2016 Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports Mitty
Started in 1969 and opened in 1970, Road Atlanta is an iconic American motorsports facility with quite the racing history. Every year since 1978, Road Atlanta has been host to what has come to be known as the Classic Motorsports Mitty, a 3-day event that promises to “resurrect the past glories of sports car racing for a modern audience”. In addition to the excellent on-track action you see in this article, the Mitty is host to a number of other events which, in 2016, included a skidpad challenge, test drives, a Concours d’LeMons (car show of crappy and/or weird vehicles), live music, technical seminars, and more.
Since 2004, Classic Motorsports has been the title sponsor, and many of you may be more familiar with their sister/parent publication, Grassroots Motorsports. Here David Wallens (background) oversees the installation of a new undertray on the GRM Ford Mustang on the vendor midway.
As one might expect at any major motorsports gathering, the vendor midway was packed with food, manufacturer, tool and other displays.
The racer’s paddock additionally featured full-on racing supplies courtesy of Wine Country Motorsports.
Speaking of the paddock, Road Atlanta has not only one but two huge areas for racers to park themselves. The registration count for vehicles at this year’s event exceeded 270, with some wheelmen (and women) piloting multiple cars in multiple groups.
As one might imagine, getting around Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile course situated on around roughly 750 acres is no easy feat. But people get very creative with their transportation.
However, for those who prefer a more fixed view of the festivities, camping and tailgating is allowed. The track was completely lined with RVs and tents as far as the eye could see.
