Located in the US State of Georgia, Road Atlanta is one of America’s most famous road courses, hosting the annual Petit Le Mans Sportscar event.

Built in just six months to replace the flood-damaged Bridgehampton circuit, Road Atlanta opened in September 1970 just in time for the Can-Am race which had been seeking a new home.

At the time costing £1.3 million, the 12-corner course was immediately popular, and through a period of changing ownership and little investment its basic layout remained unchanged for almost the first 30 years of existence.

The circuit entered bankruptcy in 1993, and a quartet of businessmen bought the circuit, overseeing renovations and track widening schemes. Their ownership lasted just five years, before pharmaceutical giant Dr. Don Panoz became the owner in 1996.

Panoz oversaw the investment the circuit needed – at the end of 1997 a new chicane was added before the bridge at the end of the lap, whilst two new shorter course links were added. A new pitlane and paddock area was also completed on the infield in 1998.

Significantly, Panoz began the Petit Le Mans event in 1998, creating a new 1,000 mile (or 10-hour) race for top-level sportscar racing in the USA.

New chicane options were installed in 2003 and 2008, but the latter was removed in 2017 after proving unpopular. 2008 also saw the installation of an alternative final corner, creating a slower-speed right-hander to reduce speeds onto the start/finish straight, but it has to-date never been used in racing.

The circuit was acquired by NASCAR Holdings in 2012 with the sale of the Panoz Motorsports group of companies.