Friends, fans and racing aficionados gathered in Austell, Georgia for the 23rd annual Peach Bowl Speedway reunion. Photos by Mike Terrell

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 2/3/12

For the 23^rd straight year, former drivers, officials, fans and racing aficionados gathered together to remember and reminisce about one of the most important and historic tracks in Georgia racing history.

The annual Peach Bowl Reunion was held on Sunday, Jan. 29 at the American Legion Post 216 in Austell Georgia, some 41 years after the final race at the legendary quarter-mile track was run.

The speedway, which was located at the corner of Brady Avenue and Howell Mill Road in Atlanta, Georgia, opened in 1949.  It began as a home for midget racing, but quickly became a haven for stock cars and the famed “Skeeters”, a southern version of the super modified.

The track closed in 1971, and was razed in 1972 to make way for a bus repair depot for MARTA, Atlanta’s rapid transit authority.

But over the past 23 years, an annual reunion has been held to rekindle old friendships and remember the track that was important to so many.

Georgia Racing Hall of Fame member Jack Jackson organized the event over many of those years.  For the past few years, Susan Milam Morgan, daughter of Georgia Racing Hall of Famer Weyman Milam, has taken up the mantle and put in a lot of hard work to keep the tradition alive.

Each year, those that remember the Peach Bowl gather to remember the speedway, along with the fans, the mechanics, the officials and everyone else who contributed to the great times had at the corner of Brady and Howell Mill.

Here’s a look at some of the sights from this year’s Peach Bowl reunion:

Georgia Racing Hall of Famer and former Peach Bowl announcer Jimmy Mosteller (right) talks with Georgia Racing Hall of Fame board chairman Gordon Pirkle (right). Photos by Mike Terrell

Georgia Racing Hall of Famer Mike Head shares a story during the reunion.

Captain Herb Emory (right) shares his thoughts with Gordon Pirkle.

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 “Dixie Twister” was involved in what is still known as the worst racing tragedy in U.S. history. It was an accident that forever changed the safety regulations of all of motorsports.

On March 2, 1969, Platt was racing the Dixie Twister at the Yellow River Dragstrip in Covington, Georgia. Competitor Frank Oglesby was in the opposing lane as Platt, competing as an owner/driver, readied for the next run.

Both were in Funny Cars, with Platt’s Twister decked out with a shiny, new 1969 Camaro body – one of the few during that time era.

The run went fine, but disaster lay at the far end of the drag strip.

When Platt released his chutes to slow his dragster , a spectator approached the sandy, narrow track. The spectator leaned across the track to retrieve a beer can. When the chutes opened, the spectator was swept-up into them, killing him instantly.

The weight of the victim’s body in the chute caused the car’s body to sling shot off the chassis, sending it into the crowd while the chassis stayed on the track.

Yellow River Drag strip, located in Covington, Georgia. Ernie Scott's photo shows just how close the fans were able to get to the track. Photo by Ernie Scott/GeorgiaDragRacing.com

The tragedy left 12 people dead and more than 40 injured.  It was the last race ever run at the Yellow River Dragstrip.

Many years passed and it seemed that the 69’ Dixie Twister had disappeared. By the early 2000’s, the flip-top funny cars of the late 60’s and early 70’s were soon becoming an extinct breed. But that didn’t stop Platt’s former crew chief, Randall Davis, from searching for the Twister.

Davis said Platt was a father figure to him and after seeing reproductions of the car he insisted on finding the original and actually running it again.

“Everybody was starting to look and finding those cars and we just kept hunting,” Davis said.  “Anybody that knew somebody would start asking around. When we went to look at a car, they would just send us in another direction.”

Davis tracked the car until he lost sight of it in Virginia.

“A friend of a friend called me and said they think they found the car,” Davis said. “I said “okay.  I had been told that so many times it was just disheartening because we wanted it so bad.”

In the winter of 2003, Davis finally received reassurance that he had found the car.

“The reason I knew it was the car is because the owner told me the manufacturer’s number on the chassis,” Davis said. “When you eat, sleep and wipe down that chassis as many times as I have, you just know that’s the car.”

Huston Platt poses with the restored Dixie Twister. Photo courtesy Racin' Today.com

Davis waited until spring of 2004 before making his trip to Nova Scotia, Canada to bring the Dixie Twister home.

“The car’s owner told me I couldn’t get up there until spring because of the winter storms in Canada, so I had to wait it out,” Davis said.

After eight long years of searching, travel, restoration, and over $80,000 in expenses, the Dixie Twister was primed and ready to receive its blessing. On March 2, 2008, coincidentally, the 39^th anniversary of the accident, Davis brought the car to it’s former driver’s home, Huston Platt.

“We had the ‘Dixie Twister’ name painted down the side but Huston’s name wasn’t above it,” Davis said. “We had to take it to him to get his permission to put his name back on it.”

