Fans turned out in droves for Speedfest earlier this year at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, GA. Photo by Allen Hastings / Southern Race Week Radio

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 4/7/12

It’s time to go short track racing again in the Peach State.

Over the last few weeks, several Georgia short tracks have gotten their seasons underway, including Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA, and Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, GA.  Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, GA gets their season started this weekend, in fact.

They join several tracks that have already gotten their 2012 season underway, including Toccoa Speedway in Toccoa, GA, Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, GA, and Hartwell Speedway in Hartwell, GA.

Tickets will be bought.  Hot dogs and hamburgers will be eaten.  The sound of high powered engines will fill the air, along with the distinct smell of spent high octane racing fuel wafts around the track.

For a short track racing fan, no matter if it’s dirt or asphalt, there’s nothing closer to Heaven on Earth.

But there will none of these at the Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, GA.

The 3/8 mile clay oval will sit silent, just as it did last year.  The dirt surface is cut with little ravines from a lack of care.  The backstretch wall has fallen in.  The reasons are  neither here nor there, but the fact that a speedway that was once among the most popular short tracks in the Northeast portion of the state is left to sit and rot is sad to see.

Not too far to the south sits Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, GA.  The once ultra-popular 3/8 paved oval will host only two events this year, one a make-up race in January postponed to March 31 due to weather, and an Independence Day weekend event.

Otherwise, the track built by legendary wheelman, promoter, and Georgia Racing Hall of Famer Bud Lunsford (who long ago got out of the racing business) will be left to, as a track official said, “rot into the earth.”

You can blame the problems of these two facilities on a lot of things.  But regardless of their problems, fans are still turning out to other tracks in droves.

Senoia saw a sell-out last year for their USCS Sprint Car weekend.  Earlier this season, Cordele saw a standing room only crowd for the CSA SpeedFest event.  Toccoa has seen huge crowds, along with Hartwell, and Sylvania.

The fans are more than willing to come out and support their hometown tracks.  However, their hometown tracks also need to support them.

There’s no two ways about it, we’re in tough financial times.  Fans have to careful and choose just where to spend their money, and how often.

Some tracks have responded.  Ticket prices for many tracks all over the southeast hover around $10-15 for a regular night of racing.  Fans have shown their approval and appreciation, with long lines at the ticket booth and long lines at the concession stands.

But a shrewd promoter can put on a show with such a lean budget that they can walk off with enough money to fund the next three shows.  I know, because I’ve seen it done.  And the fans never had any idea.  All they know is that they’ve seen a great show.

Some tracks understand this, and they will continue to grow.  Others haven’t, and may be in for even leaner times.

But, not all is gloom and doom.  Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, GA is slated to reopen after being shuttered for almost two years.  In addition, word is that a major speedway that has been closed since the mid-1980s could be making a return.

The best thing the race fans can do is to continue to support their local race tracks.  We have lost so many tracks over the years that we can’t afford to lose any more.  Stock car racing was born in Georgia.  It would be a shame to lose any more of its great speedways.

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us!

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame or the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. All content is the intellectual property of the individual authors. All opinions are those of the individual authors. Please do not repost images or text without permission.

1960 Sprint Cup Champ and GRHOF member Rex White was the last Georgia racer to win at Martinsville Speedway. Photo courtesy GRHOF

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 3/31/12

With the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck series heading into the legendary Martinsville Speedway in Virginia this weekend, it makes one think about the history of such a famed place.

Of course, when I think of racing history, my mind always turns to the Georgia Gang, and the impact that drivers from the Peach State have had on certain venues.

The half-mile, paper clip shaped Virginia track is no different.  And from the beginning, the Georgia Gang has written a lot history at the speedway.

That history dates back to the very first time that NASCAR raced at Martinsville.  It was in the sanctioning body’s first year of existence, coming on Independence Day, July 4, 1948.

Georgia Racing Hall of Famer Fonty Flock scored the win on that day, besting Pee Wee Martin and Buck Baker.  The event featured NASCAR’s modifieds, as the Strictly Stock (now Sprint Cup) was still a year away from coming into being.

When the Strictly Stocks made their first appearance at Martinsville, it was again the Georgia Gang that scored the win.  This time, it was Hall of Famer Red Byron, piloting an Oldsmobile owned by the legendary Georgia car owner and Hall of Fame member Raymond Parks, who streaked across the finish line first.  Byron led 97 of the race’s 200 laps, beating runner-up Lee Petty by three laps at the finish.

A Georgia racer would again pull into Martinsville’s victory lane on Oct. 14, 1951, when Hall of Fame member Frank “Rebel” Mundy took the win in an Oldsmobile owned by fellow Hall of Famer Ted Chester, leading 114 of 200 laps en route to the win.

