Having attended every Atlanta SX dating back to 1980, I think I have some insight into the good and bad of the race being at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The good: The outdoor venue does allow for more track and bigger fireworks.

The bad: 1) Long lines for restrooms and concessions with limited food choices. The printout for the speedway made us plan to eat at the event—what a mistake! 2) Even though I enjoy a good mudder, the main reason we attend SX more as a family vs. MX is because my group prefers to stay out of the sun and rain and walk to the hotel after the event rather than sit in traffic. 3) We liked the longer lap times, but we felt like we had been to a tennis match and sat at center court with the stretched-out layout.

And if you have made it this far, has anyone checked with Birmingham about their new stadium, with restaurants and hotels right next to it?

Oh, and one more thing: I saw two people in St. Louis with their pants ripped open by footpegs. Apparently, Dean Wilson’s was serious. It reminds me of Ricky Carmichael’s potentially deadly injury to an inner thigh [at San Diego ’99]. I remember when protection was valued over weight. What happened to “leathers” or Kevlar, or are they making pegs out of diamond-coated razorblades these days?

Eric Muth // Racer X Online