Remembering Lakewood Speedway


The Curtain Falls

Paul Pitzer puts his car through it's paces at Lakewood in 1977.

Paul Pitzer puts his car through it’s paces at Lakewood in 1977.

The decade of the ‘70s was not kind to Lakewood Speedway. Local races for stock cars and modifieds were the norm, with an occasional out of town sprint car or super modified event dotting the schedule here and there.

An interesting side note was the appearance of motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel at Lakewood twice in the seventies. Knievel’s first jump attempt was to take place on June 11, 1972, where he was slated to jump over 13 Cadillacs on the track’s front stretch.

The night before the jump, Knievel had opted to do a rare practice jump over four trucks. The practice run had ended with a crash, leaving Knievel with a broken lumbar vertebra and injuries to his hands.

Despite having sworn not to do so, Knievel had friends sneak him out of the hospital and back to Lakewood the day of the event, where he mounted his Harley and did a wheelie while standing in the seat for the 5,000 people in attendance.

Knievel’s second jump at Lakewood was in March of 1973. This time, the daredevil made a jump inside one of the fairgrounds’ exhibition halls. It was a successful jump, and the last appearance at Lakewood for Knievel. The jumps marked the only two times the famed stunt man appeared in Georgia.

Lakewood's last crowd, Labor Day 1979. The crowd watched Buck Simmons win the last race ever at the grand old speedway.Photo courtesy GARHOFA

Lakewood’s last crowd, Labor Day 1979. The crowd watched Buck Simmons win the last race ever at the grand old speedway.Photo courtesy GARHOFA

The city of Atlanta was fast losing interest in the speedway and the fairgrounds itself. The Lakewood Heights neighborhood that surrounded the facility had gone downhill, going from being one of the most exclusive areas in the city to a run down, dilapidated area that left the city fathers embarrassed.

Leon Sells leads Roscoe Smith past the grandstands during one of the last few events at Lakewood.Photo courtesy GARHOFA

Leon Sells leads Roscoe Smith past the grandstands during one of the last few events at Lakewood.Photo courtesy GARHOFA

By 1977, the Great Southeastern World’s Fair was cancelled. The fairgrounds itself was used only for the occasional movie shoot, including extensive scenes in the film “Smokey and the Bandit.”

Racing on Lakewood Speedway was limited. In 1979, the last two races ever were held on the track. Savannah racer Sam Summers took the next to last event there in August. The annual Labor Day classic at Lakewood turned out to be the final event held at the track.

Fittingly, legendary Georgia dirt track ace Buck Simmons took the final checkered flag at the track.

Two years later, a horse race was held at the track. It was a financial disaster and was the final event ever held at Lakewood.

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