It would be three years before another Georgia Gang member scored a win at Martinsville.  On May 15, 1955, Hall of Famer Tim Flock drove his Carl Kiekhaefer owned Chrysler 300 to the win, beating fellow Chrysler pilot Lee Petty to the checkered flag.

Another Georgia Hall of Famer would put a Kiekhaefer Chrysler into Martinsville’s victory lane one year later, as Jack Smith dominated the event, leading 185 of 400 laps for the win.

Hall of Fame driver Rex White became the first Georgia Gang member to win a 500 lap event at Martinsville, picking up the victory on Sept. 27, 1959.  White led 202 laps, beating out home state hero Glen Wood for the win.

White returned to victory lane at Martinsville one year later, this time beating out legendary driver Joe Weatherly for the victory.

It would mark the last Sprint Cup victory at the tough short track for the Georgia Gang to date.

One other historic Georgia footnote at Martinsville should not be overlooked.  Back in 1952, NASCAR sanctioned events for an open wheel, IndyCar style series for cars using big block engines, called the Speedway Division.  One of the stops on the tour was at Martinsville.

Indiana native Bill Miller sat on the pole in a car owned by Atlanta’s Raymond Parks.  The Oldsmobile powered car led 55 of the first 58 laps of the event before falling out with fuel pressure issues.

The race was won by Marietta, Georgia racer Tex Keene, piloting a Mercury powered racer.  Jack Smith ran second in a Chrysler powered entry owned by Roy Shoemaker, himself the owner of the famed Peach Bowl Speedway in Atlanta, GA.

While it’s now been some 42 years since a member of the Georgia Gang has won a major NASCAR event at Martinsville, there is still a chance for the Peach State to get back into victory lane this weekend.  On Saturday, Griffin, Georgia’s Max Gresham will be competing in the Camping World Truck Series race, along with fellow Georgians Chris Cockrum, and Ryan Sieg.  Georgia’s John Wes Townley will be looking to qualify for the event on time.

On the Sprint Cup side, Unadilla, Georgia’s David Ragan will start on Sunday, with fellow Georgian Reed Sorenson looking to make the show.

Any of these drivers could following Fonty Flock’s tire tracks, and be the person to put the Georgia Gang back in victory lane at Martinsville.

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us!

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame or the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. All content is the intellectual property of the individual authors. All opinions are those of the individual authors. Please do not repost images or text without permission.

The Ontario Motor Speedway, located east of Los Angeles, CA, was a 2.5 mile super speedway that hosted NASCAR and IndyCar events. It was considered the sister track to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 3/3/12

Georgia racing historian Mike Bell has been doing a lot of research into a couple of stories that have connections to the old Atlanta Motordrome, which was located just south of Atlanta.

The track, constructed in 1908-09, was a massive 2 mile oval that drew some of the finest drivers of the day.  It had amenities that no other track had ever dreamed of, and, had it survived, it surely would have rivaled the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in racing history.

But it didn’t survive.  Despite all of the money behind it, having been built by Coca-Cola magnate Asa Chandler, the track only saw action for two years.  Eventually, it would be buried under what is now the busiest airport in the country, Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.

Reasons for why the track failed have been discussed for years, and we plan to bring that story to you at a later date.  When you see pictures of the massive Atlanta Motordrome, it’s easy to believe that a loss of such a grand facility wouldn’t be possible today.

If you’re one of those that believes that idea, you only have to look at one California super speedway to see that, not only is it possible, but has happened in recent years.

The Ontario Motor Speedway, located 40 miles east of Los Angeles, CA, was built in 1970 at a reported cost of about $25.5 million. The track was intended to be an all-purpose facility.

The most recognizable section of the track was its 2.5-mile oval course. The track was modeled after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but featured a wider racing surface, as well as slightly banked short-chutes between the first and second, and third and fourth turns. This made lap times at the track faster than its eastern cousin.

A 20-turn road course was built into the infield of the facility. The wide pit road was also used as a drag strip, and hosted the first ever 250 mile and hour run by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits in 1975.

The icing on the cake was the circle of bricks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that made up Ontario’s victory lane, in the shape of a big “O.”

The first event at the magnificent new track was held on Labor Day of 1970. It was a 500-mile USAC Indy car race, won by Jim McElreath in a Ford powered Coyote.

The next year, Ontario brought in the big NASCAR stock cars, but there was still an Indy connection in the event. A.J. Foyt won the first NASCAR Cup event at the track, and would win the event again in 1972. A.J. would also find success at the track in his Indy car, winning in March of 1975.

After leaving the track in 1973, NASCAR would return in 1974, and would hold its season finale at the Southern California track for the next seven years. Drivers such as Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, David Pearson, Neil Bonnett, and Benny Parsons would all find victory lane. The racing was phenomenal, with cars often stacking three and four wide down the long straightaways.

