Dates set for Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Thursday Thunder, Friday Night Drags

O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags will kick off its ninth season at AMS on Friday, April 24, 2015 and continue each Friday through Aug. 28, with the exception of May 22, for a total of 18 dates.

O’Reilly Auto Parts Friday Night Drags features street-style drag racing on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s pit-lane drag strip. The grassroots racing series heralds competition among 18 different divisions, featuring a massive array of cars, trucks and motorcycles. Vehicles competing range from supercharged cars all the way down to stock vehicles seen driving local streets. Drivers will battle in a nightly, single-elimination tournament for trophies, bragging rights and season championship points.

Drag racing competition is open to all participants for an entry fee of $20. Vehicles are required to have a working seat belt, and each driver must have a DOT-approved helmet to race.

Drags will also include the Show-N-Shine open competition, with seven divisions of judging between cars, trucks and motorcycles. Show-N-Shine participation is $20 and also allows entrants to participate in the weekly Track Cruise around the 1.54-mile racing surface following judging and prior to the start of drag race eliminations. Vehicles from the Show-N-Shine will also be displayed on the frontstretch following the Track Cruise for fans to view.

Unchanged from 2014, pricing for combo tickets to compete in both the Show-N-Shine and the drag racing portion of the evening are again available for $30. Spectator admission is just $8, with children 5 and under admitted free. Exterior parking is free, and infield parking is $20.

Thursday Thunder Legends and Bandolero racing will take place every Thursday for eight weeks, from June 4 to July 23 in its 18th season at AMS. The eight-race series on the quarter-mile “Thunder Ring” will offer the future stars of racing the chance to compete for a championship trophy on one of the most challenging short tracks around. For many drivers, Thursday Thunder serves as the final step before moving on to professional-level racing in what’s proven to be a training ground for future NASCAR stars.

Last year, Albany’s Skip Nichols took the Thursday Thunder Masters Division crown, topping off an impressive resume as the winningest driver in Thursday Thunder history before he announced his retirement. Other 2014 Thursday Thunder winners include Woodrow Mullis of Hoboken in the Young Lions Division, R.S. Senter in the Semi-Pro Division, Stockbridge’s Jensen Jorgensen in the Outlaws Division and Chandler Smith of Talking Rock in the Bandits Division.

Infield admission is available for spectators wishing to watch Thursday Thunder, and passes may be purchased at the Security Command building near the speedway’s main entrance. Infield passes are $12 for adults, $5 for ages 6 through 11, and children ages 5 and younger are admitted free. Grandstand tickets for the affordable, family-friendly racing series cost 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.