History
Lakewood Speedway opened on July 4, 1917, as a one-mile dirt oval wrapped around a lake at the fairgrounds south of downtown Atlanta. Because it drew annual Indy-car races to the South's largest city, it was nicknamed the Indianapolis of the South.
The track hosted AAA and later USAC open-wheel racing, IMCA events and, from 1951, NASCAR Grand National races. It was also the scene of fatal accidents, including the 1946 crash that killed George Robson and George Barringer.
Richard Petty's first apparent Grand National win came at Lakewood in 1959, though it was reassigned to his father Lee after a protest.
The last race was won by Buck Simmons on Labor Day 1979.
Much of the oval has since disappeared under roads and the parking area of Lakewood Amphitheatre, which opened in 1989, but parts of the old grandstand were reported still standing in the late 2000s.
Why it matters: The South's premier early auto racing venue and an important link between the Indy-car era and NASCAR's early growth.
Timeline
- 1916Construction begins[1]
Work started on a one-mile dirt oval at the Lakewood fairgrounds.
- July 4, 1917Opening day[1]
The first races were held on Independence Day 1917.
- 1946Fatal crash[1]
George Robson and George Barringer were killed in a crash at the track.
- 1951First NASCAR race[1]
NASCAR began a decade of Grand National visits, eleven in all during the 1950s.
- 1959Petty protest[1]
Richard Petty was initially flagged the winner for his first Grand National win, but the victory went to his father Lee after a protest.
- September 3, 1979
Georgia dirt racer Buck Simmons won the last race at the Labor Day 1979 meeting.
The site today
| Physical status | Partially demolished |
|---|---|
| Current use | Turns three and four lie under the rear parking lot of Lakewood Amphitheatre; the frontstretch was paved as an access road and most of the infield lake was filled[1,3] |
| Surviving remnants | The grandstand was still standing as of 2008 per Wikipedia; Georgia Racing History also reports the grandstands and the cut of turn one survive. Current condition not verified.[1,3] |
| Built on the site | Lakewood Amphitheatre (Partial overlap: the amphitheatre's rear parking lot covers the old turns three and four.) |
| Mapped location | Former venue parcel |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Other names | Lakewood Park Speedway |
|---|---|
| Location | Lakewood Fairgrounds area, Lakewood Heights, south Atlanta, north of Langford Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia[1] |
| Venue type | Speedway |
| Sports | Motorsports |
| Level | AAA, USAC, NASCAR, IMCA |
| Opened | July 4, 1917[1] |
| Last used for sports | September 3, 1979[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Partially demolished |
| Capacity notes | No capacity found in fetched sources. |
| Surface | Dirt one-mile oval around a lake |
| Closure | Not documented in fetched sources. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Lakewood Speedway, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, coordinates, current land use, events, opened, remnants
- Remembering Lakewood Speedway: The Curtain Falls, Georgia Racing History. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, events
- Lakewood Speedway (Lost Tracks), Georgia Racing History. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, current land use, remnants
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Opening: Wikipedia gives July 4, 1917 (groundbreaking 1916); Georgia Racing History says the track was built around 1915. The exact opening date is uncorroborated.
- Final event: the last auto race was Labor Day (September 3) 1979, but Georgia Racing History says a 1981 horse race was the final event of any kind.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.