Middle Georgia Raceway
Encyclopedia
The Middle Georgia Raceway was a raceway located in Byron, Georgia
. Although operational for five years, it has been the location of a record-breaking race and a Dodge Durango
commercial over the years.
Nine NASCAR
Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) races were held at the track between 1966 and 1971. Richard Petty
won four races, Bobby Allison
won three, and David Pearson and Bobby Isaac
each earned one victory.
broke the half-mile NASCAR
record for half-mile tracks with an average speed of 82.023 miles per hour during the 100 miles (160.9 km) event. The next year, federal agents discovered a moonshine
distillery in an underground bunker at turn three. Petty returned to win the 150 miles (241.4 km) NASCAR race during the following season.
NASCAR's began its 1968 season at the track. LeeRoy Yarbrough
sat on the pole position
and Bobby Allison
won the 267 miles (429.7 km) race. Later that year, David Pearson
won a 150 miles (241.4 km) race from the pole. NACAR's 1969 season again began at the track. Pearson qualified on the pole and Petty won his third race at the track. He covered the 250 miles (402.3 km) with a speed of 85.121 miles per hour (137 km/h) which was the fastest in the track's NASCAR history. In the middle of the season, Bobby Isaac
won the second of the three NASCAR races held at the track in a 300 lap event. He beat by pole-sitter Pearson by 4 seconds and they were the only two cars on the lead lap. The final race was held near the end of the year. Isaac sat on the pole after recording a 98.148 miles per hour (158 km/h) lap, which was the fastest in the track's history. Allison won the 274 miles (441 km) event in a 1969 Dodge.
The 1970 Georgia 500
also occurred at the track. Petty started on the pole position and won the 274 miles (441 km) race. The final NASCAR race was held in November 1971. Bobby Allison drove from the pole to win the 274 miles (441 km) race.
was held at the track. Jimi Hendrix
and the Allman Brothers Band performed in front of 300,000 concertgoers; the town had a population of about 2,000. Seven years later, it was the location for filming of race scenes of the Richard Pryor
flick Greased Lightning
about Wendell Scott
. A few years ago, it was purchased with the goal of converting it to a land development site. After the economy crashed, plans were placed on hold.
In 2011, Dodge
contacted the current owner and asked to use the track for an advertisement. After eleven days of filming for the Dodge Durango
, filming wrapped up and the commercial was eventually aired. Although the current owner had placed a fresh coat of paint over the walls, Dodge "aged" the walls and even bought a local car for $2,000 and crashed it to add realism to the scenes. In the commercial, a sign stated that it was the Brixton Motor Speedway.
Byron, Georgia
Byron is a city in Peach County, Georgia, United States. A small portion of the city extends into Houston County. The population was 2,887 at the 2000 census...
. Although operational for five years, it has been the location of a record-breaking race and a Dodge Durango
Dodge Durango
The Dodge Durango is a full-size crossover SUV from the Dodge division of Chrysler. It was introduced in 1998 as a mid-size SUV, and as a replacement for the Ramcharger discontinued in the North American market in 1993, and was redesigned to full-size for 2004....
commercial over the years.
Nine NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Grand National (now Sprint Cup Series) races were held at the track between 1966 and 1971. Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
won four races, Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
won three, and David Pearson and Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac is a former NASCAR Grand National champion.-Early life:Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second youngest of nine children...
each earned one victory.
NASCAR history
Opened in 1966 at a cost of $500,000, the first race, the Speedy Morelock 200 NASCAR Grand National stock car race, became the location of a speed record when Richard PettyRichard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
broke the half-mile NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
record for half-mile tracks with an average speed of 82.023 miles per hour during the 100 miles (160.9 km) event. The next year, federal agents discovered a moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
distillery in an underground bunker at turn three. Petty returned to win the 150 miles (241.4 km) NASCAR race during the following season.
NASCAR's began its 1968 season at the track. LeeRoy Yarbrough
LeeRoy Yarbrough
Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was a NASCAR racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211...
sat on the pole position
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
and Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison
Robert Arthur Allison is a former NASCAR Winston Cup driver and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. His two sons, Clifford Allison and Davey Allison followed him into racing, and both died within a year of each other....
won the 267 miles (429.7 km) race. Later that year, David Pearson
David Pearson
David Gene Pearson is a former American stock car racer from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Pearson began his NASCAR career in 1960 and ended his first season by winning the 1960 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award. He won three championships every year he ran the full schedule in NASCAR's Grand...
won a 150 miles (241.4 km) race from the pole. NACAR's 1969 season again began at the track. Pearson qualified on the pole and Petty won his third race at the track. He covered the 250 miles (402.3 km) with a speed of 85.121 miles per hour (137 km/h) which was the fastest in the track's NASCAR history. In the middle of the season, Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac is a former NASCAR Grand National champion.-Early life:Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second youngest of nine children...
won the second of the three NASCAR races held at the track in a 300 lap event. He beat by pole-sitter Pearson by 4 seconds and they were the only two cars on the lead lap. The final race was held near the end of the year. Isaac sat on the pole after recording a 98.148 miles per hour (158 km/h) lap, which was the fastest in the track's history. Allison won the 274 miles (441 km) event in a 1969 Dodge.
The 1970 Georgia 500
1970 Georgia 500
The 1970 Georgia 500 is a NASCAR Grand National Series racing event that took place on November 8, 1970 at Middle Georgia Raceway in the American community of Macon, Georgia. Temperatures for this racing event reached a high of with winds reaching a maximum speed of .Five hundred laps took place...
also occurred at the track. Petty started on the pole position and won the 274 miles (441 km) race. The final NASCAR race was held in November 1971. Bobby Allison drove from the pole to win the 274 miles (441 km) race.
Other
In 1970, the second annual Atlanta International Pop FestivalAtlanta International Pop Festival (1970)
The second Atlanta International Pop Festival was a music festival held at the Middle Georgia Raceway in Byron, Georgia. Originally scheduled for July 3 to July 5, 1970, it did not finish until near dawn on the 6th. It was the only successor to the first Atlanta International Pop Festival 1969...
was held at the track. Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and the Allman Brothers Band performed in front of 300,000 concertgoers; the town had a population of about 2,000. Seven years later, it was the location for filming of race scenes of the Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
flick Greased Lightning
Greased Lightning
Greased Lightning is a 1977 American biographical film, starring Richard Pryor, Beau Bridges, and Pam Grier, and directed by Michael Schultz. Greased Lightning is a film loosely based on the true life story of Wendell Scott, the first African American stock car racing champion in the United States...
about Wendell Scott
Wendell Scott
Wendell Oliver Scott was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville...
. A few years ago, it was purchased with the goal of converting it to a land development site. After the economy crashed, plans were placed on hold.
In 2011, Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
contacted the current owner and asked to use the track for an advertisement. After eleven days of filming for the Dodge Durango
Dodge Durango
The Dodge Durango is a full-size crossover SUV from the Dodge division of Chrysler. It was introduced in 1998 as a mid-size SUV, and as a replacement for the Ramcharger discontinued in the North American market in 1993, and was redesigned to full-size for 2004....
, filming wrapped up and the commercial was eventually aired. Although the current owner had placed a fresh coat of paint over the walls, Dodge "aged" the walls and even bought a local car for $2,000 and crashed it to add realism to the scenes. In the commercial, a sign stated that it was the Brixton Motor Speedway.