Additional Photos, Page 2
Lakewood Speedway in 1946 (Editor's note: since the original publication of this story and photos, the wreck scene indicated in the photo has been proven to have actually been further up the back stretch, roughly even with the end of the ditch, just the other side of the culvert).
Lakewood Speedway today. Looking back towards the third and fourth turns, you can see the Lakewood Amphitheater and it's parking lot, which has taken much of the turn. Other than the front straightaway leading past the stands and going into the first turn, much of what is left has been disfigured. The lake is obviously much smaller, and concrete parking has replaced it. The amphitheater was identified in the above photo for a reference point only, since it was not built until 1989. The famous "Greyhound" wooden roller coaster was sadly blown up as a stunt for the film "Smokey and the Bandit 2" in 1980. The last auto race at Lakewood was Labor Day, 1979. The old agriculture buildings remain still today. Photo taken by Capt. Herb Emory (Editor's note: since the original publication of this story and photos, the wreck scene indicated in the photo has been proven to have actually been further up the back stretch, towards the camera view, roughly even with the end of the ditch, just this side of the culvert).
Grim scene at city owned Lakewood Speedway near downtown Atlanta on Labor Day, 1946. Remains of George Robson's racer, who won the Indianapolis 500 three months earlier, is in the foreground. Ahead is the car of George "Tex" Barringer. Lakewood Speedway operated until 1979 and in it's heyday was proclaimed the "Indianapolis of the South". Both tracks had taken their share of lives by 1946 and they would continue to claim even more. Ironically, both cars are former Indy winners. Robson drove a different car to victory on May 30th, but before that his mangled machine seen above had won the 1938 Indy 500 with driver Floyd Roberts. It is also the very same car Roberts crashed and died in at Indy in 1939. Barringer's car was driven to victory by Wilbur Shaw in the 1937 Indy 500. Photo courtesy Eddie Samples
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the September 2005 edition of the Pioneer Pages magazine. Since it’s publication, new information, including an eyewitness account of the accident has come to light. You can read more about that new information here.
Mike Bell is the CEO and historian for the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. (GARHOFA).
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