Atlanta Motor Speedway Ignites Enthusiasm with Changes to 2011 Friday Night Drags Season

Atlanta Motor Speedway officials are infusing new energy into their popular Friday Night Drags series by updating the championship structure and amending the series rules for the upcoming 2011 season.

Friday Night Drags, the Speedway’s summer drag racing series, will feature five new drag racing classes and a unique championship points structure in order to create more-competitive racing in 2011. The changes include:

Five new Friday Night Drags racing classes, including four new motorcycle divisions: Diesel Truck; Super Sport Bike; Street Motorcycle; Cruiser Motorcycle; and Dirt Bike.
Two new Show-N-Shine car show classes: Street Rod (1949 and prior stock or custom vehicles) and Motorcycle.
A mid-season champion will be crowned in each racing division after six points races and points will be reset entering the second half of the overall 2011 season. The mid-season and second-half champions will match race at the end of the season to determine the 2011 Friday Night Drags season champion in each division.
The Three-Win Rule will require competitors who accumulate three wins in entry-level divisions to graduate to advanced classes.
Friday Night Drags and Show-N-Shine champions will be honored during Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 2011 NASCAR Labor Day weekend of night racing.

“Friday Night Drags continues to grow each year, but for 2011 we are adding several new elements to make this year’s drag racing program even better,” said Ed Clark, Atlanta Motor Speedway president and general manager. “The enhancements made for the 2011 season – new classes for racing and show cars, an updated method for crowning champions and the Three-Win Rule – should result in the most-competitive season in the five-year history of Friday Night Drags.”

In addition to the announced rules changes for the 2011 season, Atlanta Motor Speedway officials also released the upcoming schedule for Friday Night Drags. The Speedway will play host to 16 Friday Night Drags events in 2011, including 12 points races running from June 3 through Aug. 19, preceded by four non-points events for testing beginning on April 29.

2011 Friday Night Drags Schedule

April 29 Friday Night Drags Non-Points Opener & Show-N-Shine

May 6 Friday Night Drags Non-Points Event & Show-N-Shine

May 13 Friday Night Drags Non-Points Event & Show-N-Shine

May 20 Friday Night Drags Non-Points Event & Show-N-Shine

June 3 Friday Night Drags Season Points Opener & Show-N-Shine

June 10 Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine

June 17 Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine

June 24 Friday Night Drags Double Points Night & Show-N-Shine

July 1 Friday Night Drags, Show-N-Shine and Fireworks

July 8 Friday Night Drags Mid-Season Championship & Show-N-Shine

July 15 Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine

July 22 Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine

July 29 Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine

Aug. 5 Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine

Aug. 12 Friday Night Drags Double Points Night & Show-N-Shine

Aug. 19 Friday Night Drags Championship Night & Show-N-Shine

For more information about Friday Night Drags & Show-N-Shine, visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com or call 770-946-4211. You can also download this year’s rulebook and procedures by following this link http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/documents/2011_rulebook.pdf.