Memorable Moments in 50 Years at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Who Won the 1978 Dixie 500 and AMS Toppled by Tornado

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Marcy Scott

               (770) 946-3951

               Matthew Simmons

               (770) 946-3917

 

Memorable Moments in 50 Years at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Who Won the 1978 Dixie 500 and AMS Toppled by Tornado

 

Highlighting Atlanta Motor Speedway's 50th Anniversary Season as the
track's Labor Day NASCAR night racing weekend approaches, the following
release is the second in a five-part series featuring memorable moments
in Atlanta Motor Speedway's history.

 

HAMPTON, Ga. (Aug. 4, 2010) - As Atlanta Motor Speedway celebrates it's
50th Anniversary season, many moments from the track's past have come to
define the Speedway as one of the most storied in NASCAR's history. 

 

Two such Atlanta Motor Speedway moments include a confusing finish to
the 1978 Dixie 500 and a natural disaster at the racing facility.

 

No. 8: Young Brian France Determines 1978 Dixie 500 Winner

 

            The 1978 Dixie 500 ended in controversy and fans were left
to wonder who actually won the race until an unexpected player,
16-year-old Brian France, stepped forward to settle the matter. 

 

            Richard Petty appeared to edge Dave Marcis to the finish
line by a fender in an Atlanta photo finish to claim the win in the 1978
Dixie 500. However, before Petty was able to pull into Victory Lane, the
track's Public Address announcer proclaimed Donnie Allison the winner.

 

            Allison had blown past Petty and Marcis with only seven laps
remaining, but after being two circuits down earlier in the race, the
race leaders and most fans assumed Allison was still one lap down.
However, the NASCAR veteran had in fact previously reemerged on the lead
lap and overtook Petty and Marcis to claim the race lead. 

 

            But just after Allison had conducted his winner's interview
in Victory Lane, Atlanta International Raceway officials announced Petty
was the winner, further confusing the matter.

 

When continued conversation between track officials, scorers and drivers
failed to definitively confirm the winner, France emerged from the
Scorer's Booth to confidently verify Allison was the winner. The victory
marked Allison's 10th and final NASCAR win and his only victory in
Atlanta. The win also completed an Allison brother sweep of Atlanta's
1978 races, as older brother Bobby won the 1978 Atlanta 500 in March.

 

No. 7: Atlanta Motor Speedway Struck by F2 Tornado in 2005

 

            Even in the dark of night, track officials could tell
Atlanta Motor Speedway had suffered tremendous damage. Light posts had
snapped like toothpicks and the Speedway's flooded frontstretch parking
lots looked more like a Great Lake than a tailgate haven for race fans.

 

            As the sun came up, suspicions were confirmed as it was even
more apparent the Speedway suffered a direct strike from a tornado
spawned from the remnants of Hurricane Cindy on July 6, 2005. 

 

            Now illuminated, the damage was unimaginable. The Speedway's
backstretch Weaver grandstand lay in ruin. A scoring tower and sponsor
billboards had been slammed to the ground and destroyed. And many of the
track's luxury suites featured a new convertible design, as the roof had
been blown off by the F2 tornado's pummeling winds.

 

            "It was one of the most astonishing scenes I have ever seen
in my life. The amount of damage was shocking," said Ed Clark, Atlanta
Motor Speedway president.

 

            In total, the damage was estimated to exceed $40 million.

 

            And if tension wasn't high enough with Atlanta's motorsports
Mecca in ruins, the track had just three months to repair the facility
for the 2005 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. 

 

            Speedway officials had 100 days to complete a massive
rebuild project that might take upwards of six months under normal
circumstances, not including planning and preparation. 

 

            "Normally you would have months of lead time to execute a
project of that nature, but we had to complete an essentially overnight
rebuild," explained Brandon Hutchison, Atlanta Motor Speedway vice
president of events. "Our track's objective is to always provide fans
with a great experience and customer service, but overnight we had a
facility no longer fit to host events. It was a juggling act to say the
least and it took all 100 days and then some."

            

With the track's office building in shambles, the Speedway's staff was
forced to juggle office locations and relocate during the rebuild.

 

"Imagine closing your office desk tonight and not being able to come
back for three months," added Hutchison.

 

            But despite all the tribulations, work progressed at a rapid
pace and the Speedway played host to a successful 2005 Bass Pro Shops
MBNA 500 weekend without issue.

 

            Coincidentally, the 2005 tornado marked the second time the
track had been damaged by a twister, having faced a similar attack by
Mother Nature during the 1970s. Track officials also hope the 2005
incident marks the last such occurrence.

 

-AMS-

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: High-resolution images of the 1978 Dixie 500 and tornado
damage at AMS to accompany this release can be downloaded from: 

http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/photos

Photo credit: Atlanta Motor Speedway

 

 

 

Matthew Simmons

Marketing & Promotion Coordinator

Atlanta Motor Speedway | P.O Box 500 | Hampton, GA 30228 | P:
770.946.3917 | F: 770.707.7853 | www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com

 

  

 

High Speed Hits the High Banks at Night

Labor Day Weekend | September 3-5, 2010

 

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