Atlanta Motor Speedway will have a feel of the holiday season this week as the speedway celebrates Christmas in July as part of Thursday Thunder, the grassroots short track racing series.
Featuring an appearance by Santa Claus, Christmas in July will include holiday decorations throughout the grandstand concourse and gift giveaways, which will be certain to get fans into the Christmas spirit. Free grandstand admission will be granted to any fans dressed like “Cousin Eddie,” Randy Quaid’s character from the famous movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
All kids 12 and under in attendance will receive a free ticket to Global Rallycross Atlanta, which will be held Aug. 10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Double Features Pivotal For Championship Contenders
With just two weeks remaining in the 2013 season of Thursday Thunder, each feature race becomes more pivotal for drivers seeking a season points crown. This week will once again be headlined by double feature racing on the “Thunder Ring,” giving drivers a golden opportunity to move into position to win a title prior to next week’s championship night.
A handful of drivers enter this week having used last week’s double features to solidify their positions within their respective divisions. Payton Ryan entered last week as the leader of the Fun Junction Young Lions division. But a pair of feature wins by William Byron catapulted him to the points lead, seven markers ahead of Ryan and Woodrow Mullis.
In the Masters division, Tina Johnson enters Thursday’s double features riding a strong wave of momentum. Johnson finished third in last week’s first feature and followed that up by winning the second feature in what was a popular win among both fans and drivers. Johnson enters this week second in the division points standings, seven points behind Skip Nichols. Nichols finished first and second in last week’s double features and is a six-time champion at Thursday Thunder.
This Week And Upcoming At Thursday Thunder
Race fans can eat dinner while watching Legends and Bandolero action for a very affordable price this week during the second “Thirsty Thursday” of the season. Fans will be treated to $1 hot dogs,chips, candy and 12 oz. soft drinks. Additionally, beer will be sold for $2.
During intermission, fans will be treated to the lightning-fast speed of sprint cars during the USCS Sprint Car showcase, which will serve as a practice session for the Sprint Car Shootout that will take place on Friday, Aug. 30 of the NASCAR night race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Next week, champions will be crowned at Thursday Thunder as the 2013 season concludes. To celebrate a successful 2013 season, one of the Atlanta area’s largest fireworks displays of the summer light up the sky during the Papa John’s Pizza Fireworks Extravaganza. Fans are reminded that a full, unobstructed view of the fireworks is offered from either the grandstands or pit area of Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Each week, Thursday Thunder will present an interactive experience for families, with concourse activities such as face painting, woodworks, an autograph session with competitors and more. Plus there will be contests and games for spectators to participate in while in the grandstands, like a Root Beer Chugging contest, trivia, dance contests and more.
Tickets for the affordable, family-friendly racing series costs just $6 for adults, $2 for children ages 6 through 11 and is free for children ages 5 and younger. For more information, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway Ticket Office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
To test drive your own Legends machine, or for more information about Legends racing, call Legends of Georgia director Dwight Pilgram at (770) 707-2977 or visit www.legendsofga.com.