Augusta International Raceway Memorial Dedication

by Don Hamilton

On Saturday, September 11th, a Memorial Dedication remembering the Augusta International Raceway, was held at the Diamond Lakes Regional Park in Augusta, Ga. What was unusual about this Memorial is that it honors a track that has been closed for over 40 years. Augusta International Raceway was a three mile road course that opened in November of 1963. The first race was a 510 mile NASCAR event that was won by Fireball Roberts. The last races at A.I.R. were held on March1st of 1964 and were USRRC sports car races and won by Dave MacDonald and Ken Miles In an eerie twist of fate all three drivers would lose their lives in racing accidents within the next two years. Two drivers that participated in those events, 1960 NASCAR champion Rex White and Ted Tidwell were present at the dedication and were awarded plaques to commemorate the occasion.

For more information on the track and its history, you can contact the Augusta International Raceway Preservation Society at http://www.historicmustang.com

Glenn Smith Photos:
http://community.webshots.com/album/187478694ppQfHX