After Platt’s reunion with the car, he made a step back into the racing world and accompanied the car at various events.

“Seeing that look on Huston’s face when he made public appearances with the car was worth every bit of it,” Davis stated.

Platt spent his last years of his life enjoying his renowned Twister and his racing family and friends. The 79-year-old legendary drag racer passed away this past November.

The circled area shows the scene of the accident at Yellow River. An investigation cleared Platt's name in the crash. It was the final event ever held at the track. A mobile home park now occupies the site, with the dragstrip serving as the main road through the property.

Investigators said the poor and unsafe track conditions were to blame for the accident at Yellow River. It was considered a motivation for all motorsports safety officials and directors to begin revising the regulations and codes. As a result of the tragedy, motorsports, and it’s spectators are safer.

Officials began implementing new regulations that increased the footage spectators were to remain from the track. Spectators were no longer allowed to be in the pits during “hot times”. Guard rails and concrete replaced chicken wire and wooden fence posts. Track widths and lengths were increased to allow for driver correction and more slow-down time. The PA boxes were relocated from the hot zone to a safer, less congested area. And most importantly, all tracks were required to maintain liability insurance.

The Yellow River Dragstrip itself still exists.  A mobile home park was built on the property, with the dragstrip used as the main road through the park.

The Dixie Twister will remain on exhibit at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame through February. It has been fully restored to comply with the current NHRA standards. Many of its safety features were improved, due to new safety regulations.

“We will begin running the car in March,” Davis said. “But my future plans include cloning it and retiring the original.”

Only this time, Davis has no intentions of taking his sight off of the car that has always been a part of his life and has inadvertently helped saved the lives of so many other motorsports enthusiasts.

Editor’s note: Portions of this story were orginally published by the Dawsonville News & Advertiser.

Angela Williamson is a staff writer for the Dawsonville News & Advertiser, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.

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 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.

The three brothers, who were always among the favorites to win in early southern stock car circles, saw much success on the beach, and were always in the thick of the action.

Bob, piloting a car for famed Georgia car owner Raymond Parks, started the family tradition of winning on the beach on March 9, 1947.  It was the first of many wins at Daytona for the Fabulous Flocks.

Bob Flock, pictured left, and Red Byron, pictured right, were potent drivers for Raymond Parks. Photo courtesy Eddie Samples

Bob would back up that first beach win with another in the next event, held on August 17.  In doing so, he made what well may be the most incredible charge in the history of auto racing.

Starting 31st due to being unable to qualify,Bob Flock flew through the field to take the lead before the FIRST MILE of the race had been completed.  After taking the top spot, Bob never looked back, leading every lap of the event for the win.

The feat led local sportswriter Bernard Kahn to dub Bob Flock “The Wizard of Whiz”.  Flock credited the power to car builder Red Vogt.

The race was also significant for Bob’s brother Fonty, who was running his first race on the beach since being injuries at the circuit back in 1941.  Fonty would finish in the top 20 piloting a Ford.  He would go on that year to with the NCSCC points title.

Fonty Flock led most of the Feb. 15, 1948 event at Daytona Beach, but crashed hard after a spindle broke on his Ford. Photo courtesy GRHOF

Fonty would run strong in the first race under the new NASCAR banner was run at Daytona Beach on Feb. 15, 1948.  He led the first 60 miles of the event, and was leading with 18 laps to go when his Ford broke a spindle.  His car flipped end over end, landing in the palmetto bushes.  Flock escaped injury.  Fellow Georgian Red Byron would score the victory.

Of note is the third place finisher.  Car owner Raymond Parks is credited with the third place effort, but it should be noted that Bob Flock drove in relief of Parks after his own car fell out.  The race also marked the first beach event for Tim Flock, youngest of the three brothers.  It marked the first time three brothers competed in the same event at Daytona.

Seven years after the crash that left him badly injured, Fonty Flock finally got his revenge at Daytona Beach in the August 8, 1948 event.  Fonty started his Hugh Babb owned Ford in the third position, and was trailing Red Byron when a rock punctured Byron’s oil pan with four laps remaining.  Fonty was more than a lap down at the time, and had to pass Byron’s car twice as it sat still to take the lead.  Fonty would sail on to victory, averaging 73.92 miles an hour in the process.

A few years later, things would not go in the brother’s favor on more than one occasion on the beach.

It appeared that Tim Flock was the winner of the Modified-Sportsman event on Feb. 9, 1952.  Tim streaked across the finish line 18 seconds ahead of Atlanta’s Jack Smith.  Smith, however, was flagged as the winner.  Flock called for a scoring check, which showed that he had indeed won the race.  Smith was placed in second.

Smith, however, had other ideas.

When Flock showed up at the beach, his car did not have roll bars.  The rulebook for 1952 stated that roof supports would be mandatory for all events.  Bill France had some of his track workers use two-by-fours to construct a roll bar out of wood.

