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  1. #1
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    May 2007
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    Ohio
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    11,526

    Default Atomic Speedway Tennessee

    What did it in? I didn't wanna keep talking about it in the other thread and hijack it. I know I think it's Crete trucking who has a depot there. Because there was nowhere else to build one. Is it completely gone now? Dozed over and no trace?

    Always wanted to get there, just looks like it was so bad a$$. High banked, but great racing.
    Up in the air who my next “favorite” driver is. Really losing hope on Bloomer getting anywhere back to “normal”.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
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    30 min from BMS
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    7,226

    Default

    Man I loved that track too. Seen some great races. They had a motocross also nice lil setup.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Realville, USA
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    16,671

  4. #4
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    Feb 2016
    Location
    The land of Irma
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    3,774

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dirtdobber45 View Post
    Man I loved that track too. Seen some great races. They had a motocross also nice lil setup.
    Only went there twice, but it became my favorite track. Best track prep I ever saw.....smooth as glass!
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Posts
    2,262

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Clayton_Wetter View Post
    You should of used a different clip, that one didn't show the best of atomic speedway. Then on my YouTube list it showed 2006 ttdcs of atomic next that was train race. But I found all alot of clips of atomic that had great 3 groove of racing. Alot people will be lazy and say that a train track because they seen first two clips showed train racing. When there are a lot more of atomic racing clips of great racing big events to local wkend shows.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Portsmouth
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    151

    Default

    This is my take, not being from the area but going down there throughout the years for special races. At one point the track was pretty one-groovish. Carson Branum took it to its high point with great 3 wide racing, but he was also the beginning of the end. I would guess he overextended himself being involved in too many tracks and things really seemed to go bad after the Thunder 100 $25,000 race apparently was a money loser. The track was sold twice, probably for too much. Not managed well and got low crowds, at least by the last owner. and the best solution to recuperate the last owner's investment was to sell it for development. The racing there was amazing when Branum had it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Tn
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    297

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Aluminium Block View Post
    This is my take, not being from the area but going down there throughout the years for special races. At one point the track was pretty one-groovish. Carson Branum took it to its high point with great 3 wide racing, but he was also the beginning of the end. I would guess he overextended himself being involved in too many tracks and things really seemed to go bad after the Thunder 100 $25,000 race apparently was a money loser. The track was sold twice, probably for too much. Not managed well and got low crowds, at least by the last owner. and the best solution to recuperate the last owner's investment was to sell it for development. The racing there was amatzing when Branum had it.
    I think Atomic was at its best when the Ogels ran it .

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Realville, USA
    Posts
    16,671

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kwd1253 View Post
    You should of used a different clip, that one didn't show the best of atomic speedway. Then on my YouTube list it showed 2006 ttdcs of atomic next that was train race. But I found all alot of clips of atomic that had great 3 groove of racing. Alot people will be lazy and say that a train track because they seen first two clips showed train racing. When there are a lot more of atomic racing clips of great racing big events to local wkend shows.
    Agreed, I was in a hurry. lol

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    615

    Default

    Several of us drove down there from Iowa on a whim for a 2-day UDTRA show in, what, late 90s or early 2000s? The year Erb won RoY... I still remember it vividly. We had no shortage of good race tracks at home in Iowa, but Atomic was a type of track I had not seen before. Badass is the word I would use.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    The land of Irma
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    3,774

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    Quote Originally Posted by dirt33 View Post
    Several of us drove down there from Iowa on a whim for a 2-day UDTRA show in, what, late 90s or early 2000s? The year Erb won RoY... I still remember it vividly. We had no shortage of good race tracks at home in Iowa, but Atomic was a type of track I had not seen before. Badass is the word I would use.
    I was there also. I think it was 2001 or 2002. I don't know who ran the track then but it was a great track.
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  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Arkadelphia,Arkansas
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    761

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by a25rjr View Post
    I was there also. I think it was 2001 or 2002. I don't know who ran the track then but it was a great track.
    That's funny because the only time my wife and I ever went to Atomic was for a UDTRA show back in July of 2002. Rick Eckert won. Carson Branum had the track,and I remember his son playing around on a Bobcat! Could not have been any more than 10 at the most.