For the Indy Cars, the list of winners read like an Indy 500 champions who’s who. Bobby Unser was a four-time winner, while his brother Al Unser would twice visit victory lane. Other winners included USAC Camp Joe Leonard, Roger McCluskey and Wally Dallenbach, Sr.

There was a lot of history written there. Cale Yarborough was crowned Cup champion three times there. Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip fought over the 1979 championship on the Ontario oval, with Petty taking his seventh title by a mere 11 points. And one year later, a kid named Dale Earnhardt would win the first of his seven titles at the track.

But despite quality racing, Ontario was in trouble. Financial plans had been made based on hopelessly over-ambitious attendance numbers. After a huge turnout for the track’s inaugural events, attendance numbers began dropping. The writing was on the wall.

The final Indy car event at the track was held in August of 1980, won by Bobby Unser. The final Cup event was held in November, with Benny Parsons winning.

The track went bankrupt, and the Ontario Motor Speedway deemed a failure. The city sold the track to Chevron Land Management for $10 million. In 1981, it was demolished, wiped off the face of the earth at a cost of $3 million.

Nothing remains of the track today. In the mid 1980s, a hotel was built on the fourth turn of the old track. Developments run down its front stretch. A hockey arena is currently being built on the site of the third turn.

If the track could have survived a few more years and entered into the television era of racing, it’s very possible it would still be there, and be one of the biggest show places in motor sports.

Instead, we’re left to wonder what might have been.

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us!

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame or the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. All content is the intellectual property of the individual authors. All opinions are those of the individual authors. Please do not repost images or text without permission.

Richard Petty's Pontiac gets airborne after being tagged by Phil Barkdoll (73) and A.J. Foyt during the running of the 1988 Daytona 500. Photo courtesy the Andy Towler collection

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 2/17/12

Though it occurred over two decades ago, I can still remember how it all unfolded like it was yesterday.

It was February 14, 1988.  My family and I had gathered to watch the 30^th running of the Daytona 500 on television.

It promised to be an interesting race from the start.  The cars were being hampered by carburetor restrictor plates for the first time after a frightening crash the year before at Talladega had almost landed Bobby Allison’s car in the grandstands.  Along with that, some of the car manufacturers had reshaped their car models during the off-season, and some drivers had found issues in getting those cars to behave properly on the racetrack.

It was just after the halfway point, and leader Darrell Waltrip continued to hold the point as CBS broke away for a commercial.  When they returned, they launched into a pre-produced piece on 1987 Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.  The scene had just shifted to long-time race commentator Chris Economaki sitting on the porch of Earnhardt’s childhood home, when CBS suddenly cut back to the track.

The first thing we heard was the voice of long-time commentator and former cup champion Ned Jarrett, saying “Bad trouble, bad trouble!”

We saw one car airborne, flipping side over side along the front stretch catch fence.  The back end of the car was riding the fence, while the front nosed down on the racing surface.  As the car tumbled over and over, parts flew in all directions.

It was at that point that the number on the side of the car suddenly registered in my mind.  It was 43, the number of seven-time Daytona and cup champion Richard Petty.

Almost at the same time, I heard my mother and grandfather both say “Oh my God!”

Petty’s car finally came to rest just outside of the tri-oval area of the track, but his ride wasn’t over. With debris littering the track, a pack of cars, already at a reduced speed, drove into the scene.  A cut tire sent Brett Bodine’s Ford out of control, and slamming into the now stationary car of Petty, sending it spinning wildly.

The front stretch was strewn with crashed cars, and smoke hung heavy in front of the cameras as lead commentator Ken Squire explained to fans what had just happened.  CBS’ cameras closed in on Petty’s car momentarily, and then cut away until word of Petty’s condition came down.

A replay showed the back of Petty’s car breaking loose, sliding sideways off of the fourth turn.  He was then struck from behind by journeyman driver Phil Barkdoll, and then by former Indianapolis and Daytona winner A.J. Foyt.  The contact from these two pushed Petty’s car sideways, allowing air to get underneath his Pontiac, lifting it up into the air at 200 miles an hour, and starting the tumbling, side over side crash.

Pit reporter, and now lead Fox commentator Mike Joy quickly interviewed Wisconsin driver Alan Kulwicki.  Kulwicki explained that he hadn’t actually been involved in the accident, but a cut tire from the debris on the track had sent his Ford into the wall.

As the camera pulled back briefly after the Kulwicki interview, Joy’s face showed the fear and worry that many fans felt at that moment.

In the infield, it was pandemonium.  Pit reporter Dave Despain had made his way through the crowd to the infield hospital, and had spoken with Foyt, Barkdoll and Bodine about their conditions, and about the accident.  Moments later, Petty’s cousin and long time crew chief, Dale Inman, came out and gave the report that Petty was okay, suffering only an injured ankle.

During the clean up from the crash, Economaki had speculated that the crash would probably end Petty’s career.  Jarrett was quick to respond, saying the legendary driver would rather retire at a moment of his choosing, rather than the result of an accident.

