The roar of engines and cheers of a loyal crowd marked the triumphant return of Dixie Speedway to the Woodstock scene after a two-year intermission. The speedway, occupying a hefty 150 acres, welcomed a diverse crowd eager to get their fix of high-octane dirt track racing at a venue beloved by the community.
Despite their different walks of life, fans flooded the stands, overlooking the age-old track, with a single-minded purpose — to celebrate the speedway's opening. According to a WABE report, even Chase Swims, whose grandfather has been the heart and soul of the speedway since 1976, found the turnout to be a "humbling" experience, remarking how it's as if "they didn't forget about you."
The Swims family, who has owned the speedway for nearly five decades, has certainly poured their hearts into making it a staple in the community. In a statement that warmed the infield now dusted with new tire tracks, Mickey Swims shared with WABE his devotion to the racing world, emphasizing that "money ain't got to do with it," expressing his sheer love for the sport.
While Mickey's wife Martha, who managed the track alongside her husband, passed away in 2022, her spirit and passion for the races still resonate throughout the stands and the pit. Mickey, full of life at 84 years old, alludes to his late wife, acknowledging that her pain is over, and she would have been thrilled to see Dixie thriving once more.
It was apparent that the return race had been longed-for, drawing in fervent spectators like Dillon Cribbs, who told WABE he drove six hours from Brunswick merely to witness the speedway spring back to life. "This is a Saturday now where the whole community and all that will come together," he said, affirming the unity brought by the event.
While race cars and dust clouds are the norm at Dixie, for up-and-coming 17-year-old driver Greer Cofield, the track represents something more profound. As she follows in the tire treads of her father and grandfather, she carries on a family legacy steeped in the rich soil of the raceway. "I've grown up here ... played in the dirt plenty of times," Cofield reminisced to WABE before taking her place on the starting line.
As the checkered flag waved and the evening's race drew to a close, confirming the start of a promising season, the community's support for Dixie was palpable. Andrew Findley, a driver well versed with the track's twists and turns, voiced his sentiment bluntly regarding those who wouldn't mind seeing the track bulldozed. "The richer folks want to do away with it," Findley acknowledged, "But if that traffic on 92 don't tell him nothing tonight, Dixie is Woodstock," as reported by WABE.