After the race, Smith went to the NASCAR officials to protest the wooden roll bars.  The officials took the win away and gave it to Smith.  Flock was given last place.

Fonty Flock would run out of gas just short of a win in Grand National competition at Daytona in 1953. Photo courtesy GRHOF

One year later, it looked like Fonty Flock had the field covered in the Feb. 15, 1953 Grand National event at Daytona.  Fonty led 38 of the event’s 39 laps driving for fellow Georgian Frank Christian.  But on the final circuit, Flock’s Oldsmobile ran out of gas.  Slick Smith, Fonty’s teammate, pushed Flock’s car around to the pits, while Bill Blair cruised past for the win.

In Feb. 21, 1954 Grand National event, Tim Flock, piloting an Oldsmobile owned by Kentucky Colonel Ernest Woods, took the lead of the event on the third lap.

Flock dominated most of the event while being in constant communication with the pits via a two-way radio, the first time such was used in a Grand National event.  Flock took the checkered flag by almost a minute and a half.

But in post race inspection, officials found the butterfly shaft on Flock’s carburetor had been soldered to keep it from vibrating loose.  Flock was disqualified, and the win was given to Lee Petty.

It was the second time in three years that Tim Flock had been disqualified.  It was the second time in two years that the Flock family was denied victory on the beach.

Tim Flock is congratulated in victory lane after the 1954 Grand National event on the beach. Flock would later have the win stripped from him hours later. Photo courtesy Frances Flock.

Flock argued that the soldering gave him no advantage and only prevented potential problems.  The race officials did not agree.  Flock swore he was through with NASCAR, and sat out most of the 1954 season.

After running a Pure Oil gas station in Atlanta for a year, Tim Flock accepted the invitation of some friends to return to Daytona Beach as a spectator in February of 1955.

As he sat watching the cars go by on the beach, he saw a particularly quick 1955 Chrysler 300 power its way around the course.

Flock told his friends that if “I had that car, I’d win this race again this year.”

Standing within earshot was Tommy Hagood, a local outboard engine dealer.  He introduced himself to Flock after recognizing him as the man flagged the winner of the ’54 race, and offered to introduce him to the car’s owner, Mercury Outboard engine company president Carl Kiekhafer.

The two were introduced, and the rest is history.

Flock shattered the qualifying record by nearly seven miles an hour with a pass through the measured mile at 130.293 mph.

But there was a problem, and Flock had spotted it right away.  The Chrysler was equipped with an automatic transmission, which would slow the car coming out of the turns.

Tim Flock powers his way around the beach and road course at Daytona in 1955. Photo courtesy Frances Flock

As the race unfolded, Fireball Roberts, driving the Red Vogt tuned Fish Carburetor Buick, took an early lead, with Flock giving chase in the powerful Chrysler 300.  Flock would close on Roberts down the straightaways, but would lose contact with him on the turns due to the automatic transmission.  Roberts was flagged the winner 14 seconds ahead of Tim.

But in post race tech, officials discovered that the push rods were not stock.  24 hours after finishing second, Tim Flock got his victory and his revenge.  He won his first race at Daytona Beach, joining his brothers Fonty and Bob in the history books.

When the 1956 season rolled around, it was more success for the Fabulous Flocks on the sands of Daytona Beach.

Tim Flock started by winning the pole for the Modified-Sportsman event with a speed of 137.405 mph in a 1946 Chevy Coupe powered by an engine out of a 1956 Oldsmobile.

Tim Flock piloted this unique Chevy modified to victory in 1956.

The engine was set back a full 26 inches in the modified, putting the drivers’ seat where the back seat usually would be.

Tim was dubbed “America’s Number One Back Seat Driver”.

Tim took control of the Feb. 24 event early, and was challenged only by Speedy Thompson’s Ford.  Thompson’s day ended with a blown engine, and Flock moved away for the win.  Tim led every lap en route to the win, finishing just over seven miles ahead of second place Glenn Wood.

When the engines fired on the beach on Feb. 26 for the Grand National race, all eyes were again on Tim Flock.

He put his Chrysler on the pole for the event with a speed of 135.747 mph, over six miles an hour faster than second place.

Flock controlled the race, giving the lead up only on pit stops.  He finished 57 seconds ahead of second place Billy Myers.  Flock commented afterward that it was easier this year due to having a manual transmission in the car.

Tim Flock and members of his crew make their way to victory lane after the 1957 convertible series event on the beach. Photo courtesy Frances Flock

Tim would have one last hurrah on the sands of Daytona Beach.  Driving a factory supported Mercury convertible for Bill Stroppe, Flock dueled convertible series aces Joe Weatherly and Curtis Turner on Feb. 16, 1957 on the beach.

Mechanical failures and pit stop woes on the parts of Turner and Weatherly gave Tim the edge, as he finished 53 seconds ahead of Weatherly for the victory.

