Geologic History Shaped Racing at Road Atlanta
Aaron Getchell, CPG-11349, P.G. James E. Goetz, P.G.
Introduction
Geologic history includes processes such as plate tectonics and erosion that have shaped the earth, and subsequently has shaped human history in a broad sense by molding the hemispheres for human development, creating divides and channels for commerce, and form- ing mineral deposits (Beaumont, 2010). Landforms created by these mountain building and weathering processes have been sought after by industries requiring a specific criteria of natural resources and topography for the successful opera- tion of seaports, mining facilities, and agriculture. Recreational uses of geologic structures shaped by uplift and erosion for motorsports include land speed time trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, to hill climb championships at Pikes Peak in Colorado, to drag racing at the Palm Beach International Raceway in Florida, to car club touring at the Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina.
Every geologist has practiced “geology at 70 mph,” driving down the highway while trying to identify rock types and geologic structures observed in road cuts on the highway, to more distant geologic features in mountainous regions, but fewer geologist have practiced “geol- ogy at 130 mph” while racing at Road Atlanta. Road Atlanta is located in Braselton, Hall County, Georgia (Figure 1) where faulting metamorphic rocks and weathering iron oxides have created high topographic relief and rolling hills that have made the 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course (Figures 1 and 2) one of the most beautiful and exciting race tracks in North America.
Road Atlanta was constructed in just six months in 1969 on a 750-acre parcel of land that was once used for farming. The first race was held on September 13, 1970, and throughout the years has played host to many racing series including SCCA, Can-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA, Camel GT, Trans Am, Panoz Series, American Le Mans, and Petit Le Mans. In 1978, Road Atlanta
Figure 1 - Site Location & Layout (Insert)
was sold and subsequently, due to a number of owners over the next 15 years, Road Atlanta went into bankruptcy in 1993. A partnership then purchased Road Atlanta and constructed new build- ings, renovated other buildings, widened and resurfaced the track. In 1996, Dr. Don Panoz (nicotine patch developer and Chateau Elan Winery and Resort founder) purchased Road Atlanta after his son Danny started successfully pro- ducing and selling the Panoz Roadster. Dr. Panoz constantly improved Road Atlanta spending millions of dollars on track reconfiguration, a tunnel, safety features (such as concrete barriers and gravel traps), and garage space. His constant care and improvement helped make the track into what Car and Driver called “one of the most entertaining and challenging circuits in this or any other country.”
While the vision of developers con- structed the Road Atlanta race track, the geology of the area is the basis for creating the landforms and features of this race track that makes it so special. These features include flatter portions of land for higher speed straights, gradual
elevation changes for sweeping turns, and steep elevation changes for faster turns. A general southerly view across the landscape of Road Atlanta is shown as Figure 2. The geology has contrib- uted to the success of the race track for spectators, creating gentle slopes for
Figure 2 - General View
car corrals (such as Corvette, Porsche, BMW, Nissan, and other brands and marquis), vendor tents, and open areas for race car enthusiasts to set up a fold- ing chair or lay down a blanket to watch the racing action.
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