What do you have when you combine over two decades of thrilling racing history with live entertainment and today’s IMSA racing stars?
You get the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Motul Petit Le Mans held in the Michelin Tower at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga. The action from 5 to 8 pm on August 11th was a road course lover’s dream come true.
There were great giveaways, food & refreshments, plus you also got a chance to talk with IMSA drivers and get a commemorative autographed poster.
The Michelin Tower hospitality extended to every floor, including the heart-pumping view of the start/finish line straightaway from the 5th-story roof.
This rare total access was not lost on the large crowd who filled the first-level Podium Club to take in the evening’s festivities. In addition, the numerous giveaways added another level of excitement to an already fun event.
Exciting Inaugural Race
To fully appreciate this silver 25th anniversary, we needed to go back to the first IMSA race back in 1998. The inaugural event winner was the Doyle-Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP team, with drivers Emmanuel Collard, Eric van de Poele, and Wayne Taylor.
The winning margin was one-minute 52 seconds ahead of the second-place factory Porsche LMP1-98. The slim margin of victory was a harbinger of close racing to follow over the next two and a half decades.
As a side note, if the name Wayne Taylor perks up your racing ears, it’s because Wayne is the father of Jordon Taylor. Jordon, as you know, is a championship-winning driver for today’s factory Corvette C8.R racing team.
While we’re at it, here is another bit of Taylor family trivia concerning this historic road course. During the 2014 Motul Petit Le Mans, Wayne Taylor was the race-winning team owner.
His winning team consisted of drivers Max Angelelli and Wayne’s two sons, Ricky and Jordan. So obviously, the racing apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree in Jordon Taylor’s case.
Beyond the winning Taylor family, this 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course has seen more than its fair share of memorable racing action. Today, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is recognized as one of the world’s best road courses.
Beautiful Facilities
For those who haven’t ventured to Braselton for a race event, you should make your way up there soon. Their multi-purpose motorsports facility sits on 750 park-like acres in the lush rolling hills of Northeast Georgia.
The five-story state-of-the-art Michelin Tower has private suites and 300-person hospitality space. This newly constructed tower also houses a broadcast-level media center, meeting space, catering kitchens, race control, and a stunning rooftop deck.
Over the past three years, Vettes of Atlanta Magazine has covered a variety of professional and amateur sports car races there. Some of our favorites include the SVRA/Trans-Am race, HSR “The Mitty” event, and of course, the Motul Petit Le Man’s races.
The road course is also home to Trip Campbell’s “The Driving Club” for those searching to hone their skills on the challenging 12-turn track.
Special thanks to Keisi Miller, Senior Manager, PR, and Marketing for Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, for the invitation. Celebrating 25 years of exciting racing at Motul Petit Le Mans was fun.
Contact & Tickets
Website: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Location: 5300 Winder Hwy, Braselton, GA 30517
Phone: (800) 849-7223
Tickets: Motul Petit Le Mans
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