Remembering Lakewood Speedway


Death Of A Speedway

Lakewood’s last chance came with a promoter who wanted to reopen the track and return it to its former glory. The lease holder of the property wanted around $25,000 for the right to use the track, not counting the money it would take to get the track in shape to race. The promoter passed, and the final nail was driven into Lakewood’s coffin.

The death of the great Greyhound rollercoaster as part of the filming of Smokey and the Bandit 2.

The death of the great Greyhound rollercoaster as part of the filming of Smokey and the Bandit 2.

Soon thereafter, the old Greyhound roller coaster, which had graced the area behind the track for so many years, was destroyed as part of a stunt for the film “Smokey and the Bandit 2.”

A musical venue was built outside of turn four. The ticket entrance was placed on top of the turn, with a drainage ditch cutting turns three and four in half.

Much of the lake was filled in to provide for a parking area for the venue. The front stretch was paved for an access road. Turn two was covered with tons of dirt to provide an entrance off of Lakewood Avenue. The backstretch was paved for an access road. A mysterioius 1996 fire claimed the press box atop the grandstands.

Lakewood Speedway, as it had been known for over 70 years, was no more.

This painting, done by legendary car painter Ron Edwards, is on display at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Lakewood's memory.

This painting, done by legendary car painter Ron Edwards, is on display at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Lakewood’s memory.

Today, very little of the speedway remains. If you know where to look, and what you’re looking for, you can still make out the lay of the land for turn three. The wall off of turn four remains. Treacherous turn one remains.

Tommie Irvin believes it didn’t have to be this way, if the city had wanted to keep the track alive.

Irvin says that Lakewood would still be a viable racing facility today if it had gotten the proper guidance and attention.

“If the city of Atlanta had paved it, I don’t believe there would be an Atlanta Motor Speedway there today,” Irvin said back in 2007. “They had the parking, they had the security, they had the fences, they had plenty of room there, and they had the ideal race track. Everybody loved Lakewood. I’ve seen boys from Illinois and everywhere up north come down to race there. They really had a racetrack down there.

“But the city of Atlanta owned it, and they didn’t care if anybody raced there or not.”

Rumor has it that what remains of the track and the fairgrounds will be razed to build cheap apartments for the neighborhood, destroying years of history in the process.

A look at what remains of Lakewood Speedway today. This photo was taken by famed Atlanta traffic reporter Capt. Herb Emory from just overhead turns one and two of the old track.

A look at what remains of Lakewood Speedway today. This photo was taken by famed Atlanta traffic reporter Capt. Herb Emory from just overheard turns one and two of the old track.

But for many, Lakewood lives on. In 2008, the first Lakewood Reunion was held at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville, bringing around 400 former racers, mechanics and fans together.

Those people carry the stories and memories of Lakewood with them. As long as those stories continue to be told and shared, Lakewood will live on.

As to Lakewood itself, it’s nice to imagine that maybe, late at night, if you listen with the right kind of ears, you can still hear the cars tearing down the front stretch and flying off into turn one. Maybe you could even see the dust flying up as they worked through the turn.

Racing after one more piece of glory at the “Indianapolis of the South.”


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