It would be the last win for Tim Flock in his career and the final win on the beach for the Flock brothers.

While the sight of cars rushing up and down the old Daytona Beach course is a thing of the past, its memories live on.  So do those of the Flock brothers.  All three are members of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, with Tim belonging to several other Halls of Fame.

When the engines fire this year at the speedway in Daytona, the spirit and the sound will surely carry over to the beach, where the Flock brothers made their mark on the record books.

Brandon Reed is the editor and publisher for 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.

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.

Many lawmen that covered “the old bootlegger’s trail” also known as GA Highway 9 were quoted as saying Seay was the best automobile driver they’d seen. When running the precious white liquid to Atlanta, you had to be careful.  If any bottles or jars broke, you lost money.

But that certainly didn’t apply to Lloyd Seay. He could ease in and out of the winding mountain roads and make his way down to the re-built city of Atlanta. He could easily top 100mph while driving with his palms at the bottom of the steering wheel facing up.  That allowed him to make a complete turning motion at once if he ever needed to make a 180 degree bootlegger’s turn.

However, “Lightning” Lloyd, also known as Parker to his friends, was known not only for his skills off the track, but also on the track too. In the fall of 1938, businessman and promoter Frank Christian was traveling to his home in nearby Dahlonega when he glanced off to the side of the road in an abandoned corn field near the river.

There he spotted some of the fastest street cars racing in circles with a small group of locals who came to see the excitement after church. When he approached one of the drivers, they told him that they were trying to see who had the fastest moonshine runner.

That’s when it all clicked for Christian. He thought that if these people were coming out for free to see these guys run, then they surely would pay to see them on a professional track.

He was right. On Armistice Day of 1938, the first known and organized stock car race was held in the state of Georgia. Frank Christian decided he would rent the Lakewood Fairground Track in the heart of Atlanta. But auto racing there wasn’t his idea.  As early as 1916, the first auto race was held there with Indy type cars racing the clay mile. Pryor to that, it was used for Horse Racing.

Lloyd Seay poses in front of Raymond Parks’ Hemphill Service Station. He went on to win at Lakewood in 1938. Photo courtesy Eddie Samples

Hundreds of people gathered to the Lakewood Fairgrounds to watch what some would say is one of the most historic moments in Georgia Racing History. The race was just a small, 50-lap event with Lloyd Seay driving his 1934 Ford roadster with a broken arm to a win against the likes of his cousin Roy Hall, Bill France, Jap Brogdan, and Bob Flock.

But he never would have gotten to get that trophy, without one Mr. Raymond Parks. Parks was one of his Dawsonville cousins. Seay worked for Parks starting around 1934 or 1935 in the moonshine business along with their cousin, Roy Hall. When Seay got word that an organized stock car race for the local moonshiners and hot-rodders, he pleaded and begged Parks’ to field him a modified moonshine car.

So Parks talked to his friend, Red Vogt, who also built Seay and Hall’s moonshining cars, about building a monster of a racecar for the upcoming Lakewood event. Parks’ figured if he lost that race, then he wouldn’t have to deal with racecars any more. But he was wrong.

Since most of the 38’ season was over with, the three cousins waited until the start of the 1939 season to continue their assault on the racing world. Seay’s first race was at Daytona saw him run strong, finishing third at the end. He won several races in the 39’ season from Florida to all the way to Langhorne, PA.  Just one year into his short career, he was already a house-hold name in the racing family.

Vogt and his assistant, Buckshot Morris, were hired full time by Parks to prepare his team of cars. But at the time, Seay was his most successful driver, so just a little more money went to the No. 7 Ford.

In 1940, Seay started off the season driving the No. 4 1939 Ford sedan for Parks at Daytona, where he finished seventh. He also had quite a memorable year, as he won eight races in five different states. New promoters were quickly latching on to the new Stock Car Racing idea and new tracks were popping up everywhere you looked. Sometimes a track would run for one race and shut down.

In 1941, Seay’s last year in competition was also his best.

Although he didn’t win his first race of the season until mid-August, he still was very competitive and always one to watch on race day.  Seay made his first trip to victory lane of the year in his fifth start of the season at the Summer Daytona beach race. It may seem like a long time, but there weren’t many races in the series he was competing in, so the win came in the fifth race of the season, in August.

Georgia's Lightnin' Lloyd Seay bicycles his car through the north turn at the beach en route to his only win there on Aug. 24, 1941.

He started the event 15^th, but before the first lap was counted, he had charged to first place. He would go on to lead the entire 50-lap event to score his first Daytona Beach win in five starts.

He loved the Daytona Beach course and knew how to get around it well. In fact, just a few months before, the famous “two wheeled picture” occurred. While going through the North turn, Lloyd Seay managed to get his entire car on two wheels while driving one-handed.

