Atomic Speedway Tennessee

[chupp n bloomer fan]

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.

[dirtdobber45]

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

[Clayton_Wetter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcoED4D04e0

[a25rjr]

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!

[Kwd1253]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcoED4D04e0

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.

[Aluminium Block]

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.

[dirty bert]

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 .

[Clayton_Wetter]

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

[dirt33]

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.

[a25rjr]

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.

[AllenK]

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.

[LMPunk]

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.

[a25rjr]

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

Who was running it then?

[70satomic]

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

[IAMN21]

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.