Update: 10/16 – Caffeine and Octane posted a detailed statement on their Instagram account.
Update: 10/6 – 10:00pm – The Lanier Speedway page responded to ShiftAtlanta regarding our article and provided the following.
“Race track will remain, events will continue, venue will not be for membership only. Plan revisions and updates will happen in weeks to come!”
Update: 10/6 – 6:30pm – Caffeine and Octane Lanier official Instagram account posted the following image confirming the raceway had been sold. No additional details have been received from the owners of the redevelopment site (Editors Note: see comment above) or Caffeine and Octane on whether the plan is to revisit the redevelopment seen on the site or if the new owners have another plan.
Redevelopment Site Launches Over The Weekend
Over the weekend a number of people online began sharing details about a potential redevelopment of Lanier Raceway due in large part to a Facebook page and website appearing online. The site and Facebook page included a visual of a proposed plan for the redevelopment showing car condos, lodging, gaming and entertainment.
Screenshot from lanierspeedway.com
No additional details on ownership, timing or approvals of the plans. The website lists no company name or additional details. There is a contact email, we reached out to asking for comment and/or additional details. As far as we can tell, no press release about the plan has been sent.
We also have not seen any changes to the official Caffeine and Octane Raceway page and no official statement from the C&O team has been seen online.
Plans Seem Oddly Similar To A Nearly 5 Year Old Plan
It could feature a hotel up to 70 feet high, restaurants, shops and 82 cottages that could be rented during race weeks and 17 single-family homes along Benefield Road, which is just north of the oval raceway near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Details from previously plan per Gainesville Times in 2021: https://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/growth-development/home-stretch-raceplex-expansion-after-planners-vote/
One thing that jumped out to us immediately is that the plan is very similar to a plan that was largely shot down and abandoned during the Pandemic. That plan similarly called for lodging, entertainment, car condos and single family homes. In many cases the number of units matches exactly with the graphic being used on the Lanier Speedway website, though some details that appear on the graphic are omitted or potentially different.
In terms of similarities there seems to be a strong potential correlation between the original plan and the graphic used on the redevelopment website. For example the number of single family homes is the same, as is the number of cottages. Whether this is a revised version of the plan, or whether the article simply highlights fewer details that were available on the plan we haven’t yet been able to confirm.
Despite Similarities To Old Plan, The Site Is New
While the details of the plan seem oddly similar, the domain and website itself are not old. The domain hosting the page (lanierspeedway.com) was registered in August 2024. It’s SSL certificate says it was issued October 1st, implying the page was at most just over a year old and possible only a week or so old. Certainly much newer than the 2021 and older dates of the original plan it shares details with.
The Facebook page for the update says it was created on September 30th, again leading us to speculate this is a new creation.
While potentially insignificant, we did note that the web host and SSL certificate used to identify the lanierspeedway.com website is not the same companies used by Caffeine and Octane for the existing official Lanier Raceway site. It’s certainly possible that the site was developed by a third party, but it adds additional questions given so little information has been made available.
Sources Say Plan Is Old, Redevelopment Plans Are Active
One well informed ShiftAtlanta source, who requested anonymity, told us they were told that the owners of Lanier were in fact looking to sell and/or reignite redevelopment plans. According to the source, Caffeine and Octane has only been leasing the property and the property owners would rather redevelop.
The source also said the plan would be for Lanier to become a purely membership based club, potentially exclusively for the residents/car condo owners. While a truly private motorsports park is rare, semi-private clubs have been a common approach for new tracks and even existing tracks to continue to survive.
Editors Note: As of the evening of 10/6 the Lanier Speedway page clarified that they do not extend for the facility to be entirely private.
Stables Condos Moving Into Braselton
One other recent development in the area regarding condos is the plan recently announced by Stables Condo’s is planning a development in Braselton. While we’ve not publicly seen any announcement indicating the developments are related, Stables did describe their new facilities as “designed to rival the finest golf country clubs”. Still no reference to hotels, single family homes or even access to a race track.
Beyond private garages, ownership unlocks an exclusive clubhouse designed to rival the finest golf country clubs—crafted as a destination for connection, celebration, and lifestyle at the highest level.
Members will enjoy:
• Monthly sponsored gatherings & social mixers
• Curated car shows & driving experiences
• Private, member-only events in our luxurious clubhouse
• A community of enthusiasts who share your passion for cars & culture
Editors Note: We’ll have more details on the Stables Condo’s near Road Atlanta in a future article. We do not currently believe these developments are related, but as of right now we’ve also not be told definitively they are not related.
For Now Expect Changes To The Plan
While it’s certainly possible, maybe even likely, the owners or a new entity has, or is planning to bring back plans to redevelop the site. But we don’t expect it will be exactly like what is currently being showen on the Lanier Speedway website. First, the plan itself seems to have been unchanged. In the world of development, it’s very rare a plan that was shot down comes back in nearly identical form. Whether that is good news, or bad news, for the future of the track we just don’t know. Outside of that rumor of the track going private, we’ve not seen anything to quantify a change in status.
Editors Note: Lanier Speedway page indicated the track would not be entirely private.
It is also very strange to us that no legal entity is defined anywhere on the website or the Facebook page. While it’s not unusual for real estate developers to avoid directly identifying themselves, most serious proposals would still typically have a legal entity identified somewhere. We were unable to locate any. However, based on the recent comments provided by the page it’s possible more details, including the entity behind the ownership and/or redevelopment plans will then be identified.
Lastly, the site is officially known today as “Caffeine and Octane Lanier Raceway”, but the website and branding are “Lanier Speedway”. As of the updates provided most recently, this appears to be intentional.
If the owners of the site or those behind the development are interested in providing context, we’ll gladly update this article accordingly. Likewise, if the team and Caffeine and Octane have anything to add or make a statement, we will gladly update the article.
Editors Note: We’ve now heard, at least indirectly, from both Caffeine and Octane and the Lanier Speedway page.
