Georgia Magazine - August 2019 - 17

Atlanta Motorsports Park offers high-speed
adventures for the whole family
Story by Cameron Whitlock * Photos by Walter Sippel

very weekend, Doug Evans and his 15-year-old son,
Erik, make the hourlong journey from Johns Creek,
north of Atlanta, to the southern edge of the Chattahoochee
National Forest. Their destination is a country club just outside
Dawsonville. But the father and son aren't looking for a relaxing
weekend of golf. They're hoping for a thrill ride on the unique
racetracks at Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP).
AMP opened to members in 2011. Founder and CEO
Jeremy Porter began drafting plans for a personal go-kart track
in 2000. As a veteran Formula ICC kart racer, Porter wanted to
create a place where he and his friends could race one another
informally. He also wanted to make his proposed track accessible to the public in an area where no such tracks existed.
But as his idea expanded, so did the scope of Porter's business, leading to an all-encompassing motorsports country club.
The concept was a growing trend in the late 2000s, with similar
clubs opening up all over the country.
The basic premise is similar to that of a traditional golf
country club. But instead of an 18-hole golf course, motorsports
country clubs offer members the chance to drive on state-ofthe-art racetracks, along with exclusive events and training
opportunities.
"We've become an adrenaline-seeking society," Porter says.
"Our demographic is your next-door neighbor who might own a
sports car, not the professional race car driver."

Go-kart enthusiasts can test their skills on AMP's kart track at speeds
up to 55 mph. AMP offers public karting Tuesdays though Saturdays
from 1-8 p.m.

Not your grandpa's country club
Today, AMP has nearly 600 members and is one of the
nation's largest and most active motorsports communities.
While many of its members are here in Georgia, AMP frequently
hosts members and companies from around the world, Porter
points out.
That's due, in part, to the international draw of its 2-mile
road circuit, designed by world-renowned Formula One racetrack engineer Hermann Tilke. AMP's kart circuit is also one-ofa-kind, boasting 43 feet of elevation changes-the most of any
kart track in the world.
AMP car/motorcycle members have access to an expertdriver development program that helps novice drivers acquire
the skills they'll need to take their cars on the track for the first
time. While membership is required to drive on the 2-mile road
circuit, AMP's weekly karting sessions are open to the general
public.
Since its public opening in 2012, AMP has added facilities
and programs yearly. AMP's clubhouse and conference center

Students in AMP's Primal Racing School learn racing techniques
behind the wheel of a Radical SR1.

serve corporate members who use the facilities to entertain
potential clients.
"It's so hard to get a client on the phone," Porter says. "But
if you say, 'I'm headed out to the motorsports park; do you want
to come take a few laps in my sports car?' they'll say yes. And
you can create a closer relationship in five or 10 laps than you
could in months of golfing."
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Georgia Magazine - August 2019

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