The next race on the schedule was at the new track up in High Point, North Carolina on August 31. For the second straight race, the No. 7 Hemphill Special dominated, lapping the entire field twice.

The next event was slated for the next day, Sept. 1, 1941 at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta.

Since it was a far drive, Seay arrived late to Lakewood and missed qualifying, and was forced to start in last place. This was a championship race, so many top drivers were racing. However, Seay found the lead just 35 laps into the race.

He battled fiercely with Bob Flock all afternoon eventually ending in Flock overdriving his car on the last lap and getting into the wall, but still finishing second. It was the third win in just 15 days for Seay.  The Labor Day victory for the “Blond Bambino” (as some called him) was the biggest win of his career.

Tragically, it would also be his last.

After the big championship race, Seay was tired and didn’t feel like he could drive back home to Dawsonville. So he went over to his brother, Jim’s house to spend the night in a nearby, small town called Burlsboro.

When morning rose on September the second, another one of their cousins, Woodrow Anderson, angrily banged on the door. He claimed that Lloyd charged a $5 bag of sugar for moonshine to Anderson’s credit account and hadn’t paid him back. So after a bit of arguing, Jim and Lloyd got in Woodrow’s car to travel to their aunt’s house so she could figure out who owed what and how much.

A rare photo of Lloyd Seay competing in his last race, Sept. 1, 1941 at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, GA. Note the usual No. 7 on Seay's car has been marked out and replaced with a 13. Photo courtesy Skimp Hersey family collection

Along the way, Anderson stopped the car to get some water for his radiator at his dad’s farm several miles down the road. According to the Seay family, Anderson angrily took out a small pistol from his overall pocket and first shot Jim Seay in the neck, then shot Lloyd Seay in the heart. Jim survived, but was badly wounded. Lloyd was killed instantly. Neither had time to get out and fight since Anderson shot through the window. He was tried in court the following month and was found guilty and sentenced to life in Georgia state prison.

Many mourned the loss of one of the most popular and fearless driver of the time. Future NASCAR founder, Bill France was once quoted as saying that Lloyd Seay was the best stock car driver he’d seen. His funeral possession was led by his famous Silver Bullet 1939 Ford driven by Raymond Parks. Parks even secretly paid for a top-notch head-stone made of marble with an inscribing of his racecar and the trophy he won at Lakewood dated September 1, 1941. Inside the car on the tombstone was placed a picture Seay behind the wheel.  It looks today like it was placed in there yesterday.

Seay’s cousin, Roy Hall, took the death very hard.  He became involved with crime and was in and out of jail the rest of his life. Raymond Parks once said that after he died, he really didn’t feel a true connection with the sport of stock car racing, but he still loved it very much.

The next race at Lakewood was in November, and was named “The Lloyd Seay Memorial 100”. And from news reports, was the biggest attendance at the track up until NASCAR had its first race there seven years later.  The race was won by Georgia’s Jap Brogdon.  The trophy is now on display at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Seay’s hometown of Dawsonville, Georgia.

Even though Lloyd Seay never competed in NASCAR, or any other big name organization, his name can still be heard from older fans and recent reports about early racing. Since September 2, 1941, the legacy of “Lightning” Lloyd grows more and more every day, and will continue to grow wherever race fans tell stories about the best drivers to ever compete.

Cody Dinsmore is a racing historian, racing emcee and long time volunteer at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. He can also be heard weekly on Racers Reunion Radio.

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.

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.

Among the highlights for the driver of the No. Ronnie Sanders Racing – Atlanta Thrifty Nickel racer was his first PASS South victory, which came in a photo finish at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, GA.  He also won events at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL, South Alabama Speedway in Opp, AL and Mobile International Speedway in Mobile, AL.

Pollard also was named the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame’s Driver of the Year in the first year of the award.

But the cherry on top would have to be Pollard’s emotion filled victory in the inaugural Beau Slocumb Memorial Pro Late Model event at Gresham Motorsports Park during the World Crown weekend.  Pollard held off a hard charging Willie Allen to win the race named for his late friend with Slocumb’s family in attendance.

“Bubba’s spectacular season has to be the top story for the 2011 racing year, not only for Georgia but nationally as well,” said Rocky Sinyard of Motorsport America.  “Pollard’s win-to-start ratio for the year (was) a mind-blowing 0.442.  Has any other touring racer ever posted a comparable number?  I believe that Bubba has secured a spot in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame with his outstanding year.”

Pollard takes a victory lap after one of two 2011 victories at Gresham Motorsports Park. Photo by Justin Poole

“The win record obviously speaks volumes but his drive to honor his late friend Beau Slocumb really added to his accomplishments this season,” said Lindsey Marks of Legends Nation and StixFx Entertainment.  “In addition to taking the checkered flag at South Alabama one week after Beau’s passing, Bubba backed it up by winning the Beau Slocumb Memorial 100 Pro Late Model race during the World Crown 300 weekend at Gresham Motorsports Park in November. That was an incredibly moving victory and one those in attendance will never forget.”

