What I Miss About the Old Atlanta Track

If you remember the pre-Bruton, pre-new Atlanta configuration, you might remember behind the old turn 1-2 retaining wall area stood literally hundreds of very tall pine trees. You didn't see all these track billboards then. On Sunday race mornings, before the sun was up and anybody could see what we were doing, Bob Jannelle, Mel Parkhurst and I used to string blue and yellow "Wrangler" banners between those trees. When the sun came up, from the grandstand it looked like we had bought turn 1 and 2 and those banners looked great on tv and in still photos. Can't do that kind of stuff anymore.


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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

We used to make informal wagers about when the train would pass the Martinsville backstretch. Iused to have 8mm footage of Bill Dennis backing his #17 Monte Carlo into the turn 1-2 Martinsville wall. What stands out in that footage is the beautiful green grass and lovely azaleas.Same with the 20th Century Fox film crew that was there shooting Last American Hero movie footage.Thery actually had a cameraman lying in the grass between the azaleas filming that classic lap after lap, side by side battle between Bobby Allison in the Junior Johnson Coca-Cola Chevy and Richard's STP car. As you so often point out, those days are gone.


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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"

yes I do remember your art work--those were the days I also remember doing my dangest to knock down the OLD back straightaway inside and outside wall all the while perfecting my barrel rolling (that hurt for couple of weeks)

I loved the old Atlanta layout. I went to my first race there in the spring of 1963. Didn't miss another one until mid 90s. We used to park the motorhome in the center of the infield and we could see the entire track from the roof of the motorhome. What a wonderful place it was although the traffic was awful and the county sheriffs even worse. I really don't care for the track now.


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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

How many people remember the lake that was in the infield of the track? The old configuration was a true race track, which would be unique in today's market. Personally, I miss Mamma's Country Showcase out on 285 and grabbing a bag of Crystal burgers on the ride back to the hotel from a night of revelry.

Tim you sound like me. The first NASCAR race I saw was the '63 Atlanta 500 and we set in the infield pretty close to the tunnel. It rained and there wasn't anything but mud in the infield. It had not been filled and leveled then and there were hills and valleys and it got pretty bad. Seems like we had to come back a time or two to see the race due to the weather. Atlanta's nickname back them was "Atlanta International RAINway". I have probably walked by your motorhome before while "patroling the infield" for "candid" shots. Before I became involved with photography and such we used to park in the fourth turn because you could see most of the track from there.

NASCAR infield back in the day:

I want to sincerely thank RR member, Robert Turner for sending me several Wrangler themed Atlanta photos he took when he was track photographer. When I got the one below, I was pleasantly surprised to see myself in it. The photo of the Osterlund/Earnhardt Pontiac is takenat the spring1981Atlanta weekend and is historically significant because it was the first race that Dale Inman worked as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt after leaving Petty Enterprises. You can see Inman pushing at the back of the car. At the driver's window is a very young Doug Richert and to the left of the car, not in his Wrangler pit gear, is former driver, Marv Acton. Standing erect beside Richert with cup in hand and Wrangler hat on head is me, about 50 lbs lighter and with no gray hair! Amazing how cordial the crew always were to we sponsor reps who were constantly in their way. Again, I really appreciate Robert Turner sending this.

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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"