I have never been a fan of nascar but since coming across your channel and watching all of your stories about the personalities and tracks and so on I have gained a new appreciation for the sport nascar can thank you for turning people into nascar fans
Same here. I've picked up things along the way since my dad would watch the race sometimes on Sundays when there's nothing else going on, and I'd pick up bits and pieces, but I've never been a fan per se.
djjazzyjeff123 I have been a casual watcher knew drivers and so on but never learned about the history and the personalities this channel has made me appreciate this side of Motorsport a whole lot
@@MrDannyboyhall 100% agreed. I don't know about you, but I'm a pretty big history-buff anyway. From the dawn of Western Civilization, the French Revolution, to Space Shuttle disasters, I find that shit endlessly fascinating. So history mixed in with motorsports (which I'm just a fan of genereally)? Yes please!
Same here, in Brazil the closest we ever had to watching nascar was playing the games on the Nintendo 64, PlayStation 1 and 2, different from F1, in F1 thanks to Fittipaldi, Piquet and Senna being champions, we grew up with the sport, so, when nascar came to Brazil in 2013, it didn't catch on, so when i stumbled upon EmpLemon video on Dale Earnhardt early this year that got my attention, few days later RU-vid recommended me the first video of this channel, I've been a fan of nascar and slapshoes ever since
S1ap on Location 4: Lakewood Speedway. Lakewood was a one mile dirt oval in Georgia opened in 1917 as a horse racing track. By the 1930’s, the track held car races too and became a prominent facility, nicknamed the Indianapolis of the South. Many NASCAR and it’s precursor’s races were held here, with final NASCAR race run in 1959. Lakewood slowly declined due to the construction of Atlanta Motor Speedway and closed its doors in 1979. The grandstands still remain. Turns 3&4 were replaced by a parking lot to an Amphitheater, the front stretch is now an access road, and turns one and two are crossed by another road. The lake giving it its name has been mostly filled. Oh yeah and Jocko Flocko rode with Tim Flock.
Lakewood is where Smokey and the Bandit's race scenes were filmed, and the area next to it is where the "Truck Rodeo" scenes were filmed, on the same property.
juanbond85 look on google maps satellite view and look just north of the intersection of Lakewood avenue and Lakewood way SW. there’s a building there, and on the opposite side of that building from Lakewood way SW are the grandstands. The road there is labeled Lakewood Raceway.
I definitely agree, and you state your opinion in an incredibly mature manner. Most don’t. Things change. Enjoy the memories. And, truly enjoy what you like today, because those things will change, too.
I love this series. Even though there's only a tiny shred of the track remaining, it's awesome to know that a piece of history was sitting there all this time waiting to be rediscovered
Oh yeah, I spent 4 years at NCSU but was totally unaware of this... but these were not really my racing years I was following ACC Football/Basketball. Also I was not exclusively smoking tobacco during that time. I was surprised after 4 years it was still Petty, Yarboro and Pearson- just like before.
Exactly what I was thinking. Remembering Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin who both slammed into the wall at the end of the straight when their throttles hung wide open.
Yo NASCAR chronicle was how I got hooked on NASCAR. I got the 2002 edition from my local bookstore when I was very young. I now am a self proclaimed NASCAR genius/god.
This is awesome. I actually work just around the curve on Tarheel from there. I walked back there earlier this summer and brought home a chunk of the track.
I was just there a few weeks ago. The stretch of road at 8:16 I believe was a road to the right of the back straightaway. Looking at where the back straightaway was and where that stretch is doesn’t line up. I found some pieces of asphalt farther down and to the right that I believe were part of the track
@@claytonhellner1701 i probably agree. But i love the Smokey Yunick significance in the 3rd movie. A fucking kids movie gets it. But the NASCAR hall of fame doesnt lol
*opens Daytona International Speedway* "Looks like we won't need this track we just opened a few years ago. Not like it brings in revenue or anything amirite?"
Black Saturday is a terrifying story 😱 it reminds me of the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, where two drivers (in separate incidents) died in the same race weekend. It was probably the darkest weekend in F1 history, far worse than Imola 1994 in my opinion
Interesting video! This track actually reminds me a bit of an abandoned road racing course about 30 minutes out from where I live (Shreveport/Bossier City Louisiana) in a town called Haughton. It was called Hilltop Raceway and from the slim information I could find on it was used as an SCCA and motorbike racing course from April 1, 1960 until sometime around 1965 before being abandoned due to financial restraints. There's a campground situated in the area it once was only that the majority of the track pavement is actually still intact and accessible with the exception of the pit area and the former dragstrip that was in the center, it was ripped up unlike everything else for some reason. The commentators box and a couple of maintenance buildings are also still intact, albeit in a shabby and unusable state. I used to go out on long runs for cross country training in high school there, lots of banked turns and a crazy incline and banked turn at the end of a lap, which is probably why it was given the nickname "Top O' The Hill".
@@timnell9423 Well, I do know that Hilltop Raceway had reopening plans around that time, but they fell through and that's when the campgrounds took over which are still there.
I moved to the subdivision (Brentwood) just east of the Raleigh Speedway in 1969 when I was 11 years old. We use to ride our bike on the remaining sections of the old track but had no idea it use to be a speedway. In 1986 I returned to Brentwood buying a house for my family and lived there til 1992. Still never knew about the Speedway until I saw a post like this on Facebook about 5 years ago. Thanks for covering this again. It is all but forgotten here in Raleigh.
G C yeah, I remember going to the Metrolina Auto Fair when I was a kid. Being the dumb kid that I was, I never realized it was a race track until later 😂
Wow. I used to go to that scout shop all the time when I was a kid, and I had *no* clue that this was back here. Also very surprised that you managed to get *anywhere* on Capitol Boulevard in 15 minutes...
