From a press release issued by Road Atlanta:

ROAD ATLANTA MAKES COURSE CHANGES FOR MOTORCYCLE RACERS IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY

BRASELTON, GA (Feb. 21, 2003) — Road Atlanta has taken proactive steps to increase rider safety during its professional and amateur motorcycle races by re-designing the Turn 3-4 complex of its 2.54-mile Grand Prix course.


Photo by David Allio/Road Atlanta.

Motorcycle racers will use the new 550-foot section of the course. Sports cars will continue to use the original course. Official length of the new motorcycle course has yet to be determined. The new course will be used during the AMA Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog May 15-18, the WERA Regionals July 5-6 and the WERA Grand National Finals Oct. 29-Nov. 2. The new course will also be used for the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School.

“Responding to concerns of riders and AMA Pro Racing, Road Atlanta has taken these proactive steps to increase safety and provide the riders a more exciting venue,” says Mike Swaine, President and General Manager of Road Atlanta. “We have worked closely with AMA Pro Racing in order to build a new portion of the track that addresses the safety concerns.”

Instead of taking the fast, wide sweeping turns through Turns 3-4, motorcycle racers will now make a quick left-hand turn just past the apex of Turn 2, then continue with a right and left-hand turn combination going down the hill before blending back into the original track in Turn 4. The new portion of the track, paved in the wide grassy area between the original track and the retaining wall well away from the racing surface on the left, is 36 feet wide and substantially increases the runoff room on riders’ right.

“The changes have taken the wall at Turn 4 out of the picture and make for safer racing,” says Kevin Schwantz, the 1993 500cc World Champion and member of the AMA Pro Racing Board who also runs the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School at Road Atlanta. “I feel that Road Atlanta is one of the really great road courses on the (AMA Superbike) schedule and to make changes for safety reasons is a good idea. Turns 3-4 have been a point of concern over the past couple of seasons.

“I think the changes that are being made will add another passing area, and make racing safer. It will be a more technical section. You’ll get on the brakes going into the new Turn 3A, and you’ll accelerate going down the hill. You’ll be able to pass under braking coming out of 3A. It’s not just a silly chicane everybody has to just follow through the bike in front. If you’ve got a good bike, it will make you win by more. If you’ve got a bad bike, it will make you struggle more to keep up.”

For more information visit www.roadatlanta.com.