# Banked Turns, Fast Cars, and a Perfect Guys Weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway *By James Hills, mantripping.com — Updated May 2026* Atlanta Motor Speedway sits 30 miles south of downtown Atlanta in Hampton, Georgia, and it's one of the most overlooked NASCAR Cup weekends for a guys trip. Two race weekends a year, full infield RV camping, a tailgate scene that runs all day, and a track that since the 2022 reprofile races like Daytona or Talladega - drafting packs, three-wide finishes, and the kind of pack-racing chaos that keeps the grandstand on its feet. Here's how to plan a NASCAR guys trip around race weekend at AMS, plus how to extend it into a full Atlanta long weekend. ** Questions** ** No answer selected. Please try again. Please select either existing option or enter your own, however not both. Please select minimum {0} answer(s). Please select maximum {0} answer(s). /polls/travel-and-trip-ideas/what-do-you-prefer-to-call-your-guys-trips.html?task=poll.vote&format=json 1 Guys Trips (452 votes / 45.66%) 45.66% votes Guys Getaways (87 votes / 8.79%) 8.79% votes Mancations (97 votes / 9.8%) 9.8% votes Brocations (137 votes / 13.84%) 13.84% votes [{"id":5,"title":"Guys Weekends","votes":217,"type":"x","order":1,"pct":21.9200000000000017053025658242404460906982421875,"resources":[]},{"id":6,"title":"[Guys Trips](https://www.mantripping.com/guys-trip.html)","votes":452,"type":"x","order":2,"pct":45.659999999999996589394868351519107818603515625,"resources":[]},{"id":7,"title":"Guys Getaways","votes":87,"type":"x","order":3,"pct":8.78999999999999914734871708787977695465087890625,"resources":[]},{"id":8,"title":"Mancations","votes":97,"type":"x","order":4,"pct":9.800000000000000710542735760100185871124267578125,"resources":[]},{"id":9,"title":"Brocations","votes":137,"type":"x","order":5,"pct":13.839999999999999857891452847979962825775146484375,"resources":[]}] ["#ff5b00","#4ac0f2","#b80028","#eef66c","#60bb22","#b96a9a","#62c2cc"] ["rgba(255,91,0,0.7)","rgba(74,192,242,0.7)","rgba(184,0,40,0.7)","rgba(238,246,108,0.7)","rgba(96,187,34,0.7)","rgba(185,106,154,0.7)","rgba(98,194,204,0.7)"] 350 ** Vote Now** Vote Form** ResultVotes ** What's New About Atlanta Motor Speedway** This article has been updated since its original publication in 2022. Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the easiest NASCAR weekends to plan as a group - real Cup racing, infield camping that's part of the experience, and a 30-mile run back to downtown for the after-party. - Two NASCAR Cup Series weekends a year: the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 in March and the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart in July - the summer race runs Sunday night under the lights for the better atmosphere. - Reprofiled in 2022 to 28-degree banking with superspeedway-style aero packages, so the racing has become Daytona/Talladega-style drafting packs rather than the old single-file intermediate snoozer. - Full infield RV camping plus several other on-site campgrounds let the whole group live on the property all weekend instead of dealing with hotel-to-track logistics. - The cooler policy is generous - up to a 14x14x14 soft-side cooler per guest into the grandstand - so the tailgate game is real, not just lukewarm beers from the concession line. - 30 miles to downtown Atlanta means the weekend can fold in a Friday night out, a Braves game, or serious BBQ before or after the race day. ** Article Index** [Understanding the Track](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#understanding-the-track)[Ticketing and Access](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#ticketing-and-access)[Tailgating and Coolers - What You Can Bring](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#tailgating-and-coolers-what-you-can-bring)[Camping at the Track](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#camping-at-the-track)[Dining and Refreshments](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#dining-and-refreshments)[Activities and Attractions](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#activities-and-attractions)[Tips for First-Time Visitors](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#tips-for-first-time-visitors)[Combining With Downtown Atlanta](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#combining-with-downtown-atlanta)[Planning Your AMS Guys Weekend](https://www.mantripping.com/travel/guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta-motor-speedway.html#planning-your-ams-guys-weekend)   Atlanta Motor Speedway - officially renamed EchoPark Speedway in June 2025 under a 7-year sponsorship deal, though most fans and most search engines still call it AMS - is at 1500 Tara Place in Hampton, Georgia, about 30 miles south of downtown Atlanta. The track's official directions point you to Exit 218 off I-75 to GA-20 West for about 10 miles. On race weekends you can also take Exit 235 and continue south on US-19/41 for roughly 15 miles, which is the route most veterans use to dodge the worst of the Cup-Sunday backup at Exit 218. Guys Trip Destinations and Getaway Ideas MANTRIPPING [Park City Summer Guys Trip: World-Class Adventures Beyond The Slopes](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/api/flowads/click/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mantripping.com%2Ftravel%2Fexploring-park-city-utah-in-summer.html&id=1475&type=blog&site=mantripping) [Read More →](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/api/flowads/click/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mantripping.com%2Ftravel%2Fexploring-park-city-utah-in-summer.html&id=1475&type=blog&site=mantripping) MANTRIPPING [Ten Reasons Why Guys Love a Viking River Cruises Rhine Getaway](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/api/flowads/click/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mantripping.com%2Ftravel%2Freasons-why-guys-will-love-a-viking-cruise.html&id=1476&type=blog&site=mantripping) [Read