Do Tennessee-Carolina speedway. Cup series ran 2 races there in the mid 50’s. Was at the current Cocke County A&I fairgrounds in Newport TN. If you just look on google maps you can see it, stands and I’m guessing the ticket booth is still there
What an odd series I am starting to really enjoy. Rotting nascar tracks have a bit of an archeological discovery feel to them. Another 50 years and these things might be completely gone.
I had completely lost interest in nascar since when I wad a kid, but ever since I stumbled across your channel, I have began to fall in love with nascar again
@@S1apShoes I recognize that logo because along with college football, they apparently play a decent, for U.S. standards anyway, game of rugby union. Rugby in the big sky. Who knew?
I'm honestly amazed. For the past five years I've been working where turn 1 once was. If it wasn't for this video I'd have no idea. This is an amazing piece of history. It's nice to know that at one point exciting things happened there.
Not a hardcore nascar fan (watch indy though) but fascinated with the rich history behind the racing, love the series for being a window into the past and also showing what abandoned track locations look like now, great series will be tuning in for future episodes for sure
I would also love to have someone clean up as much as they can of the remaining “track” and laser scan it into a nascar sim and fill in the rest using old pics, so we could virtually race these old tracks
This isn't related to the video itself but more to the channel as a whole. I absolutely adore your videos are your style man. I grew up with NASCAR being from central Florida originally, but over time I felt out of love with it as it got boring to me and got more interested in IMSA, F1, WEC, WRC and other racing series. But over the last year I've been binging your vids and as a result I've remembered why I fell in love with NASCAR and stock car racing as a whole. Thank you man, I can't we wait to see the next video from you man.
My grandpa was a Raleigh Police Officer from the mid/late 60's to the early/mid 80's and he told me that sometime in the late 60's they cut grooves in the track to keep people from racing on it. Well, once in the 70's, apparently some drunk kids went out there for a joyride and hit one of those grooves (they were like 5-6ft deep) and got killed. Also, as I've grown up in Raleigh and live not 20 mins away, I've never been but have a yearning to go and see it! Also: S1ap on Location: Occonneechee speedway
I'm honestly amazed that you once again managed to find ANY remains from a track that's been gone for so long, especially when the whole area has basically been developed over it (again).
Awesome video as always! I know a little bit of this track and Black Saturday from NASCARman History's video, but your video made me know this track and Black Saturday even more as well as knowing what remains of this track.
I love the NASCAR community because of the diversity in essentially everything. Especially you Slap. You have such a great way of storytelling that’s intriguing to watch from start to finish
Next time you're in Raleigh head up I-40 to Hillsborough and check out Occoneechee Speedway. Public park now but lots remain. Grandstands, Cars, Ticket booth, concessions, and you can walk the entire track. It was one of the first NASCAR tracks around.
yay. yeah i commented on you NC Fair video the first time it was uploaded for you to check this place out. i never saw if you replied. i’m glad you went here
Next time you’re close to Raleigh you should come check out Wilson County Speedway. It’s about 45 minutes from Raleigh. It’s now a parking lot for the fair grounds here but cup raced here back in the 50’s and I have a picture of Dale Earnhardt racing a dirt late model here sometime in the 70’s
Would love to see if you can dig up any info on Harnett County Speedway near Fayetteville NC. I've came across with some pretty good info and know exactly where it is. Let me know if you're interested....Thanks, Dakota
Have you heard of Peacehaven Speedway in Winston- Salem? That track was somewhere near /off of Peacehaven Road. In the early 80s I learned of Jocko Flocko and spoke to a few old timers who remembered the track. This was/is not Bowman-Gray or the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds.
I lived in Raleigh ( just across the road from turns 3-4) for 20 years before discovering that it's just a short walk from my house. Actually most of it was undeveloped when I first moved here
Great video. Thanks for preserving the history of this famous but tragic site. Even though it's bad, the bad things should always be remembered. Take care. Jpol.
Yes and no with the paper clip shape, I mean if you look at the Milwaukee Mile that one was also a paper clip one mile but their main complaint was they never did anything with upkeep hence we don’t have them on the schedule and for Wisconsin Road America took over basically as our NASCAR track in Wisconsin.
Hey it would be cool if you could investigate the Hickory Motor Speedway which had races there in Hickory, I can remember going by there as a kid on the way to the mountains of North Carolina!! Also look into what happen to Rockingham Speedway just across the border of South Carolina!!!
I just want to point out one small mistake. The trap door to look at the tire was on the passenger side, the right side of the car. The right front takes most of the abuse on a stock car. Back in the 50's and early 60's before the tire companies really got involved, the only way to check for tire wear was for the driver to open the trap door and look to see if cord was showing on the tire. If the driver saw cord, he knew he needed to pit and would signal the crew that he needed to pit.
Hello Slap! It is me the guy who KINDA got mad about what you said about A. Senna. Sorry I am seeing this late. I enjoy your videos alot and i would like to see more "Slap on Location". Very good video. I think i am going to go check this place out myself cause I'm not far from it. Q.A. what is your favorite speedway that is no longer used.
If you want to check out the decay of an old race track, look into PMI in Pueblo, Colorado. Back in the early '80's it was a great drag strip, off road and road course. They had bad dragsters and jet cars for Thunder on the prairie. Thousands of fans, huge staging lane's. It is joke now for the most part.
You should research Lakewood Speedway down in GA where Lakewood Ampitheather now sits. I believe part of the parking lot used to be a turn or the frontstretch
Great video, Slap. Myself, I go and try to find evidence of 19th century cemeteries. (And I find them, too.) Attendance didn’t seem to be a problem, but if nimbys don’t want you there, you have a problem.
