Labor Day, 1946
Drivers take the green flag in the AAA Indy Car event at Lakewood on July 4, 1946. Photo courtesy GARHOFA
By all accounts, the AAA Indy car event at Lakewood was expected to be a barnburner.
Center of attention was Ohio’s Ted Horn. Horn was on an incredible tear, having won 14 sprint car and Indy car races on the year leading up to September 2, not to mention five in a row in sprint cars leading up to the Lakewood race.
Horn seemed to have found some sort of magic at the Atlanta track. After finishing second in the Mike Benton Sweepstakes in March, Horn had come back to win sprint car events at the track in June and July, and a non-championship Indy Car event on July 4.
Horn was leading late in the race when one of the biggest disasters to strike the Georgia racing scene occurred.
Robson
Barringer
Lakewood promoter Sam Nunis had brought together a strong 10-car field for the event, which included 1946 Indianapolis 500 winner George Robson, a native Englishman, and Texas racer George Barringer.
Late in the race, dust became an issue at Lakewood, as it would many times in events after World War II. Kansas native Billy DeVore experienced driveshaft problems, and, with two laps remaining, was trying to nurse his car down the backstretch.
Billy DeVore works his car into turn one at Lakewood. Photo courtesy GARHOFA
The faster car of Robson came charging down the backstretch, oblivious of the ailing Devore, whose car may have been obscured by the flying dust.
As both cars neared the third turn, Robson spotted Devore, and pulled back up the track in an attempt to evade the slower vehicle.
His maneuver pulled him right into the path of a fast moving Barringer, who made hard contact with Robson. Robson’s car, now out of control, made contact with DeVore. The impact sent DeVore’s car into the lake, while Robson’s car flipped end-over-end.
Robson’s car following the crash.
Robson was thrown from the tumbling racer, and was apparently run over at least twice by racers who had no idea of the carnage they were passing through.
Indiana driver Bud Bardowski became involved in the accident as well, but would suffer only facial cuts. DeVore came away with a broken collarbone.
Barringer is lifted from his crashed machine.
But Robson and Barringer were not so lucky. Both were transported to nearby Grady Hospital, where they died shortly thereafter.
Race leader Ted Horn saw the accident occur ahead of him, and actually struck something on the track. He stopped his racer, and tried to flag down the other competitors to keep them from becoming involved in the carnage.
According to newspaper reports at the time, Horn also aided DeVore from his waterlogged racer before returning to the cockpit and finishing the race. While Horn was declared the race winner, he lost the win to a protest from George Conner weeks later.
What had been intended to be a sunny, fun filled race to celebrate Labor Day instead left the capacity crowd at Lakewood in stunned silence after seeing two of the day’s heroes die in backstretch melee.