The Indianapolis of the South | |
250px | |
Location | Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
Time Zone | UTC -5/-4 (DST) |
Capacity | 15,000 (grandstands) |
Opened | 1917 |
Closed | 1979 |
Major Events | World Stock Car Championship Round of Atlanta |
Dirt Oval (1917 - 1979) | |
Surface | Dirt |
Distance | 1.000 mi (1.609 km) |
Turns | 4 |
Banking | Semi-banked |
Lakewood Speedway was a one-mile race track in Lakewood, Georgia, adjacent to the Lakewood Fairgrounds just south of Atlanta. The track was initially built to host horse racing, but began hosting regular auto races soon after.
History[edit | edit source]
The Lakewood Fairgrounds were was originally opened as the site of an agricultural fair by the city of Atlanta. The track was built around a lake on the site, and was built with the intention of hosting regular horse racing. The track began hosting automobile racing late in its first operating season, and soon after numerous auto racing events were taking place.
The track held its first World Stock Car Championship race in 1951, and the series would visit the track until the early 1960's, when the nearby Atlanta Motor Speedway was opened.
The track quickly fell into disuse following the loss of many of its major dates; it officially closed in September 1979, though many portions of the main grandstand are still standing today.