More →](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/api/flowads/click/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mantripping.com%2Ftravel%2Freasons-why-guys-will-love-a-viking-cruise.html&id=1476&type=blog&site=mantripping) CRUISEWESTCOAST [Should You Buy Cruise Ship Wi-Fi? A First-Timer Cruiser's Guide to Staying Connected At Sea](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/api/flowads/click/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcruisewestcoast.com%2Ffirst-timers-guide-to-staying-connected-on-a-cruise.html&id=379&type=blog&site=mantripping) [Read More →](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/api/flowads/click/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcruisewestcoast.com%2Ffirst-timers-guide-to-staying-connected-on-a-cruise.html&id=379&type=blog&site=mantripping) We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Hartsfield-Jackson is the flight-in: about a 30-minute drive from the airport to the track on a normal day, longer on race weekends. Rental car from ATL is the move if you're driving down for the day; rideshare runs reliably between the airport and the track for groups who plan to camp or stay in a track-area hotel. For accommodations, the hotel cluster in Hampton, McDonough, and Stockbridge keeps you within 15 minutes of the gate. If you want the actual race-weekend experience, camp the property. ## Understanding the Track The track is a 1.54-mile quad-oval that was completely reprofiled in 2022 - the banking jumped from 24 degrees to 28 degrees in the turns, the racing surface was narrowed from 55 feet down to 40 feet in the turns, and the asphalt was repaved fresh. The result is a track that NASCAR now classifies and runs as a superspeedway, with the same 510-horsepower restricted engines and 7-inch spoilers used at Daytona and Talladega. What that means for the racing: drafting packs, side-by-side and three-wide for laps at a time, big mid-race wrecks, and the leader changing hands a dozen times before the final stretch. If your last memory of an Atlanta race was the old single-file intermediate-track product, the new Atlanta is a different sport. It also means lead changes happen all over the field, so the cheap seats in the back stretch see basically the same race as the expensive turn-one boxes. Capacity sits around 71,000 in fixed grandstand seating, with the figure climbing past 125,000 once you count the infield, the camping areas, and the standing-room sections. Track has Victory Lane access on tours, RV-friendly infield, and the usual concession and merchandise infrastructure throughout the property. ## Ticketing and Access Atlanta Motor Speedway uses the typical NASCAR ticket structure: general grandstand seats, premium suite-style packages with shared table seating and wait service, and best-value tickets that pair an assigned seat with access to social areas like the rooftop. Pre-race track passes - the chance to walk pit road before the green flag - come with most ticket levels for Sunday's race. For seat selection: since the 2022 reprofile turned AMS into a drafting-pack track, lead changes happen everywhere on the circuit, so the frontstretch seats are no longer the default play. The turn-one stands give you the cars at corner entry, the backstretch is where the big runs build, and the rooftop social areas put the whole track in view at once. For a group's first AMS race, the backstretch or rooftop is usually a better hang than chasing the frontstretch line. Pricing changes seasonally and varies a lot between the March and July weekends and between the two Cup races and any companion Xfinity/Truck Series events, so check the [official AMS site](https://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/) for current rates before you book your NASCAR [mancation](https://www.mantripping.com/mancation.html). Tickets purchased in two-packs typically include a weekend parking pass; premium ticket levels usually include complimentary parking automatically. ## Tailgating and Coolers - What You Can Bring The cooler policy at AMS is more generous than most major sports venues, and the specifics matter for the tailgate plan. - **Two items per person** through admission gates - any combination of bags (up to 18" x 18" x 14") and soft-side coolers (up to 14" x 14" x 14"), with a max of one cooler per guest. So two bags, or one bag plus one cooler, or one cooler on its own. - **Pack your own food + non-alcoholic drinks** - snacks, sandwiches, sealed water/soda are all fine. - **No glass containers** at all. No hard or foam coolers in the grandstand (those are fine in the camping/tailgate areas outside the gates). - **No outside alcohol** into the grandstand. Booze stays in your campsite tailgate; you buy beer inside the gates. - **No weapons**, no umbrellas, no knives over 3 inches closed or 6 inches open. The freeze-water-bottles-the-night-before trick is universal NASCAR wisdom for the summer race - frozen bottles double as ice in the soft-side, and you have ice-cold water as they melt through the Georgia heat. The full tailgate setup with grills, full coolers, and folding chairs lives outside the gates in your parking lot or campsite. ## Camping at the Track Camping at AMS is most of why this venue is on the NASCAR guys-trip shortlist. The whole property turns into one continuous tailgate from Thursday or Friday night through Monday morning. Few NASCAR weekends let you live on the property like this. Track-side options worth knowing: - **Flock Brother Campground** - the XL infield sites between turns 3 and 4. You're literally inside the racing surface for the weekend. Largest spots, full-immersion infield experience, and the most expensive of the AMS camping options. - **Legends RV