Over the past several decades, the Ingram family built a legacy on the red clay at Dixie Speedway in Cherokee County.
Frank Ingram grew up at the Woodstock racetrack watching his charismatic father, Bill Ingram, a staple in the 1990s racing scene and an inductee into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. The close-knit family prioritized work with their local towing and impound business, but they still found time for racing success.
“Frank was very competitive and a fierce competitor that wanted to win races,” said Mia Swims-Green, the owner and vice president of Dixie Speedway. “I think he followed in his father’s footsteps, but then he also carved out his own lane.”
The 48-year-old was struck and killed last month while responding to a towing call on I-575. He was hit between Sixes Road and Ridgeway Parkway, authorities confirmed, which shut down the southbound lanes of the interstate for more than an hour Oct. 19. Woodstock police have released few details about the crash but said the investigation should be concluded this week. It’s unclear if the driver will be charged.
A visitation for Ingram will be held from 3-10 p.m. Saturday at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Kennesaw, prior to his funeral Sunday.
“I expect local and regional racers to come out and support the family,” Swims-Green told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday morning. “They might be rivals on the track, but this will be a time when the racing community comes together.”
For the Ingrams, life was all about racing on the weekends. They would often bring at least 40 loved ones and friends with them to handle duties and work the pit crews between their two teams. Bill was in his familiar No. 9 car; Frank opted to drive the No. F9.
Posted by Frank Ingram Racing on Friday, November 30, 2018
Since a young age, Frank found himself in the racing shadow of his father’s larger-than-life personality.
Bill Ingram raced in NASCAR, once wrestled an 800-pound bear for 20 minutes and jumped over a school bus like Evel Knievel on a whim after the original stunt performer was a no-show.
Despite being quieter and not as flamboyant, Frank was outgoing and created his own legacy, Swims-Green said. From 1989 to 2017, he had 50 feature wins at the speedway, including 35 in the Super Late Model division — the track’s highest. In 2004, he won the points championship, according to speedway historian Jeff Smith.
In recent years, Frank could be found hunting and spending time with his family, according to his obituary. He only got behind the wheel about once a year: for the Bill Ingram Memorial Race. In 2009, a decade after his father’s death from cancer, he finally won it.
“A lot of tears and a lot of laughter that evening,” Swims-Green said.
2012 GRHOF Inductee, Bill Ingram stands next to his infamous yellow #9. His son, Frank continues to carry on his number...
Posted by Georgia Racing Hall of Fame (GRHOF) on Friday, June 7, 2019
Swims-Green said she can still remember the solidarity at the track when Bill was going through his cancer treatments before his death in 1999. The crews all shaved their heads in support.
“The racing community is a very tight-knit community, so when something happens like this, it just just kind of rocks everyone,” Swims-Green said. “(Frank) just lost his son (Chase) in a car accident a few years prior and so the family has just been through a lot.”
Last month, Swims-Green was in the grandstands with her husband preparing for a speedway event when she got a call that Frank had died.
“We were in shock,” she said. “The Ingram family is a huge part of Dixie Speedway history.”