Almost as if in answer, Petty returned the next week at the half-mile Richmond Fairgrounds track to finish third.  It would be five more years before he would hang up his helmet for good.

But on Valentine’s Day, 1988, King Richard caused everyone’s hearts to skip a beat.

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us!

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame or the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. All content is the intellectual property of the individual authors. All opinions are those of the individual authors. Please do not repost images or text without permission.

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.

But for just a few more car lengths, however, it could have been different.  A mistake by Unadilla, Georgia’s David Ragan in switching lanes to early cost him the lead and an almost sure victory in the Great American Race.  The question of “what if” would dog him until the series returned to Daytona in July, when he scored his first career Sprint Cup win at the 2.5 mile super speedway.  He would also scored two poles, 12 top fives and 20 top tens, cementing himself as a driver to be dealt with.

Fate, however, has dealt him a different hand in another of the big stories of the year.

It was triggered by comments made by Kurt Busch when he didn’t know a fan’s camera was on him.  Those comments led to his ultimate firing from Penske Racing, leading to a land rush for potential drivers.

With his sponsor gone from the No. 6, Ragan asked for a release from Jack Roush, giving him the opportunity to vie for the coveted No. 22 seat.  But that seat ended up going to former open wheel ace A.J. Allmendinger instead.

Allmendinger’s departure from Richard Petty Motorsports meant the seat in the famous No. 43 was now open.  With the laid back, respectful manners that Ragan possesses, it seemed like the perfect match up.

But word came late in the going that Aric Almirola, armed with a sponsor, was the front runner for the Petty ride.  That leaves Ragan as the odd man out in the scenario, though rumor has it he may be heading for a Nationwide Series ride with Jr. Motorsports.  News is expected on that front shortly after the New Year.

For the open wheel folks, the season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the IndyCar Series was meant to be a major event.  It ended up being an unfortunate disaster.

A multi-car crash just 13 laps in sent four cars airborne, and ended with the death of defending Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon.

It proved to be one of the darkest days in racing in many years.  Hopefully, IndyCar can learn something from the tragedy and make such an occurrence a rarity for the racing world.

On the home front, Senoia, Georgia’s Bubba Pollard went on a tear this season, scoring a total of 19 wins in 43 Super and Pro Late Model starts while driving for Georgia Racing Hall of Famer Ronnie Sanders.  It was one of the best seasons we’ve seen somebody have in a long time, and hopefully, Pollard and Sanders will see a lot more success in 2012.

It was a great year for the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, as we saw unprecedented growth at the facility in the first full year under the control of the new Hall of Fame Board of Directors and all of our volunteers.

Unfortunately, we also saw great sadness in the Georgia Racing community, with the loss of young driver Beau Slocumb, along with Georgia Racing Hall of Fame member Jimmy Summerour, Gary Brantley, Garland Glaze, Red Langford, John Henry Maddox, Geneva Milam, Betty Mosteller, David Pritchett, Shorty Tanner and Hubert Platt.

But now, the green flag is set to drop on a new year, with new challenges and lots of new memories to see.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get started!

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us!

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame or the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. All content is the intellectual property of the individual authors. All opinions are those of the individual authors. Please do not repost images or text without permission.

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.

But that’s not necessarily true.  Yes, usually December has been a quiet month for the stock car set, but racing used to continue throughout November and pick back up in January, even in the Deep South.

In fact, a look at the history books shows that, in the case of 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup series seasons, the first points paying race of the season took place during the previous year.

1954 NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) champion Lee Petty scored the first win of the 1955 season - which happened to be run in Nov. of 1954. Photo courtesy GRHOF

The first time this occurred was in 1955, when the first points paying race of the season actually was held on Nov. 7, 1954 at Tri-City Speedway in High Point, NC, with Lee Petty taking the win.  The second race of the season was held on Feb. 6, 1955 at Palm Beach Speedway in West Palm Beach, FL, with Herb Thomas scoring the win.

The 1956 season would get underway late in 1955, with the first four events taking place before the New Year.

The 1956 season opener was run on Nov. 13, 1955, less than two weeks after the conclusion of the official 1955 season.  1955 Grand National (now Sprint Cup) champ Tim Flock picked up the win Hickory.  Fonty Flock would score the win in the second race of the season, held Nov. 20, 1955, at Charlotte.  Chuck Stevenson would win the third race of the season, held at the Willow Springs Speedway road course in Lancaster, CA on Nov. 20.  Herb Thomas would win the fourth race of the season, held Dec. 11, 1955 at Palm Beach.

The first race of 1956 was actually the fifth of the season, run Jan 22 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, AZ, where Buck Baker took the win.

