The apparent tornado that raced through Cherokee County on Monday tore through Dixie Speedway, heavily damaging bleachers and some of the buildings at the racetrack near Woodstock.
On Tuesday, track owner Mickey Swims told the AJC that he hoped to have the mess cleaned up in time for this Saturday’s scheduled races.
Swims said he was at his home about five minutes away when the tornado moved through.
“I was watching TV and I heard it was at [Interstates] 75 and 575, headed north,” Swims said. “I got my wife and we went in the basement. As we went down I heard it roar.”
Swims said the tornado didn’t last long – “10 or 15 seconds and then I didn’t hear it any more.”
He said that once the storm passed, he went to “see what it’s done at the racetrack.”
He said that when he got to the track, he saw an 80-foot light stand “twisted like a toothpick.”
The high winds also destroyed a concession stand and took the roof off the track’s restrooms.
“I looked in the No.1 corner, and there lay all the seats out in the middle of the racetrack,” Swims said.
Despite the damage, Swims, who has owned the track since 1976, said he thanks God that there were no injuries.
“We can put this stuff back, and we’re going to try our best to race here Saturday night,” Swims said. “We’re in pretty bad shape right now, but we’re going to work around the clock. We’re fixing to get at it and we’re fixing to get at it hard.”
Two race car drivers who regularly run at Dixie Speedway, Marty Keys and Arthur Nix, made the drive down from Ellijay Tuesday to lend a hand with the cleanup.
“This is my home away from home here, and it’s heart-breaking to see it like this,” Nix said.
“We came down to help Mr. Mickey out,” Keys said. “We seen him on the news and bless his heart, he was about to cry. He helps a lot of people out, and we’re returning the favor.”
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