Final Thoughts On 2009
Georgia racer Matt Hawkins, seen here from the 2007 World Crown, was lost in an non-racing related accident early in 2009. Photo by Brandon Reed
The past year was certainly one of up and down moments. It began on a sad note with the tragic loss of racer Matt Hawkins in a non-racing related accident. Hawkins promised to be a star of the future and was gone at far to young an age. His was held in everyone’s memories around the Georgia racing scene from January’s Shriner Bowl to December’s Snowball Derby.
Watching the construction at Gresham Motorsports Park was like physically watching excitement grow for the new track and for it’s opening in November. Between the good racing, the fan and driver amenities and the joy of seeing a track that many had written off have new life breathed into it was like watching a family member rejuvenated and brought back to life. Over time, it’s sure to become the short track all others are compared against around the southeast and maybe even the east coast.
But on the down side, one has to look at the loss this year of Birmingham Fairgrounds in Alabama and the Nashville Fairgrounds in Tennessee as two of the darkest moments for racing in Georgia. Despite the tracks being outside the state, many racers from Georgia had traveled to both these historic speedways in hopes of conquering the legendary tracks.
Ed Samples, pictured right, was a constant winner at the Birmingham Fairgrounds driving Cosby Hodges famed "Jazz Special". That's car builder Johnny Burrell pictured on the left. Photo courtesy Eddie Samples
The list of winners at Birmingham reads like a who’s who in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. Ed Samples was a multiple winner at Birmingham, not to mention a track champion there driving the famed #311 Jazz Special for Cosby Hodges. Bob Flock considered it one of his favorite tracks. Bob Burcham won there many times. Fonty Flock won there in modifieds. Jody Ridley visited victory lane there. Ronnie Sanders twice won the Early Bird 100.
The same could be said for Nashville. Rex White won there in 1959. Joe Lee Johnson won a convertible race there later that year that was wrenched by Hall of Fame mechanic Paul McDuffie. Bob Burcham was a winner in the Flameless 300, and often raced there against his friend Marty Robbins. Jody Ridley competed there. More recently, Cleveland’s Jason Hogan won the famed All American 400 at the track.
The loss of these two historic speedways, which both date back to the early nineteen-teens, leaves a huge hole in the fabric of southern motorsports, not to mention in the hearts of race fans across the area.
But, with everything lost there is something gained. With 2010 just ahead of us, hopefully the New Year will bring many more historic moments for all kinds of racing everywhere, and more reasons for race fans all over to cheer.
Brandon Reed is the webmaster and editor for Georgia Racing History.com.
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