The 2017 NASCAR weekend in Atlanta gets underway this Friday, March 3, as all three NASCAR national touring series make their highly anticipated return to the historic high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway. With on-track action all three days of the weekend and a plethora of fan-friendly activities happening both inside and outside the oval, it might be tough to keep track of the many attractions available to fans.
With so much going on and just three days to experience it, AMS has gathered its top-10 can't-miss attractions for fans attending the March 3-5 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Weekend.
10. Victory Lane on the Frontstretch
For the first time since Jeff Gordon scored his 85th career victory at AMS in 2011, fans will be able to experience the Victory Lane celebration up close and personal, as Sunday's post-race festivities move back to the frontstretch in 2017. Once the checkered flag flies for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, the winning car and driver will return to the start/finish line, the new home for Sunday's Victory Lane, where fans will be allowed onto the track surface to see and hear the celebration firsthand.
9. Sign the Wall During Pre-Race
Fans interested in setting foot on the famed AMS racing surface will have the unique opportunity to do so, as well as sign the outside wall near the start/finish line on the frontstretch, during the pre-race activities prior to Sundays's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. Like the Victory Lane celebration, fans will be permitted to enter the track via the catchfence gates, where they can autograph the wall and enjoy the pre-race activities in a dedicated area on the frontstretch.
8. AMS Fest
Once the on-track action winds down on Saturday, the AMS nightlife heats up. Now in its second year, AMS Fest offers fans and campers alike an opportunity to let loose in a fun, upbeat atmosphere in preparation for Sunday's Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. The heated, enclosed space includes music from a live DJ, dueling mechanical bulls, food and beverage specials, guest appearances, as well as an outdoor area for tailgate games and social hangouts. This year, AMS Fest will include a cornhole tournament to benefit Speedway Children's Charities. Teams can enter for just $30, and the winners will receive a $250 award, while second-place wins $100. Cornhole sign-ups are available here, and the party starts once the checkered flag waves on the Active Pest Control 200. Admission is free for anyone with a ticket to Sunday's race.
7. Featured Concession Items
Race fans will NOT want to miss some of the specialty concession items new to AMS in 2017. You'll definitely feel like you're in Georgia with all-new Clark Cluck. Named after AMS president Ed Clark, this delectable dish is a fried chicken breast served on a potato roll and topped with Applewood bacon, lettuce, spicy ranch and sweet pickles. The Racin' Hot Chicken Sandwich and the Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich will also tempt your taste buds, while the highly acclaimed Georgia Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake returns to offer a frozen take on your favorite lunchtime snack.
6. Fan Experience Center
Also new to AMS in 2017, the Fan Experience Center will serve as the main hub for all things race weekend to enhance the at-track experience for fans attending the race. Beyond the wealth of information available for inquiring fans, the Fan Experience Center, located in the Fan Zone, will live up to its name with a full-size replica flag stand, an interactive 10-foot-tall banking display mimicking the angle of AMS's 24-degree turns, a gallery of iconic moments in AMS history, and of course, an interactive selfie station.
5. Josh Turner Pre-Race Concert
Multi-platinum country music recording artist Josh Turner will bring his distinctively rich and deep voice to the AMS pre-race stage prior to the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 on Sunday for a one-of-a-kind performance on the frontstretch. Fans can gain stage-front access to see Turner perform popular songs like "Hometown Girl" and "Why Don't We Just Dance" with the purchase of a pre-race pit pass, which also offers access to pit road, where the 40-car lineup for Sunday's race can be viewed and photographed up close.
4. Hauler Parade
While the on-track action gets underway this Friday morning, the AMS NASCAR weekend officially kicks off Thursday night in downtown Hampton, Georgia, home of Atlanta Motor Speedway, with the annual hauler parade, as Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series transporters cruise down East Main Street in downtown Hampton on their way into the AMS infield for the weekend. NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Bobby Allison will be honored with an induction in to the City of Hampton's Speedway Lane Hall of Fame at 6 p.m. at Depot Park, before the parade gets underway at 6:30.
3. Chase U Tailgate
The biggest race-day party of the weekend will take place at the Chase U Tailgate. Geared towards college students and named after 21-year-old Cup Series driver Chase Elliott, purchasers of a $24 Chase U ticket will gain exclusive entry into the Sunday-morning tailgate taking place from 10 a.m. to noon, where they will enjoy complimentary food and beverage, live music, tailgate games, a Daytona USA racing simulator, free entry into a cornhole tournament, and a seat in the Lower Winners Grandstand for Sunday's race. Elliott himself will make an appearance at the party for a special Q&A session with tailgate attendees and will also take time to meet and chat with fans.
2. Speedway Children's Charities Auction
The Speedway Children's Charities Sunday morning auction will offer fans the chance to bid on and win an opportunity to take a lap around the 1.54-mile AMS oval with a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver during pre-race activities on Sunday. Other auction pieces will include items signed by Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, as well as a piece of stock-car sheet metal signed by Glen, Leonard and Eddie Wood of the famed Wood Brothers Racing team. The auction takes place Sunday at 10 a.m. at Bruton Smith Park.
1. Driver Q&A Sessions
Throughout the weekend, fans will have the opportunity to interact with some of their favorite NASCAR drivers at special Q&A sessions on the Folds of Honor QuikTrip Fan Stage inside the Fan Zone. Danica Patrick, Daniel Suarez and Ryan Newman, to name a few, will each make appearances, while stars from the Celebrity Host Committee like Ty Pennington, Ed Roland and John Rocker will also pay visits. A schedule and details on Fan Stage appearances is available online at the Atlanta Motor Speedway website.
For more information about the 2017 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Weekend or to purchase tickets today, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
