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We Went Fast

Road Atlanta

Braselton, GA

On April 15th, 1972, history was made. The famous Road Atlanta racing course in Braselton, Georgia hosted the first ever round of the Pro Motocross Championship in its infield. Filling the famous road course that hosts the Petit Le Mans IMSA series finale with red clay, the track has a special place in history as the inaugural season opener.

Fast Facts

Venues

David Sloyer, Earl Walker and Arthur Montgomery combined in 1969 to purchase 750 acres of farm land in Braselton, Georgia. Located an hour northeast of Atlanta, the trio began to develop a world class racing course, building Road Atlanta in six months due to accepting a Can-Am race date. The track hosted its first event in 1970 and welcomed the Pro Motocross Championship to its infield six times, including a pair of dates in the first two seasons. Currently owned by the IMSA racing series, the track currently hosts IMSA’s finale, Formula Drift, and previously welcomed the AMA Superbike series to the 2.54 mile track.

1972-The First Chapter

After years of Trans-AMA and Inter-Am races, the AMA created the AMA Motocross Championship, providing a series to pit the best American racers against each other. By taking existing rounds and simply excluding the European racers from the points, fans could enjoy watching worldwide talent compete and see the best from the US fight for a trophy. A pair of New Yorkers riding CZ motorcycles became the first national winners in the history of the sport.

Barry Higgins and Sonny DeFeo etched their names into the history books as the first ever AMA national winners. Higgins won the 500 class overall, pulling away with Gary Bailey behind in the first moto. Higgins lost the second moto to Gary Semics, but returned to the top spot for a strong 1-2-1 day. In the 250 class, DeFeo used consistency to secure the overall win. His three 2nd place finishes put him ahead of Sweden’s Gunnar Lindstrom, who went 5-1-1.

1982-Red All Over

The final edition of the Road Atlanta national was swept by a pair of Honda riders. Donnie Hansen and Darrell Shultz put their Hondas out front in the Georgia clay. Hansen took a 1-1 sweep in the 250 class, gaining ground on points leader Rick Johnson. RJ went from 37th to 4th in the first moto, before shock issues dropped him to 11th later in the say. Shultz’s 500 class win marked a momentum swing, with points leader Kent Howerton crashing out of the series. The Suzuki rider took third in the first moto behind Danny Chandler and Shultz before disaster struck. Howerton crashed in the “high section”, with his Suzuki swapping. This resulted in a fractured tibia and ended his season, as Shultz took a 30 second win over new points rival Chuck Sun.

This interactive table details the all-time leaders at Road Atlanta. Who has the most starts, wins, podiums and points. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.

All-Time Leaders

This interactive table details the Road Atlanta winners history. Who won in what year and what round was this venue. Filter by class. On mobile, slide left to access more columns. To see all years of data, become a member of the We Went Fast Garage and help us continue (and expand) these unique views of the sport’s history.

Winner History

Race Results