The 1957 season saw see three points events occur in late 1956, with Marvin Panch winning at Lancaster, PA in November and at Concord, NC in December.  Fireball Roberts would win at Titusville, FL on Dec. 30, the latest date known in the calendar year for a Sprint Cup event to be held.

Most of the seasons that would hold races prior to the New Year only saw one or two events held.  Two seasons would be the exception, and both would prove to be interesting footnotes in racing history.

Jim Paschal drove a Petty Enterprises entry to victories in two of the first three races of the 1963 season, with Richard Petty winning the third. All three were held in 1962. Photo courtesy the Ray Lamm collection.

For the 1963 season, three events were held in late 1962.  The first points paying race of the season was held on Nov. 4, 1962, just a few days after the 1962 season finale, held on Oct. 28.  Jim Paschal won that “season opener”, which was held at the fairgrounds in Birmingham, AL.  Richard Petty would win the next event, held Nov. 11, 1962, at Golden Gate Speedway in Tampa, FL.  The third race, the final of 1962, would be held at the quarter mile Tar Heel Speedway in Randleman, NC on Nov. 22, 1962, with Paschal again winning.

The interesting part is that all three events were won by Petty Enterprises entries, with the last win coming just up the road from the Petty shops in Level Cross, NC.

The 1964 season would see four events held in 1963.  The first occurred just seven days after the 1963 season finale.  It was held on Nov. 10, 1963, with Ned Jarrett winning the season opener at Concord, NC.

The second event of the ’64 season occurred on Nov. 17, 1963 at the new three-mile road course at Augusta, Georgia.  Fireball Roberts would score the win.  It would prove to be the final of his famed career, as he would be badly burned in a crash at Charlotte in 1964, passing away weeks later.

The third race of the season would prove, retrospectively, to be one of the most important events in NASCAR history.

Wendell Scott became the first African American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event by scoring a 1963 season event at Jacksonville, FL late in 1962. Scott was declared the winner several hours after the event following a protest. The incident was recreated for the film "Greased Lightning", and was filmed at the Athens Speedway in Athens, Georgia (pictured). Photo courtesy GRHOF

It came on Dec. 1, 1963, at Jacksonville, Florida.  Buck Baker had been flagged the winner, but after a protest was lodged, officials announced that Wendell Scott had actually won the race, making him the first and to date the only African-American to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

The day was not the triumphant one it should have been, as officials made sure to wait until after most of the crowd and journalists covering the event had left to give Scott the victory.  He never did get the actual trophy for the win.

The fourth race of the ’64 season was held in Savannah, Georgia on Dec. 29, 1963 (second latest date in the year of a NASCAR Sprint Cup event), with Richard Petty taking the win.

1965 would be the first year since ’54 that a season opener would not be held during the previous year.

In 1966 and 1967, the season openers occurred during the previous year.  Two events from the 1968 season would be held prior to the New Year in 1967.

The final year for this practice came in 1969.  The season opener was held on Nov. 17, 1968, with Richard Petty winning at Middle Georgia Raceway in Macon, Georgia.  The second event of the 1968 season was held on Dec. 8, 1968 at Montgomery, Alabama, with Bobby Allison scoring the win.

From there on, all races for a season were held within that calendar year.  In 1972, the season was even trimmed down as Winston came on board to add to the season points fund.

But it goes to disprove the weather theory.  In truth, after such a grueling season, teams and drivers need some down time so they can focus on the task at hand, as they try to win races and championships.

But some of the smaller tracks in the southeast could certainly benefit from some of the warmer weather we’ve seen recently.  I can think of nothing nicer on a relatively cool afternoon than watching some great short track racing here locally, can you?

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us!

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame or the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. All content is the intellectual property of the individual authors. All opinions are those of the individual authors. Please do not repost images or text without permission.

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.

My main worry that afternoon was how to write a story about Huston Platt and the Dixie Twister and not dwell on the tragedy that occurred March 2, 1969, at Yellow River Dragstrip in Covington, Ga.

On that day, Platt was in the Twister racing Frank Oglesby on a narrow, sandy track. Fans crowded to within a few feet of the track to get a better view of the cars.

Witnesses said one of those fans reached onto the track to retrieve a beer can just as Platt deployed his parachute to slow his car. The opened parachute swept up the man, killing him instantly.

The weight of the victim against the parachute yanked Platt’s car into the spectator area. Twelve people died, and more than 40 more were injured. It remains the worst racing disaster on U.S. soil. Yellow River, one of Georgia’s most popular tracks, never held another race.

Investigators determined that unsafe track conditions were to blame. Racing, as it has done throughout history, had outrun the safety measures of the day. But the incident led to sweeping safety reforms in all types of motorsports. New legislation required tracks to carry insurance, and the insurance companies helped ensure the safety of fans and competitors. Even NASCAR founder Bill France found himself testifying before legislators on behalf of the racing community.

In the years afterward, the Platts were understandably leery of the media, and with good reason given some of the stories written about Yellow River.

