Atlanta Motor Speedway to lose a Cup date in 2011

In a not-so-surprising move, the Atlanta Motor Speedway announced today that they will be hosting only one race in 2011. After hosting two races a year for 50 years, the track announced today that they will hold one weekend of racing next year.

“While our schedule will change, our commitment to the racing fans who have been the heart and soul of Atlanta Motor Speedway through these years will be stronger than ever,” speedway president Ed Clark said. “Our entire staff will be even more driven to produce the top annual sporting event in Georgia for many years to come.”

In five days Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman and CEO Bruton Smith will hold a press conference at Kentucky Speedway. Although the official topic hasn’t been released, it’s pretty obvious that the track will announce that the Sprint Cup will finally be coming to the track located between Cincinnati and Louisville.

Atlanta’s first date has traditionally been held in March, a time too cold and too rainy for Kentucky. An AP report on Sunday stated that the Kentucky Cup date would occur in July, and reporter Will Graves announced via his Twitter page that the race would be in the “first 14 days” of the month.

We’ll certainly find out more about the schedule next Tuesday when Darrell Waltrip and many others stand in front of the cameras at Kentucky Speedway and give the details about the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway.