UPDATED: We Check In On Atlanta Dragway 4 Years Later
Update February 2025 – Go Fund Me Launched To “Buy” Atlanta Drag Way Plus Development Plans Denied
Go Fund Me Titled Save Atlanta Dragway: Preserve Racing History
Nearly a year after our original article, Atlanta Dragway again appeared on our feeds. Spearheaded by Eric Reinhart a Go Fund Me was launched titled “Save Atlanta Dragway: Preserve Racing History”. The Go Fund Me had started collecting donations towards it goal before being “paused” without explanation. The Go Fund Me had a stated goal of millions of dollars and had gained $1080 in donations before being paused. A screen shot of the fund raiser included above.
We reached out via Go Fund Me to the organizer looking for a comment. Whether the fund was intended seriously, hopefully or just in jest we don’t know for sure. But we’ll update this article whenever we hear more.
Development Plans Denied
Image of the proposed development submitted with the rezoning request. Courtesy of Now Habersham
In another updated development, plans were release to build 1100 homes on part of the former Atlanta Dragway property. Along with those plans, rezoning was requested by VPD/Terra Commerce Development. The Banks County Planning Unit Development (PUD) reviewed the request and denied it.
The commission meeting drew nearly 100 people. According to reports the commission had heard opposition to the plan, which was a factor in their decision to deny the zoning request.
The property formerly housing Atlanta Dragway has another stay of execution. Though it’s not likely to last.
Original Article – April 12th, 2024
On this day, nearly to the day (April 12th), 3 years ago when Atlanta Dragway was reported as sold. What had been brewing as a rumored sale, and likely closing, through much of the end of 2020 and into early 2021 became a reality in April 2021. Atlanta Dragway was being sold and it’s wasn’t expected to continue as a drag strip.
Not long after the final events were scheduled, with the final event happening in October 2021. In just about a year Atlanta Dragway went from seeming like it would always be a part of the Atlanta car scene to being just another shuttered drag strip and cautionary tale. So what exactly is Atlanta Dragway up to and what was built on the site?
Where Atlanta Dragway Is Now
For those of us with fond memories of Fast Fridays and other events at Atlanta Dragway, is that the big promises of what would come never materialized. Housing, manufacturing jobs, retail have yet to be built.
In the Fall of 2022 demo on the Atlanta Dragway facilities began. The iconic tower has been torn down. In large part to the pandemic that hit right as it was being sold, along with an uneven housing market, has stunted demand for such a large scale development.
The property itself appears to be available for sale for development. A Crexi listing popuped earlier this month offering the former Atlanta Dragway as part of a potential larger 325 acre plot.
The former Atlanta Dragway is +/- 165 acres and is ready for development with minimal site preparation required.
Crexi Listing – crexi.com/properties/1501044/georgia-prime-development-opportunity-former-atlanta-dragway
Buy It And Open It Back Up?
While the iconic tower is gone, for those with deep pockets and dreams of a return to drag racing in Commerce, the property is being offered for just $17,875,000. I’m sure you’ll need several million more to recreate the facilities that were demo’d in 2022, and probably some time to talk the community that finally thought cars were gone and shopping was in, that in fact, cars are back in.
Since that’s unlikely to happen, it’ll just remain an icon of the Atlanta car scene that is never likely to return. And yet somehow, even the grand vision of what would replace it seems to be gone for now too. Perhaps next economic cycle we’ll see what is made of the property.
Atlanta Dragway is still a broken dream. For racers and developers.