Doug Turnbull, co-announcer at Gresham Motorsports Park and of WSB Radio, summed it up in once sentence.

“The choice is easy.  Bubba Pollard’s season, capped off with winning his buddy Beau Slocumb’s Memorial 100 race at GMP.”

“Bubba Pollard in 2011 has done what every driver dreams of, WIN in every class or division he drove in,” said William Barber of Southern Race Week Radio.  “Whether in his Late Model or in an Open Wheel mod he captured the trophy and often times made it look too easy. He has the right combination of skill behind the wheel, car set up know how and long running history of winning.”

Charles Head, long time race announcer and host of the CHAMP Radio Program, echoed those sentiments, adding, “His inclusion as racer of the year by the Hall of Fame was also quite an accomplishment as was the record setting pole at the Snowball.”

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.

“From 1965 to 1974, I was just in the wholesale business,” Charlie told us. “I started out going to (Albany) New York to buy cars. I did that for a year or maybe a year-and-a-half. We even bought a carryall. We went up near Chattanooga to buy the carryall. We wanted one with a good engine. We put new steering bars and tires on it. Then the engine blew. We used it about a year or so.

“I was in the wholesale business a long time when I went over to Clarksville to sell a man some cars. He said that he didn’t want to buy anything but he did want to sell me all his cars and rent me the lot. That was what we did. Ray Franklin and I were partners for years. We came back to Cleveland in 1990 or 1991. I live next door so it is walking distance to work.”

But it didn’t start out that way for Charlie. His father Carl C. Barrett and mother Cleo Todd Barrett ran a farm in White County.

“He had about 80 or 85 acres and I knew every foot of it,” Charlie said. “I was a good farm hand on a tractor. I worked that farm when I was a teenager. My dad had so much for me to do that I didn’t have anything else to do. I knew there had to be something better than raising cotton. You couldn’t plow it when it first came up it was so fragile. And when you went to pick it you would start at the lower side and work your way up. Then when you looked back, you knew you had to start all over again. When you gathered corn you could pick all the ears from one side. When you got to the end of a row, you knew you were through but not cotton; that wasn’t the way with cotton.”

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.

I got Bobby’s telephone number from Leonard Cole and called him.  I wanted to meet up with him at Hugh’s shop in Gainesville while John Blackstock worked on MY van.  I emphasize the MY because it’s paid for.

When Bobby got there, I wondered about his age.  He looked no older than my 63 years, but I found out he is 78 going on 79.  Bobby has taken good care of himself through the years.

“I had to,” Bobby said.  “About 1966, I had a heart attack and have been on medication for almost 50 years.”

His birthday is February 5, 1931.

“I was born near the Forsyth County and Hall County line at home,” he told us.  For you young readers, that happened a lot in the thirties and forties – being born at home was what used to be the norm in a rural area.  Now it’s off to the hospital.

“My father was Ray Whitmire and my mother was Agnus Waldrip Whitmire,” Bobby said.  “Daddy was a farmer, or to be more exact, a chicken farmer.  He and Perry Parks went in together with the chicken business.  He finally put out on his own and stayed in the chicken business a lot of years.

“We moved on into Gainesville.  I was raised mostly on West Washington Street, real close to Hugh’s shop.  I went to school in Hall County at Gainesville High.  I didn’t graduate.  I quit in my junior year and went into the air force in January of 1951.  I don’t have any brothers, but I do have two sisters – Helen (married to Curtis Parks) and Evelyn (married to Leonard Coleman).”

“I was always in the chicken business myself,” Bobby continued.  “When everything got real rough, I sold out and went to work for the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and I worked for them until I retired.  You operated under the USDA rules, but the state is the one that checks on everything.  I worked in dressing plants inspecting for the government, either for school lunches or service food.

“I did that until 1995 when I retired after 20 years.  I had owned chicken houses out on Brown’s Bridge Road (in Gainesville).  I had three on one side of the road with my hatchery and two more on the other side of the road.  When I moved my race car shot from over at the airport, I built a garage there at the chicken houses.”

It took Ronnie Sanders 22 years to win the World Crown 300. Photo by Robert Turner

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 11/11/11

For Ronnie Sanders, it was the one major event that had eluded him.

He had lost the World Crown 300 at Peach State Speedway (now Gresham Motorsports Park) in Jefferson, Georgia, in just about every way you could imagine.

From cut tires to engine woes to getting caught up in other people’s problems, the Georgia speedster had seen strong runs at the crown fall apart time and time again, dating all the way back to the first running of the event in 1983.

For a driver who had won some of the biggest short track events in the south, it had to be a major frustration to come close several times and not be able to park in victory lane in the premier event at a track that he had often seen success at.

