The front stretch and grandstands of Atomic Speedway.
Hard to believe, but it has been ten years since Atomic (TN) Speedway held a racing event. We all the know the story behind its closure. No sense in rehashing hurt feelings by many of the racing community.
I had the opportunity to work at Atomic for five years. That opportunity and experience got me to where I am today in the racing community. For that, I will always be thankful.
I still have lots of friendships and working relationships with a number of people that also worked at Atomic, raced there, or were fans there. I am very thankful for those.
I got to see lots of great racing while I worked there, before I started working there, and in the final season the track was open. Just during the time I worked there, I got to see some of the greats in dirt racing take wins there. Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Jimmy Owens, Dale McDowell, Skip Arp, Duayne Hommel (along with his last race), Freddy Smith’s only win there, Ronnie Johnson in the last race I saw there, and a young Chris Madden were just some of the stars that won races at Atomic during my five-year time there. And that list doesn’t include some of the local stars that accumulated wins there such as Billy Ogle Jr., Patrick Duggan, Randy Weaver, Vic Hill, Mark Vineyard, Mark Douglas, and the late Scott Sexton. The list reads like a who’s who of dirt late model racing and that does not include the legendary names that won there from the time it opened until the late 90’s.
Patrick Duggan following his Southern All-Stars win in July 2004.
It it still hard for me to drive down Interstate 40 and go by where Atomic used to sit. I often wonder if the track was still standing what type of program it would be running, what kinds of special events it would be holding, and how the landscape of racing in the area would be. Even though I may never fully get over it, I remain thankful I had some time there and was a part of its rich history.
A view of Atomic Speedway from Interstate 40.
As soon as I have those thoughts about how things would be today if Atomic was still open, I am thankful for our tracks and promoters we still have in the area. Many were fearful racing in this area would dwindle down to nothing with Atomic closing. Thankfully, Kevin Coffey rescued Smoky Mountain Speedway from the local county government that foolishly bought the property for a fairgrounds. With the help of other partners, that track has become a special events attraction for the area.
I am also thankful for Gary Hall and his ownership of Tazewell Speedway. Just like Smoky Mountain, Hall has a number of special events sprinkled in with his weekly racing that attracts fans from all across the country.
I am thankful for all the tracks in the area – Volunteer Speedway, 411 Motor Speedway, I-75 Speedway, Wartburg Speedway, Crossville Speedway, and even Boyd’s Speedway near Chattanooga. All of them are open and have good racing programs. Everyone should be thankful for that.
Each time I set foot inside the premises of these tracks or even those outside the immediate area, I am thankful they are open and remember back to that feeling I had when Atomic first closed.
Though it may be hard to believe it has been ten years since Atomic held its last race, just think about how some things were different when the final race was held. Smart phones had not been invented yet, Dirt on Dirt had not launched, racing papers like National Dirt Digest and Racing News were still going strong, and most people were still using dial-up for their internet connectivity.
Atomic Speedway may have been closed for 10 years, but the memories remain from those that worked there, raced there, or attended races there. Plus, there are plenty of memories preserved on video and on film and digital photographs. I am thankful for my time there and thankful we still have some great racing in our area. I hope everyone else is thankful too.
Atomic Speedway in 2002 prior to a UDTRA race, the peak of the track’s popularity.
