Atlanta Motor Speedway is dead. Long live EchoPark Speedway.
On Tuesday, owner Speedway Motorsports (SMI) announced the 65-year-old venue has been renamed to EchoPark Speedway after its naming rights were acquired by EchoPark Automotive. The track had been known as Atlanta Motor Speedway since 1991, and before that was Atlanta International Raceway.
EchoPark Automotive is a used car dealership that’s part of the Sonic Automotive line of auto retailers. Both are owned by the Smith family, who also operates Speedway Motorsports, essentially making the renaming a case of handing funding from one part of the family to another.
The EchoPark name has sprung up in NASCAR at various times since 2021, exclusively at SMI-run facilities: it sponsors the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, which is not owned by SMI but the company serves as race organiser, as well as the EchoPark Restart Zone, where drivers are permitted to get up to speed coming to the green flag. The Cup Series race at SMI’s Texas Motor Speedway was called both the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 and 400 from 2020 to 2025.
The company also maintains service and sponsorship stations at all nine tracks operated by SMI.
“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” Sonic Automotive head and SMI co-owner David B. Smith stated. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
As part of the rebranding, the track’s walls have been repainted in EchoPark’s green from their original red, white, and blue pattern. The winner of the Quaker State 400 in late June, the first Cup race as EchoPark Speedway, will also receive a “nearly new” Chevrolet Silverado not unlike what would be available in the company’s catalogue.
“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” SMI president and David’s brother Marcus Smith commented. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”
The contract runs for seven years. A specific sum was not disclosed, but has been described as a “multi-million dollar agreement.”
Christopher Bell is the final driver to win under the Atlanta Motor Speedway name.
Track sponsorships not uncommon
Fans are usually not a fan of sponsorship renaming entire facilities, feeling they compromise the venue’s history and identity in favour of a corporate brand. However, it is the norm for American sports stadiums; for example, all but three of the 30 active NFL stadiums have sold their naming rights.
In contrast, NASCAR circuits are usually not susceptible to this. While track renamings have occurred, they’re usually fairly minor such as when Richmond International Raceway simplified to Richmond Raceway in 2018 or Dover International Speedway becoming Dover Motor Speedway three years later after being acquired by SMI.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it never happened. In fact, EchoPark Speedway is not the only venue on the 2025 Cup Series schedule with a corporate partner. While most refer to Gateway Motorsports Park by its longtime name, it has been known as World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway since 2019.
Charlotte Motor Speedway, the de facto home track of SMI, used to be Lowe’s Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009. It was one of the few cases where fans are generally accepting of a corporate name as fan nostalgia often associates NASCAR’s peak as well as the Jimmie Johnson era with that name; the seven-time champion was sponsored by Lowe’s for much of his career and won at “Lowe’s Motor Speedway” six of eight times.
Before adopting its current name in 2012, Sonoma Raceway was called Infineon Raceway from 2002 to 2011.
Phoenix Raceway is a rare case of a track having two corporate names. From 1973 to 1976, what was then Phoenix International Raceway went by FasTrack International Speedway, though one could argue this was different from the usual naming rights acquisition: FasTrack was a brand by sports car manufacturer General Vehicle Inc., who wanted to use Phoenix as a proving ground and test track for some of its products.
A slate of financial troubles for GV led to the track being sold and the PIR name restored. Phoenix was renamed again in 2018 to ISM Raceway as part of a massive renovation project that earned the track the championship race; although ISM’s contract was to run for ten years, it ended after just three.
Craftsman Truck Series venue Indianapolis Raceway Park is officially called Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, a happy medium between retaining its historic identity and embracing the Lucas Oil sponsorship. Previously, the track went by O’Reilly Raceway Park and Lucas Oil Raceway.
California Speedway, which now sits dormant as NASCAR struggles to reconfigure it into a short track, was known as Auto Club Speedway from 2008 until its closing. Other tracks formerly on the NASCAR calendar with corporate names include Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, and United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