But that day turned out to be one I’ll always treasure, and I came to greatly respect Huston Platt.

He seemed to know that to do a credible story about him and his car, I had to deal with the Yellow River issue. He talked openly and honestly about it. But in his eyes, you could see the pain he still carried from that incident.

He never said: “Why me?” but I kept thinking to myself: “Why him?”

He did point out that the race cars had outrun the race tracks of the day.

“It was going to happen,” Platt said quietly the afternoon I interviewed him. “It was just a matter of when and where. There wasn’t a track in 10 states that was qualified to run those cars back then.

“It was a bad thing, but it led to safe racing, if you can say it’s safe.”

Since the Yellow River track, which never held another race and is now the main road of a mobile home park, was near Platt’s hometown, he lived the rest of his life in the same general area as the victims and their survivors. In many ways, he could never get away from the tragedy, even after he gave up racing.

“I’ve got feelings just like everybody else,” he said. “When I gave it up, I didn’t want to talk about it. The only time racing ever came up, it was always about Yellow River. I just shut it out completely. …

“I got my mind on other things, worked, played golf. I didn’t even think about racing or watch it on TV until a few years ago.”

But seeing the Dixie Twister, which wasn’t seriously damaged in the Yellow River crash, back in full racing trim seemed to lift a great weight off Platt’s shoulders.

When he accompanied the Twister to public events, the conversations with fans almost always were about the happy times, times when was racing all over the country, outrunning the top drag racers of the day and even winning match races against NASCAR stars like Richard Petty.

“I beat ‘em all,” Platt said as he and I looked over scrapbooks from his racing days on the day I first met him.

I prefer to remember that aspect of Platt’s career. I hope others will too.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published at Racin’ Today.com on December 2, 2011.

Rick Minter is an award-winning sports journalist who began covering motorsports for the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1991, as well as serving as a bureau chief. Minter focused on racing exclusively from 2000-2008 . Minter and his wife Joanne live on the family farm in Inman, Georgia. In his spare time he collects and restores antique tractors and trucks.

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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.

Wiley has become a strong supporter of Georgia racing in the last two years, and has worked tirelessly to promote not only the racing scene, but the hometown heroes behind the wheel as well.

I first met Dave working on the sidelines of an East Jackson High School football game.  During halftime, we were talking, and I invited him to come out and take a look at some of the racing action at what was then known as Peach State Speedway in nearby Jefferson.

Dave was pretty busy with various high school sports coverage (which, at a small town station, will be your bread and butter), so he wasn’t able to make it out that year.

Shortly after the track held its first event under the new name Gresham Motorsports Park in 2009, I happened to meet up again with Dave, this time at a local restaurant.  We sat and talked about the local sports scene, and I again invited him to come out to the track.

This time, he made it out, bringing his flagship program, the Lewis Sanders Show, out to GMP to do an interview with track general manager Dan Elliott.

Dave Wiley does an "anti-rain dance" in the stands at Gresham Motorsports Park to try to run off any rain clouds in the area prior to a 2010 event. Photo by Brandon Reed

From that came a great partnership between Dave and the speedway, which has gone a long way to help promote Georgia racing.

Each week, Dave would bring his cameras out to GMP to film “Garage Talk”, a 30 minute recap and preview of local racing action.

In addition, Dave began filming each event at Gresham Motorsports Park, giving the local heroes even more exposure for their racing exploits.

In the meantime, Dave would come out to film interviews with the NASCAR drivers that would come to GMP to test.  He was the first to ask Kurt Busch about the move to the Pennzoil No. 22 (a story that had broke just two hours before he interviewed Busch).  He exchanged some funny quips with 2011 Sprint Cup champ Tony Stewart.

The NASCAR drivers seemed very at ease with Dave, who was very much an everyman, asking questions that the mainstream racing media didn’t.  The racers seemed to enjoy their time with Dave, and Dave very much enjoyed his time at the track.

But Dave didn’t want everything to be about the “big time drivers”.  For every NASCAR driver he would interview, Dave interviewed three local drivers, giving them a chance to have their moment in the spotlight, which not many get these days.  Dave stayed on top of what was happening on the local racing scene, and made sure those drivers got their moments in the sun as well.

Dave and I have been friends for several years now.  It’s always been a delight to see him at the race track.  Dave is quick with a joke or a story on his rock and roll days on the road.  It’s always made my day to see him coming up the grandstands, camera and equipment in hand, ready to brave the elements from high atop the Beau Slocumb Scoring Tower at GMP.

Dave has also always been one to go the extra mile.  At one race, he brought out three cameras, putting camera operators on scissor lifts in the first and second turns to try to catch all the action.  All this from a man who edits his own footage on the fly.  That’s hard work, take it from me.