    We stayed in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg on vacation that year. It was the first real vacation we had ever taken. Went over to Atomic which was at least 50 miles from our motel. I remember it came up a NASTY looking storm that night,but thankfully it just rained pretty hard for a bit. The track was bad fast,but that rain delay made the show run long. Awesome place.

    We left out from the track,and the car started having trouble which turned out to be the ECM. Not only were we 600 miles from home we were also 50 miles from our motel. It was also WAY over in the morning too. We did manage to make it to the motel and back home also. Ran fine as long as you didn't shut the car off. Then you would lose the a/c and speedo etc,but it would eventually start working again until you had to stop for gas or something. One of the few times I was glad to be home from a vacation.

    We passed by the track again in 2009. I think the track had been leveled,but the big late model by the interstate was still there.
    Last edited by AllenK; 03-18-2016 at 06:09 PM.
    Formerly 66#1

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    589

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    Quote Originally Posted by AllenK View Post
    We passed by the track again in 2009. I think the track had been leveled,but the big late model by the interstate was still there.
    That did stay up for awhile after the track was gone. Always wondered what happened to it Hope someone's got it in their backyard or something.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
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    The land of Irma
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    Default

    After looking at the history link on dod, my first time was 2000. They had 2 one day shows.

    Who was running it then?
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  14. #14
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    Dec 2013
    Location
    maryville tn
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    149

    Default

    I grew up there right after it first openedSeen lot's of great racing in the 70's there

  15. #15
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    May 2007
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    157

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    Saw some Great racing there from the 70s thru the 90s at one time it was definately one of the fastest tracks around and always well prepared really miss that place.

  16. #16
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    Dec 2013
    Location
    maryville tn
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    149

    Default

    Bob Martin started the track up and it was sold to the ogle ' s Johnny Gibson was the first track champion

  17. #17
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    May 2007
    Location
    Indy
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    134

    Default

    You mean it didn't close due to unclean restrooms and overpriced concessions ???? Who'd have thunk it!! (sarcasm) .

  18. #18

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    If you want a track that's close to atomic in being highbanked and fast go to North Georgia or Tazewell. I grew up at atomic, worked at track for awhile and even raced there. NG and the Taz are the closest ive ever found. Wartburg is an awesome outlaw track but you get tore up real quick there. We was at Talladega short track for the ice bowl this year, my first, and it was awesome. First track we've been at that didn't have walls. It reminded me of the layout of atomic in a way. So recommended racetrack replacements are North Georgia as it's fast and highbanked and closer to the length of atomic. Tazewell is the fastest racetrack in the world and it has 27° banking with fast times coming in the 10 second range, i seen Vic hill post a 10.26 in an advance auto parts race there the same year atomic closed i believe. And TST for track layout, but you gotta watch the walls, or lack thereof lol. I was on the inside of the atomic deal and know exactly why is was sold, it was worth more to the owner as an industrial site then it was as a race track. Talks had been underway for two years prior to its close and the owner held on to it as long as he could but the plan was always to sell it.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    495

    Default

    We loved going to Atomic. Unbelievable racing, great people, nice facility.

    One year Carson had a big race planned for Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. There were several of us camping at the track on Thursday, and Leebo and Bea were staying at a motel. Carson came out to the track and picked up all of us and took us to Thanksgiving dinner at the Dinner Bell in Lenoir City. Leebo was in his glory. Another time when we were up there for a big race Leebo organized a 4M breakfast meeting. That's where we met dglenn.

    Great memories.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    West Columbia, S.C.
    Posts
    2,034

    Unhappy

    I only got to that great track twice, and I can't for the life of me, remember the exact dates. I do know however, that the first time that I was there, Skip Arp won a $10k Hav-A-Tampa race, driving the Ralph Curtis entry. My second trip to Oak Ridge, ended with Scott Bloomquist taking a $15k World of Outlaws race.
    Every time I see photos or video of Atomic, it still makes me sick. Such a waste...
    Because Dirt's for Racin'...

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