Back on August 9, I was fortunate enough to be present at a timeless event.
That’s when the inaugural Lakewood Speedway Family Reunion was held at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, located at the Dawsonville City Municipal Complex.
An estimated 400 or so former racers, fans and family members came out to tell stories, shake hands and remember one of the grandest speedways in history, which was located just south of Atlanta.
Brandon Reed
Veteran Racer Recalls Legendary Georgia Speedway
Among those present were NASCAR champion car owner Raymond Parks, whose drivers were constant winners at Lakewood, 1960 NASCAR champion Rex White, and 2008 GRHOF inductee Wilbur Rakestraw.
One person who got my attention was racing pioneer Tommie Irvin. Irvin started out his career as a driver, applying for his NASCAR license in 1948. He raced at Daytona Beach, and even traveled to Chicago to race for Andy Granatelli.
Irvin not only raced at Lakewood, but can also boast a victory there.
Irvin was victorious on the 1-mile dirt track in 1955 in a race held in conjunction with the annual Southeastern Fair.
Irvin says that victory was the biggest of his career. The trophy still has a place of honor in his store.
The track, which was built in 1916 around a former reservoir for the city of Atlanta, was known for its speed and its danger. The first turn was a tight cut between the lake and Lakewood Avenue.
Irvin said in a 2007 interview that the track was a fast one to race on.
“You got as fast as you wanted to go,” he said. “When you went into that upper turn, you would be running a good bit over 100 miles an hour, which was fast at that time. But when you came down through that lower turn, you’d come out at around 60 or 65 miles an hour. You lost all your momentum going around that lower turn. But coming down that straightaway, you could get on up there. You were really running.”
Along with winning the 1955 Southeastern Fair event, Irvin was present for one of the most legendary moments in the track’s history.
The facility was owned by the city of Atlanta. In an attempt to keep out former moonshine runners, the city fathers passed an ordinance barring drivers who had been convicted of hauling liquor from racing at the facility.
That led to a day when legendary Georgia racer Bob Flock decided he was going to race, city ordinance be damned.
“I remember it well,” Irvin said. “I was lined up out there, and this one car kept circling. Nobody realized at first it was Bob, because he had a handkerchief tied over his face. Then a police car came on the track, then another. They got down to the lower end, and had him hemmed up.
“He ran through the fence, and broke some boards. He took off through the field, and went up on the highway, with these police cars chasing him, and they took off down Lakewood Avenue. We found out later that it was Bob, trying to slip in there to race.”
The final automobile race at Lakewood was held in 1979. A few years later, a music venue was built on top of the fourth turn, while a parking lot covers the third corner. Very little of the legendary racetrack remains.
Irvin believes 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.”
Fortunately, there are those who care about preserving the memory of Lakewood. Around 400 of those people turned out at last month’s reunion to honor not only a legendary facility, but also racers such as Tommie Irvin who raced and won at a track that was called “The Indianapolis of the South.”
Brandon Reed is a reporter for MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Contact him at brandon@mainstreetnews.com.
One person who got my attention was racing pioneer Tommie Irvin. Irvin started out his career as a driver, applying for his NASCAR license in 1948. He raced at Daytona Beach, and even traveled to Chicago to race for Andy Granatelli.
Tommie Irvin, pictured here from 1948, recorded what he calls his biggest win at Lakewood Speedway in 1955 during the annual Southeastern Fair.
Irvin was victorious on the 1-mile dirt track in 1955 in a race held in conjunction with the annual Southeastern Fair.
Irvin says that victory was the biggest of his career. The trophy still has a place of honor in his store.
The track, which was built in 1916 around a former reservoir for the city of Atlanta, was known for its speed and its danger. The first turn was a tight cut between the lake and Lakewood Avenue.
Irvin said in a 2007 interview that the track was a fast one to race on.
“You got as fast as you wanted to go,” he said. “When you went into that upper turn, you would be running a good bit over 100 miles an hour, which was fast at that time. But when you came down through that lower turn, you’d come out at around 60 or 65 miles an hour. You lost all your momentum going around that lower turn. But coming down that straightaway, you could get on up there. You were really running.”
Lakewood Speedway, pictured here in 1949, remains one of the most legendary race tracks in the country. Photo courtesy Georgia Automobile Racing Hall Of Fame Association
The facility was owned by the city of Atlanta. In an attempt to keep out former moonshine runners, the city fathers passed an ordinance barring drivers who had been convicted of hauling liquor from racing at the facility.
That led to a day when legendary Georgia racer Bob Flock decided he was going to race, city ordinance be damned.
“I remember it well,” Irvin said. “I was lined up out there, and this one car kept circling. Nobody realized at first it was Bob, because he had a handkerchief tied over his face. Then a police car came on the track, then another. They got down to the lower end, and had him hemmed up.
“He ran through the fence, and broke some boards. He took off through the field, and went up on the highway, with these police cars chasing him, and they took off down Lakewood Avenue. We found out later that it was Bob, trying to slip in there to race.”
The final automobile race at Lakewood was held in 1979. A few years later, a music venue was built on top of the fourth turn, while a parking lot covers the third corner. Very little of the legendary racetrack remains.
Irvin believes that Lakewood would still be a viable racing facility today if it had gotten the proper guidance and attention.
The trophy from Irvin’s Lakewood victory still sits in a place of honor at his store in Northeast Georgia.
“But the city of Atlanta owned it, and they didn’t care if anybody raced there or not.”
Fortunately, there are those who care about preserving the memory of Lakewood. Around 400 of those people turned out at last month’s reunion to honor not only a legendary facility, but also racers such as Tommie Irvin who raced and won at a track that was called “The Indianapolis of the South.”
Brandon Reed is a reporter for MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Contact him at brandon@mainstreetnews.com.
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