Georgia Magazine - August 2011 - (Page 34B)

Legendary driver still in fast lane Although he’s not a Georgia native, former NASCAR champion Rex White has lived in the metro Atlanta area since 1966, ﬁrst in Forest Park before moving to Fayetteville in 2001. “It was a lot of fun—especially if you won,” says White, who raced in the top division between 1959 and 1964, winning the championship in 1960. “It wasn’t a lot of money, and you had to preserve your car and not wreck it.” A shop full of mechanics was unheard of in those days, so drivers often worked on their own cars and towed them to races on hitches, instead of the protected car haulers used today. White drove Chevrolets the majority of his career. He was especially Rex White proud of a gold No. 4 machine that he said stood out from competitors. In fact, his autobiography is titled “Gold Thunder.” White, who turns 81 this month, is considered one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, and he is the sport’s oldest living champion. But he’s not letting retirement slow him down. “I still see good to drive, even at night,” White says. “I spend a lot of time in North Carolina and pretty much go wherever I want.” For more on NASCAR, see page 19. Lake Lanier An act of Congress, a bit of history BY PAMELA A. KEENE Bonu Cont s ent L ake Sidney Lanier and Buford Dam were constructed under the authority of an act of Congress in 1946 for ﬂood control, downstream navigation, hydroelectric power production and water supply. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1951 to 1956, Buford Dam created the lake from the Chestatee and Chattahoochee rivers at a cost of approximately $45 million. It took three years for the lake to ﬁll once the dam was completed. Buford Dam is actually four dams—the main dam, which is 192 feet high and 2,360 feet long, plus three saddle dikes built of raw earth that stretch nearly 6,600 feet adjacent to the main concrete structure. Lake Lanier reaches into ﬁve North Georgia counties—Forsyth, Hall, Gwinnett, Dawson and Lumpkin—although the majority of the facilities at the lake are located in Forsyth and Hall. The lake is named for Georgia native and 19th-century poet SidThe Buford Dam ney Clopton Lanier, powerhouse at who penned a poem, Lake Lanier “Song of the Chattahoochee,” as a tribute to the beauty of the North Georgia area where the river wove its way through hills and valleys. Lake Lanier ★ • • Planning a visit to Lake Lanier? To learn more about the numerous fun-ﬁlled events, activities and attractions that await people of all ages at Lake Sidney Lanier, see page 27. More online at www.georgiamagazine.org GEORGIA MAGAZINE 34B U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - August 2011

Georgia Magazine - August 2011
Table of Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Georgia's Energy Outlook
Southern speedsters
From humble to highfalutin
Second helping: Barbecue
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Snapshot
Snapshot Submissions
Meet legendary NASCAR driver Rex White
The history of Lake Lanier
Gardens plant of the month; Liberty notes
Energy-efficiency tips

Georgia Magazine - August 2011