He’s also been willing to do things away from the race track.  He once traveled with me to Baldwin, Georgia to film what turned out to be the last interview with Georgia Racing Hall of Fame member Tommie Irvin.  He allowed me to film portions of last year’s Athens Speedway Reunion for a project that, unfortunately, never came to light.

He has also been a great friend to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.  On more than one occasion, he’s been willing to step up and help with filming segments for the Hall of Fame banquets, which would not have been possible without his help.

Through it all, Dave has always had a good time, and has always kept a smile on his face.  He had helped bring so much attention to racers and racing in the area, and has proven to be a true friend to Georgia racing.

Unfortunately, Dave has hit upon hard times.  For a myriad of reasons, not the least of which being the illness of his wife, Dave is having to let JBTV-54 go dark.  On this week’s installment of the “Lewis Sanders Show”, Dave said very clearly he only intends this to be temporary thing until he can get situations under control.

I certainly hope so.  The Georgia racing scene can not afford to lose great friends like Dave Wiley.  We need to do what we can to help those friends, especially when they’ve done so much to help us.

No matter what, Dave Wiley will continue to be a great friend.  Here’s hoping his absence from North Georgia’s television scene will be a very, very brief one.

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

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Mike Bell

By Mike Bell
Posted in Columns 11/18/11

In the beginning of our research on the old days of racing, I found the library at the University of Georgia.  I can’t remember who told me about it, but it was either Joe Cawley or Eddie Samples.

Eddie actually accompanied me on the first trip there.  He wouldn’t make that mistake again.  We stayed for hours.  In the basement of that library were microfilms of almost every newspaper printed in the state of Georgia.  I’ve been told that the only place with more is the Georgia State Archives, which is now located south of Atlanta near Ellenwood.

One of the things I wanted to do was go through the newspapers of the major cities of Georgia from WWII to 1958.  While researching Savannah, I found when Oglethorpe Speedway first opened (motorcycle in March of 1951).  Then there was an ad for races in Waycross a few months later.  At a later date while researching Waycross, I came across references to racing in Douglas and Ocilla.  The Douglas site is now the location of the Douglas Motorsports Park.

But the Ocilla track was what intrigued me.  Why Ocilla?

Newspaper ad for the opening of the Ocilla Speedway on April 23, 1950. Courtesy Mike Bell

Even after I found articles in the local Ocilla paper, I could not find my answer.  I did find that the track was run by the American Legion there and that Governor Herman Talmadge was to attend the first race.  Not only did this not answer my original question, but instead it gave me more questions.

Then along came Jimmy Alexander.  He joined us in the early days and had been wondering what he could do to help.  With him being from nearby Fitzgerald, Georgia, I figured he might know about the track in Ocilla.

I opened a floodgate.  When I questioned Georgia Racing Hall of Famer Eddie MacDonald’s grandson about Jimmy, he smiled and said, “Yeah, he’s for real and he knows everybody.”

Before the annual picnic in Tifton, Georgia in 2007, I agreed to meet with Jimmy at “the” BBQ place in Ocilla, where the two main highways cross. We even met a gentleman, Fred Hester, who knew where Turner County Speedway was, but that’s another story.

We met so many people, it all became a blur until Jimmy and I rode out of town on US Highway 129 towards Alapaha.  About five miles out, he tells me to turn off the road where there is a big curve to the right.

Sitting there in his pickup was Buddy Green, son of the later track owner, Marion “Buddy” Green, Sr.  We stopped next to a newly plowed field that has a couple of acres in the middle with an overgrowth of trees and such.

I found out from Buddy that there are three ponds in all that overgrowth and has been for as long as he can remember.

Buddy told us that his father bought the property in 1932 and built a store where we had turned off the highway at the big curve.  The DOT (or whatever it was called in those days) then built a new bridge just beyond the property and changed the road (adding the big curve).  You can still see the concrete island for the gas pumps.

His family opened the store in 1936 and lived in the store for several years.  I found that this was a very common occurrence in the “good old days”.

In 1940, the Green family moved into a new home right down the road from the store.  That house still stands but has been moved back on the same property near another small lake.

Mr. Green bladed out the track himself and it was probably about a 3/8-mile layout.  Buddy remembered a big board fence that was built next to the road to keep folks from stopping and watching the races for fee.

A later ad for the Ocilla track, touting some of the drivers expected to compete. Courtesy Mike Bell

How does he remember?  With gallons of red paint and a brush provided by his father.  Buddy painted that fence.  In the small home that sits on the edge of the plowed field, there are rafters in the ceiling that still have that same red paint on them.

The wood for the grandstands, fence and judge’s stand all came from Mr. Green’s pulpwood venture, which he worked as well as the store during the war.

Mr. Green also dabbled in politics and was the local representative to the state legislature about the time of the track’s inauguration.  Buddy even remembered being a page for the local paper for about two weeks when he was 12, and he even sat on Governor Herman Talmadge’s knee once.  A legislator’s son had perks.

