Road Atlanta – Petit Le Mans and IMSA Guide

Originally published September 2016. Last updated September 2026: added labelled current-layout circuit map (Wikimedia Commons, with attribution in caption)

Road Atlanta is a permanent road course near Braselton, Georgia, and home of Petit Le Mans — one of North America’s signature IMSA endurance races. Built in roughly six months and opened in September 1970, the track quickly earned respect from Can-Am, Trans-Am, and IMSA stars for its elevation changes and blind crests.

The venue matters because Don Panoz’s 1990s redevelopment created Petit Le Mans and helped launch the American Le Mans Series. NASCAR ownership since 2012 returned stock cars for development-series road races, but the 10-hour sports-car classic still defines Road Atlanta’s identity.

Road Atlanta anchors a south-eastern US cluster with Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course — but only Braselton combines rolling Georgia scenery with a lap record still held by a Peugeot LMP1 from 2008.

Road Atlanta facts

Lap record note: Car, motorcycle, and club layouts differ slightly. Sarrazin’s time applies to the full sports-car course in LMP1 trim.

Road Atlanta — full road course layout — Map: Will Pittenger / public domain via Wikimedia Commons

View across Road Atlanta during a major sports-car meeting

Road Atlanta opened in 1970

Construction took only about six months. The first race in September 1970 was a Can-Am round won by Tony Dean in a Porsche 908/02, beginning a reputation for a challenging, spectator-friendly lap carved into Georgia hillside.

The SCCA National Championship Runoffs called Road Atlanta home from 1970 to 1993, while IMSA Camel GT, Trans-Am, and motorcycle championships added international credibility within the first decade.

A fast and challenging racing track

The full course climbs and drops through tree-lined countryside. Drivers praise Turn 12 and the downhill approach to Turn 10A, where commitment over blind crests separates specialists from visitors.

Stéphane Sarrazin set the outright lap record of 1:06.242 in 2008 aboard a Peugeot 908 LMP1 during Petit Le Mans. On two wheels, Ben Spies lapped in 1:23.421 on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 the same year.

Rolling terrain defines much of the Road Atlanta lap

Ownership changes and safety upgrades

From 1978 the circuit changed hands several times. By the early 1990s runoff areas, barriers, and facilities needed modernisation; bankruptcy in 1993 was followed quickly by new investment and resurfacing through 1996.

Pharmaceutical entrepreneur Don Panoz bought Road Atlanta late in 1996. He widened and resurfaced the track, renovated garages, and began the pit-and-paddock expansion that supported a new flagship endurance race.

Petit Le Mans was a success from the start

Panoz revised the layout, added club circuits and runoff, and completed a new pit complex before the first Petit Le Mans in 1998 — a 10-hour, 1,000 km IMSA season finale.

Start of the 2011 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta

The race proved so successful that Panoz co-founded the American Le Mans Series in 1999, with Road Atlanta as a cornerstone round attracting European factory teams and star drivers.

NASCAR ownership and returning stock cars

NASCAR purchased Road Atlanta in 2012 as part of the Panoz Motorsports Group acquisition. The K&N East development series returned for a road-course race in 2013, echoing the venue’s place in NASCAR Busch Grand National history as an early series road race.

Motorcycle racing remains part of the Road Atlanta calendar

IMSA’s unified WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kept Petit Le Mans as the headline event while driving schools, manufacturer testing, and amateur championships filled the rest of the schedule.

Racing and events today

Professional and amateur car and motorcycle races share the calendar with corporate programmes and enthusiast track days. On-site camping during Petit Le Mans weekend is part of the event’s tradition.

Road Atlanta’s park-like setting north of Atlanta

Major weekends draw strong crowds to the hillside viewing areas

Getting there and accommodation

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is about an hour south; Athens-Ben Epps Airport offers domestic links to the north-east. Hotels and resorts sit within minutes of the circuit, and camping is available on major race weekends.

Related reading

• Daytona International Speedway — Rolex 24 and NASCAR temple
• Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course — US club-racing landmark
• Watkins Glen International — US sports-car cradle
• Charlotte Motor Speedway — NASCAR hub in the Carolinas

Address: 5300 Winder Highway, Braselton, GA 30517, United States

Phone: +1 770 967 6143

Official website: roadatlanta.com