updated 10:35 p.m. ET July 7, 2005

HAMPTON, Ga. - The Atlanta Motor Speedway looks as if it was in a high-speed crash after a tornado caused as much as $40 million in damage.

“Everything but the track surface has suffered some kind of damage, said speedway president Ed Clark, who estimated damage of $25 million to $40 million from the storm Wednesday night. “There are some buildings that will have to be torn down.”

Entire sections of the grandstand and luxury boxes are shredded. Oak trees, flagpoles and light towers are snapped. On some of the speedway’s condominiums, the roof is caved in and windows are shattered.

Every structure at the facility, which hosts NASCAR races and smaller events, was roughed up by a half-mile-wide tornado spawned night by the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy.

While the speedway’s races for the next week have been canceled, NASCAR’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 — set for Oct. 30 — will go on, Clark said.

“We’ll be here and we’ll be running the race as scheduled,” he said.

Slide show: The Week in Sports Pictures   Oct. 3 - 9 Images from the baseball playoffs, NFL, college football, and more.

The bowl shape of the speedway helped the tornado form and it eventually remained on the ground for about four miles, also hitting the Tara Field airport in Hampton, the National Weather Service said. Four planes were overturned and two hangars were damaged at the airport.

Lans Rothfusz, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service’s Peachtree City office, said a preliminary investigation indicated the tornado was a category F-2 with winds up to 157 mph.

MORE FROM NASCAR / MOTORS

NASCAR / Motors Section Front

Breaking down the Top 12 after Texas Opinion: Drama in the Chase is still possible Opinion: Johnson still a lock to win 4th-straight Cup   Hendrick cars look to extend Phoenix success Johnson making most of lessons learned from Gordon   Phoenix track poses unique problems, benefits Busch, Tryson continue to race hard Latest NASCAR videos Live odds Matchups/injuries   NASCAR / Motors Section Front   Add NASCAR / Motors headlines to your news reader: