[ Home ] [ the start line. ] [ the left wall. ] [ the right wall. ] [ the bleachers. ] [ map ] [ the old days ] [ the movie ] [ WHBQ 56 ] [ profiles ] [ articles ] [ the end. ] [ links ]

This page has really grown and may take some time to load.  It's worth the wait though if you like old race cars.  All the photos are thumb nailed so click on them to see more detail.

Thanks to Louis Kimery who has contributed the following photos that he took during various Lakeland events in the '70s. Here's some of his memories.

"I was already a follower of the lore of drag racing and when I went to this (then remote) track, I was instantly hooked for life when Kelly Chadwick's AA/FC Camaro, and the Stone, Woods & Cook "Tinkerbell" stretch Pinto AA/FC lit up the night sky with Nitro flames.  For many years afterwards I would venture out to Lakeland to see numerous appearances by the "Coca-Cola Cavalcade of Funny Cars" & various independently staged meets and match races."

Question for you: Mike Tassey, from Canada, is looking for any information about this gold Nomad. If you know something about it, please e-mail Mike at mjtassey@sprint.ca.

"Perhaps you noticed the "hill" in the track just passed the finish line?. This caused a few anxious moments for some drivers, most notably Raymond Beadle who went airborne in the "Blue Max" Mustang and destroyed the then world's fastest and baddest funny. I saw drag racing's famous and not so famous at this track. Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, Shirley Muldowney, Jim Bucher, Shirl Greer, Godman's "Tennessee Bo-Weevil", Radici & Wise, Castronova Bros., Clayton Harris etc. This was when Drag cars had slick paint jobs instead of being covered in sponsor logos & had names like "Color me Gone" and "Super Duster" (seen in "Two-Lane Blacktop").  Driver's always had nicknames like "Rapid" Ronnie Runyan & "Omar the Tentmaker" Carruthers."

Thanks to Chuck Jolliff, who has fond memories of attending Lakeland International Raceway in it's heyday, I've procured some more photos.

"I first visited the track by accident. I was twelve at the time, and Mom had taken us to Lakeland Amusement park. She made a wrong turn off the Interstate and ended up in the line for cars that were racing.  This was in 1967.  I thought this looks interesting.  I didn't return again till 1973 when I got to see my first nitro action. Funny cars were featured that night. The only name that stands out in my mind was Al Bergler (Motown Shaker or Missile?).  Announcer kept talking about the new motor in the car and how much it cost, compared to today the cost was nothing. Al blew the motor on this pass."

"I used to go the Lakeland and stand by the cars in the bleach box.  Still remember standing by Jungle Jim as he lit the tires on fire and watching Pam back him up. Shirl Greer used to race F/C here a lot and had a buxom lady backing him up as well. I had been told in the past that the track was a shopping center.  I now plan on making a trip to the old track. Thanks a bunch for putting this site up."

Thanks to Chuck Schnider for providing these vintage shots from his collection.

Walter Harville spent quite a bit of time at Lakeland watching and racing.  Here are a few shots he dug up.  That's Walter's own Vega racecar in the Lakeland pits.

Louis Kimery has managed to dig up some interesting Lakeland photos at the University of Memphis that originally ran in the old Press Scimitar newspaper along with articles about the track.  Here are some of the photos.

This Web site is part of Friends' Garage.

© Copyright 2000-2008 Greg Friend