What Is This Special Practice Session in Atlanta?

What’s Happening?

Fans who have been sleuthing on NASCAR’s Mobile App and websites have noticed that there is a “Practice” session included after Cup Series qualifying on the Saturday schedule. Practice is not common on superspeedways, but, this one is included for a very specific purpose. According to NASCAR, it is there to test pit road speed on Atlanta’s very unique pit road.

• Atlanta Motor Speedway is the only race track in NASCAR with 2 pit road speeds. Due to the tendency of bunches of cars pulling off to pit at the same time on superspeedways, Atlanta has a pit road entrance on the apron at the entrance to turn 3 with a speed limit of 90 MPH. Drivers then enter the second section of pit road, where the actual pit stalls are, off of turn four, and that area has a speed limit of 45 MPH.
• Teams often use practice sessions to test and practice pit road entry and exit at all types of tracks. Since there was no actual practice session scheduled for Atlanta, teams would have no chance to practice pit road entry. Again, Atlanta is unlike any pit road on the circuit.
• Fans are still a bit confused about the practice session in Atlanta. It’s unlike a normal practice session, and it’s there for a very specific purpose.