paddock drivers and crews are not hidden behind barriers and banners. Stop by the corner stations and ask the folks in white about what’s happening on the track. SCCA members are everyday people who love to share their passion for auto racing.
We cannot run race engines during Sunday’s Quiet Time (10am – noon), so we use that time to conduct a Performance Driving eXperience (PDX) event. This is not a competition activity, so it is open to a much wider variety of street cars only. Drivers are placed in one of three groups based on their experience and each group gets two 20-minute sessions on the track. Passing is allowed in designated areas with a “point by” and instructors ride with Novice students, but otherwise you get to experience Road Atlanta at greater than normal highway speeds. We invite everyone with a safe street car to join us for the Performance Driving Experience. Check out the Atlanta Region SCCA website (www.atlantascca.org) for more information.
Finally, at each of our SCCA weekends we also have Track Tours for the general public during Saturday’s lunch break. Everyone in the car must sign an insurance waiver and top speeds are controlled via a pace car leading the group, but for $20 per car you can take your street car out to see the rolling hills of Road Atlanta from a different perspective.