Year after year, Sanders would return to the Jefferson high banks searching for that elusive World Crown victory.

In 2005, it finally all came together.

As the race rolled off on Oct. 23, a field of 38 strong late models, led by pole sitter Kevin Stephens, got ready to do battle.

It was outside pole sitter Matt Hawkins that would set the early pace, taking the top spot three laps in and leading up to lap 24.  That’s when Wayne Willard hunted him down, and swept past to put his No. 01 out front.

Willard would set a strong pace with Hawkins and Bubba Pollard giving chase until lap 62, when the engine let go in turn one, ending his World Crown bid.

Pollard would take over the top spot, which he would hold until the break at the 100-lap mark.

Doug Sanders stayed out, gambling his old tires on track position.  When the race restarted, defending World Crown winner Fredrick Moore soon hunted him down, taking the lead on lap 104.

Meanwhile, Sanders, who had started the day from the 14^th position, slowly stalked through the field, and as the laps began to wind down, the only car between him and a shot at the crown was Moore.

With less than 50 laps left to go, Sanders looked low on Moore, making the pass and moving into the lead.

The Georgia Racing Hall of Famer made the rest of the day look easy, as he cruised to the victory.  Finally, after years of trying, Ronnie Sanders wore the crown in victory lane.

Moore would finish second, with Joey Senter third, Roger Delp fourth and David Elliott in fifth.

As the 28^th annual World Crown 300 looms on the horizon, Ronnie Sanders is again a favorite to be in victory lane.

But this time, it’s as a car owner, not as a driver.

Sanders hung his helmet up for good in 2008.  His driver, Senoia, Georgia’s Bubba Pollard, has had an incredible 2011 season, winning 18 Late Model events around the southeast.  Two of those wins came at Gresham Motorsports Park.

With Pollard behind the wheel of the famed No. 18, Sanders could well be standing in victory lane wearing the crown again on Nov. 13.

For more information on the 28^th annual World Crown 300, visit Gresham Motorsports Park’s website at www.greshammotorsportspark.com.

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.

A look at an untorn ticket from the inaugural World Crown 300 on Nov. 27, 1983 at Georgia International Speedway (now Gresham Motorsports Park) in Jefferson, Georgia. Photo courtesy George Seagraves

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 11/3/11

It came about as an idea for the ultimate short track event.

All Pro Series head man Bob Harmon had been looking for a late season event to pit the best short track racers from the south against the hottest hot shoes from the north.  Teaming with former ASA official Rob Joyce, who had just taken over the position of promoter and general manager of Georgia International Speedway (now known as Gresham Motorsports Park) in Jefferson, Georgia, it appeared they had found just the right formula.

The race carried a $160,000 purse, with $50,000 going to the winner of the feature event, the Sunday, Nov. 27, 1983 inaugural running of the World Crown 300.

Harmon pulled in the southern stock car aces, like Gary Balough, Butch Lindley, Jody Ridley, Freddy Fryar, while Joyce called in favors to bring names like Dick Trickle, Alan Kulwicki, Bob Senneker and Mike Eddy to Georgia.  Throw into the mix several big NASCAR stars, such as Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and Donnie Allison, and you had one of the biggest shows of the year – maybe of all time.

"Hot Shoe" Gary Balough would set a new track record in taking the Skoal Pole for the first World Crown. Photo by Robert Turner

Balough, piloting a jet black Firebird bearing the slogan “Black Is Back” on the rear bumper, set a new track record to take the Skoal Pole, turning a lap at 17.625, 102.127 mph.

The Florida speedster was considered to be among the favorites, and on Sunday, he would charge to the point early, leading the first 100-plus laps while Jim Sauter and Eddy gave chase.  Just after the 100 lap mark, Balough’s tires were worn, and Sauter made a bold move on the outside to take the top spot.

Sauter would hold the command of the field until near the 200 lap mark, when he made his first pit stop of the day.  Trickle, Eddy and Senneker would all vie for the lead.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s Ronnie Sanders was on the move.  Starting in 12^th, he would pull his way up through the field.  He would get as high as second around the 200 lap mark, when a cut tire on a restart slowed his car.

Ronnie Sanders saw his hope of World Crown victory go away with a cut tire during the event. Photo by Robert Turner

Senneker and Eddy split the ailing car, and made contact with Sanders.  He was able to continue, but the toe-in was knocked out, spoiling his chances at the victory.

As various race strategies began to play out during the final 100 laps, it became evident that one racers game plan had the edge.

Dick Trickle made only one pit stop all day, that coming on lap 123.  When the other drivers made their final pit stops around the 200 lap mark, Trickle would emerge as the leader, and would stay out front for the final third of the event.

The only challenge Trickle saw came on the 11^th of 12 cautions on the day, when he stumbled slightly on the restart.  That gave second place runner Mike Eddy an opening in the double file restart.  Eddy couldn’t make the most of the situation, and Trickle would again move away to the advantage.