Campground** - between the Main Entrance and Entrance E, shaded sites by a small lake with the social amenities (The Gathering Place, dog park, bocce and cornhole courts). The "settled-in" RV option for guys who want a quieter setup than the infield. - **General property camping** - additional grass and gravel sites across the AMS Campground, with pull-through and back-in options up to 25' x 50', full 50-amp hookups including water and sewer at the larger sites, shower facilities, and on-site firewood/ice. If your group doesn't own RVs, RV rentals delivered to the campground site are now common via Outdoorsy and RVezy and turn this into a no-truck-required trip. Book the camping spot first, then have an RV delivered to it - the rental and the site are separate transactions. ## Dining and Refreshments Inside the gates, expect the typical NASCAR concession lineup - hot dogs, burgers, BBQ sandwiches, smoked turkey legs, loaded nachos, plus the Taste of AMS food court running regional specialties and funnel cakes. Beer is available throughout the grandstand and concourses. Cash or cards work everywhere. For real food outside the track, Hampton itself has the predictable fast-food chains plus a few solid local-bistro options. McDonough and Stockbridge each sit 15 minutes away with broader sit-down options, including some respectable Southern places. If you're combining the weekend with a downtown Atlanta night - which we'd recommend - drive in early Friday and hit one of the city's BBQ landmarks like Fox Bros or Heirloom Market, or a steakhouse downtown before retreating to your AMS camp or hotel for Saturday. ## Activities and Attractions The biggest off-race-day move at AMS is the Richard Petty Driving Experience and NASCAR Racing Experience, both of which operate at the track. A 6-lap ride-along puts you in the passenger seat of an actual NASCAR Cup-style car; the drive-it-yourself packages put you behind the wheel. This is the activity that converts the "I'm not really into NASCAR" guy in your group, and it books out for race weekends - schedule it well before you fly down. Pricing varies by package and date - check the experience operator's site for current rates. Race weekends themselves include the Cup race plus a full undercard - typically a Saturday Xfinity Series race, sometimes a Friday Truck Series race. Pre-race pit walks, driver autograph sessions, and infield access vary by ticket tier and weekend, so verify with the ticket package before assuming you're getting any specific perk. ## Tips for First-Time Visitors A few specifics that make the weekend smoother: - **Arrive early on race day** - traffic on Highway 19/41 gets ugly by 11 AM for an afternoon green flag (the March race). For the July night race, the buildup runs all afternoon but the worst pinch hits around 6 PM. Be at the gate at least 2 hours before the green either way. - **Hearing protection is mandatory**, not optional. Foam earplugs are the minimum; industrial-style earmuffs are better if you're in the lower grandstand or doing a pit walk. Many vendors sell them at the gate but they're cheaper at the gas station you pass on the way in. - **Rent a scanner** if you want the actual NASCAR fan experience. Listening to your driver talk to his crew chief between laps - and to the spotter calling traffic in real time - is the kind of thing that converts the "just cars going in circles" skeptics in your group. Rentals are available at the track or in advance online. - **Sunscreen and a hat** - the grandstands have minimal shade. The March race can run cold and breezy; the July night race can still be 85 degrees at 9 PM. Pack for both ends. - **Leave 60-90 minutes after the checker** if you're parked outside. The traffic plan funnels everyone through the same exits and patience saves you an hour. Campers can ride out the worst of it from the camp. - **Download the official AMS app** for live timing, seat-finder, and concession-line indicators. The track-wide WiFi has gotten reliable; cell coverage from outside carriers is still hit-and-miss in the lower grandstand bowls. ## Combining With Downtown Atlanta The strongest play on [Georgia guys trips](https://www.mantripping.com/united-states/georgia.html) is treating AMS as the anchor of a longer Atlanta weekend rather than a one-shot day. Fly into ATL Thursday night, do a Friday night out in Midtown or Buckhead, drive south Saturday for Xfinity-Series day and overnight at the campground or a Hampton hotel, watch the Cup race Sunday, and roll back into Atlanta Sunday night for the wind-down. That gets you a sports anchor, a real-city night out, and a Sunday afternoon of NASCAR - one weekend that checks the racing-trip box and the city-weekend box in one shot. ## Planning Your AMS Guys Weekend The Cup race weekend you pick matters more than anything else. The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 in late March is the spring race - cooler weather, smaller crowds, easier-to-find tickets and camping. The Quaker State 400 in mid-July is the night race - bigger atmosphere, hotter weather, lights-on racing, and the harder weekend to book late. If your group only has one shot, take the July night race. The racing is the best it's been at an intermediate-track venue since the 2022 reprofile, the on-site camping makes the weekend itself the event, and a 30-mile drive into downtown Atlanta gets your group to BBQ, a Braves game in season, or a real night out within an hour of the checker flag. The move is to book the weekend first, pack the cooler second, and decide last which end of the trip gets the city night. Details Written by: James Hills Last Updated: 26 May 2026 ### 🚢Ready To Book A Vacation? Let us help you plan a cruise, all-inclusive resort, or tour for your next guys trip, family vacation, or romantic getaway. 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