The “New Veterans Memorial Track” was dedicated on April 23, 1950.  Governor Herman Talmadge was to attend the ceremonies and races.  But Herman was a no-show and former Governor M.E. Thompson came in his place.

Still some 2500 spectators watched a five-race program that was topped off with James Bennett of Macon winning the 20-lap feature.  He was followed by Billy Sawyer, Roy Bentley, Barney Smith and the ill-fated Bunk Ezzell, who died later in a fiery crash at the Warner Robins Speedway.  Believe it or not, there was a women’s race won by Mr. Lucy Stacks of Fitzgerald.

Buddy says that his father ran a few more races before turning the reins over to the VFW because there was a bad wreck at the track.  No one was killed but his father could see the vast liabilities taking away everything he owned.

A look at the site of the Ocilla Speedway as it sits today.

Races ran about every three weeks until early December.  They started again in January of 1951.  For the races in February, they advertised drivers from as far away at Atlanta (Roscoe Thompson) and Tallahassee, FL (Harvey Jones) with one hometown hopeful in Jim York.

But when the dust cleared, “Big John” Hutto of Fort Valley had won the feature with Doug Wells of Atlanta almost coming in second (expense of a blown tire).  Harvey Jones ran second to Hutton in a special fast car dash with the six fastest qualifiers.

Later in the year, several ads ran a list of expected entries with Coot Rowland of Valdosta being one, as well as the famous Sapp brothers, Rayford and A.J., out of Quitman, Georgia, along with Leland Fowler of Cordele, Nero Steptoe (then racing out of his hometown of Albany) and some Jacksonville, FL drivers.

On the day I visited the site of the track, Buddy drove me around what used to be the track surface.  In among all the South Georgia black dirt, you could still see the red clay that was used for the speedway.  The ponds are still there as well.

Buddy’s pride really showed for the accomplishments of his father, and well it should.  Mr. Green had carved out his own track on his own property and had drivers coming from all over South Georgia and north Florida to race.  And you could see it all for a buck.

Toss in an extra two bits, and you got a reserved seat.

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the March 2007 edition of the Pioneer Pages magazine.

Mike Bell is the CEO and historian for the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. (GARHOFA)

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Senoia, Georgia's Bubba Pollard has had a banner year in 2011, and will be honored as the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Driver of the Year. Photo by Justin Poole

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 10/21/11

2011 has been a Hall of Fame season for Bubba Pollard.

The Senoia, Georgia native has turned in a performance on the short tracks around the south that many drivers would love be able to call their entire career.

In 41 Late Model starts to date, Pollard has scored 18 victories, 30 top 5 finishes and 32 top 10 finishes.

Piloting a car for Georgia Racing Hall of Fame member Ronnie Sanders, Pollard picked up wins at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, GA, 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL, South Alabama Speedway in Opp, AL and Mobile International Speedway in Mobile, AL.

Those wins equated to two titles for the season, the Gulf Coast Championship and the 2011 Viper Series Championship.  It also brought his career Late Model win total to 54.

But Pollard’s success hasn’t just been limited to the Late Model ranks.  He’s also pulled into victory lane several times piloting Open Wheel Modifieds this year.

While the wins have been important, Pollard proved what real racing is all about in another way this year.  After his friend and fellow Georgia racer Beau Slocumb passed away after a courageous battle with cancer earlier this year, Pollard piloted a car with Slocumb’s distinct paint job and trademark number 08 in several events to pay tribute to his fallen friend.

And his winning ways may not be over.  He still has three major short track weekends on his radar in the coming weeks, including the North/South Shootout at Caraway Speedway on Nov. 6, both Late Model events during the World Crown 300 weekend at Gresham Motorsports Park the weekend of Nov. 12 and the Snowball Derby weekend Dec. 3-4.

But on Friday night, Oct. 21, Pollard will be awarded a different, unique kind of victory.

That’s when Bubba Pollard will be officially awarded the title of Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Driver of the Year.

The award, which is in its first year, honors a current driver that shows the poise and skill that makes them sure to be a future Hall of Fame member.  Pollard will be honored during the 2011 induction ceremony at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville, Georgia.

He will share the stage with racing legends such as Mike Head, Ken Ragan, and the families of George Elliott, Swayne Pritchett and Harold Kite.

With his strong runs on the track and the spirit he has shown off the track, Bubba Pollard has done much to make Georgia race fans proud of him.

And after Friday night, his stats can show something nobody else’s can.  That he was the first Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Driver of the Year.

If he keeps going like this, he’s sure to be back on the big stage again some day, as an inductee in the Hall.

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher of Georgia Racing History.com.

Questions, comments, suggestions? Email us!

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame or the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc. All content is the intellectual property of the individual authors. All opinions are those of the individual authors. Please do not repost images or text without permission.