Dick Trickle's one pit stop strategy gave him the edge over the field as he scored the win in the inaugural World Crown 300. Photo by Robert Turner

Trickle would continue on to lead the final 40 laps unchallenged to take the win and the $50,000 pay day.

In victory lane, as a crown was placed on his head by All Pro official Bill Desmond, Trickle said “I’m not a king, I’m a race car driver!”

But for that day, Trickle was the King of the Short Tracks, winner of the inaugural World Crown 300.  For years to come, he would list the victory as the biggest of his career.  That was exactly what Bob Harmon and Rob Joyce had been shooting for.

On Nov. 13, drivers from all over the country will again converge on Jefferson, Georgia.  They will be racing in the tire tracks of Dick Trickle, as they fight to see who will be the next person to wear the crown and be proclaimed as the “King of the Short Tracks.”

For more information on the event and on tickets, visit www.greshammotorsportspark.com.

Special thanks to Robert Turner for allowing me the use of amazing photos!

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 2011 Class of Inductees into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame were honored at the annual induction banquet and ceremony at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in Dawsonville, Georgia Friday night. Photo by Justin Poole

By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 10/82/11

Friday night was truly a night to remember, as the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame inducted its 2011 class and honored other racing luminaries at the Hall of Fame in Dawsonville, Georgia.

Those inducted included George Elliott of Dawsonville, Mike Head of Ellenwood, Harold Kite of College Park, Swayne Pritchett of Baldwin and Ken Ragan of Perry.

George Elliott, the patriarch of the racing Elliott family, was remembered as a true gentleman who entered racing as an enthusiastic car owner, lending help to several aspiring racers.  Among those who got their start in racing through his efforts were his three sons, who would go on to win two Daytona 500s and the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup title.

George passed away in 1998.  His sons Bill, Dan and Ernie accepted the honor on behalf of their father.

Mike Head, the winner of over 650 feature dirt track events, was also honored.  Head has long been a favorite of Georgia and dirt track fans all over the country, scoring victories in the Dixie 100 and the North-South Shootout, as well as winning the 1991 Northern All-Star Speedweek Championship and the 1991 Southern All-Stars Championship.  He was also a 2010 inductee into the National Dirt Racing Hall of Fame.

Head had a huge number of family, friends and fans on hand Friday night as he accepted the honor.

Harold Kite, a former Army Tank Driver in World War II, was remembered not only for his racing exploits, but as a father and friend.  Kite scored the victory on Daytona Beach in 1950 in the NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) event, out running fellow Hall of Fame member Red Byron for the victory.  He also scored numerous wins and accolades on tracks all over the state of Georgia.

Kite lost his life in a racing accident at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October of 1965.  His children, Lisa Kite Carson and Alan Kite, accepted the honor for their father.

Swayne Pritchett was a true NASCAR and stock car pioneer.  He began racing in 1947, competing at Daytona Beach, Habersham Speedway and at tracks all over the southeast.  He was the 23^rd driver to obtain a NASCAR license in the sanctioning bodies’ first year, 1948, and would fifth at Daytona that year.  He would climb as high as fifth in NASCAR points before losing his life in a tragic on-track accident moments after winning a race at the Jackson County Speedway in Jefferson, Georgia on May 16, 1948.

Pritchett’s sons, Harold and C.L., along with his son-in-law Harold Bennett, accepted the award for Swayne Friday night.

Ken Ragan began his racing career piloting high-speed go carts, winning the World Karting Association Championship in 1978.  He would make more than 50 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts throughout his career, as well as several Nationwide series and ARCA starts. After retiring from driving, Ragan worked to help establish Legends Cars of Georgia in 1997 and in 2001 would move to Charlotte, North Carolina to manage 600 Racing, which manufactures and sponsors Legends cars around the world.

Many of the drivers that Ragan helped in Legends racing, including his son, current NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Ragan, were on hand to see Ragan accept the award.

There were other racing luminaries honored during Friday night’s ceremonies.  1960 NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) champion Rex White was honored for his contributions to racing and to the Hall of Fame.  Long time friend to the Hall of Fame J.B. Day, of Greenville, South Carolina was honored for his contributions to racing by receiving the annual Annie Dean Samples Spirit Award, along with being honored by Suzanne Wise, the Curator of the Stock Car Racing Collection at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

The Georgia Racing Hall of Fame also awarded their first Driver of the Year, with that honor being bestowed upon Senoia, Georgia racer Bubba Pollard.  Pollard, who drives for GRHOF 2009 inductee Ronnie Sanders, has won 18 Late Model features to date, putting together a true Hall of Fame worthy season.

If you weren’t able to be at the Hall of Fame for last Friday night’s event, never fear.  Take a look over the next few pages for a look at some of the sights from the 2011 Georgia Racing Hall of Fame induction banquet.