Huston Platt's famed Dixie Twister funny car sits in a place of honor in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville, Georgia. Photo courtesy GRHOF
By Angela Williamson
Posted in Feature Stories 1/27/12
The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville, Georgia has seen its share of “hero” cars. And the newest addition to the list is currently on exhibit at the GRHOF.
The “Dixie Twister”, and its driver, Huston Platt, went through many years of pain and suffering before it was finally realized that they too, deserve a spot in the hero arena.
The Flock Brothers, Bob (left), Tim (center) and Fonty (right) were terrors and winners on the sandy beach and road course at Daytona. Photo courtesy Frances Flock
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 1/20/12
As we close in on the annual running of the Daytona 500, thoughts go back to at time prior to the building of the great speedway, when drivers did battle on the hard packed sands of Daytona Beach to prove who was the best.
Many drivers from Georgia made the trek south each winter to compete on the beach, but few saw the success as the three fabulous Flock brothers, Bob, Fonty and Tim.
Lloyd Seay is considered by many to be the greatest natural talent in a stock car. Photo courtesy GRHOF
By Cody Dinsmore-Guest Contributor
Posted in Columns 1/13/11
The short but daring career of Lloyd Seay began somewhere around the summer of 1934 in the hills of Dawsonville, GA.
When he was as young as 13 years old, he was driving some sort of jalopy to haul a small load of Dawsonville’s finest moonshine out of the woods and down to Atlanta.
He most likely at the time worked for the legendary Raymond Parks, his older and successful cousin.
A familiar sight for Senoia, Georgia's Bubba Pollard, as he scored 19 victories in 2011. Photo by Justin Poole
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 1/6/12
According to a group of motorsports journalists and racing aficionados recently polled, Bubba Pollard’s stellar Late Model season has been chosen as the top historic event in Georgia Racing History for 2011.
The Senoia, Georgia speedster went on an absolute rampage in 2011, scoring 19 victories in 43 starts, along with two series titles, the Gulf Coast Championship and the 2011 Viper Series Championship. In doing so, he pushed his all time Late Model win total to 55.
Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 12/30/11
With the New Year now upon us, it’s time to take a moment and thing back to some of the things that occurred during the 2011 racing season.
It was, without a doubt, one of the most interesting seasons in recent memory. From the short tracks to the super speedways, it was certainly one to remember.
Let’s start with NASCAR. Nobody knew what to expect in Daytona when a rookie scored his first win in his first start in the biggest race of the year. Piloting the famed Wood Brothers’ Ford, Trevor Bayne shocked the racing world by putting the No. 21 in victory lane.
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Posted 30 December 2011
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Georgia's Charles Barrett piloted this #09 Torino for George Elliott in 1973. Photo courtesy the Barrett Family
By Mike Bell
Posted in Feature Stories 12/23/11
When Chris Rutledge and I went up to Cleveland, Georgia to interview Charlie Barrett, we felt it best to talk to him at his used car lot. That is where he always is and I knew he would feel comfortable there. The used car business has been his life since 1965.
Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 12/16/11
With the big raceways sitting silent and fans counting the days to the start of the major racing seasons, the question comes to mind as to just why we see so little racing in the winter months.
The obvious first answer is the weather. Traditionally, NASCAR and other larger touring series have always taken the winter months off to keep teams and fans from having to deal with cold winter weather.
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Posted 16 December 2011
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Georgia's Huston Platt poses with his Funny Car, the restored Dixie Twister. Photo courtesy Racin' Today.com
By Rick Minter-Guest Contributor
Posted in Columns 12/9/11
The phone call on Wednesday, Nov. 30 from Rocky Platt brought sad news. His father Huston Platt, the pioneering drag racer, had died at his Buford, Ga., home. He was 79 years old.
I’d heard of Huston Platt for years, but never actually talked to him until a few years ago, when Rocky invited me to their home to see the “Dixie Twister”, Platt’s old Funny Car that had been tracked down in Nova Scotia and restored by one of his former crew members, Randall Davis.
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Posted 09 December 2011
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A familiar spot for North Georgia native Bobby Whitmire in the mid 1950s - victory lane at a Georgia short track. Photo courtesy the Bobby Whitmire collection
By Mike Bell
Posted in Feature Stories 12/2/11
For years, Hugh Blackstock has told me about getting with Bobby Whitmire and Charles Probst. Not thinking that I am getting any older, I figured these guys would be around for years to come.
Then Charles died in a car accident near Gainesville, Georgia. That made me realize that I’m getting too old and Bobby and Charles were way ahead of me.
Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 11/25/11
It’s not been very often that a good, solid friendship between the Georgia racing scene and television has come together.
That has not been the case, however, when it comes to Dave Wiley and this Commerce, Georgia based TV station, JBTV-54.
Dave’s channel has become a favorite of the locals in and around north Georgia. While it is carried solely on Windstream cable, Dave sends his programming all over north Georgia, including high school football, gospel music programs and other local based programming, including races from Gresham Motorsports Park.
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Posted 25 November 2011
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