In 1919, Arthur Thurman became the first Georgia racer to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 5/27/11
With the storied history of the Georgia Gang in racing events around the country, and around the world, there is one historic event that has not been a lucky one for drivers from the Peach State, and that’s the annual 500 mile open wheel event in Speedway, Indiana known as the Indianapolis 500.
In fact, only a small handful of drivers with ties back to Georgia have made an attempt to compete in the event, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Sunday.
Brandon Reed, Kyle Petty and Robert Marlow smile for the camera in late 2000. Photo from the Brandon Reed collection
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 5/23/11
Since launching Georgia Racing History.com almost two years ago, the one question that I’ve been asked over and over again is “How did you ever get so interested in racing and in its history?”
That answer is very simple. If not for my grandfather, Robert N. Marlow, this website and my connection with auto racing likely would never have come to be.
Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 5/13/11
It was one of the most improbable finishes to any NASCAR event in history, and it just happened to unfold around one of Georgia’s most legendary racers.
It occurred on May 17, 1981, at Dover Downs International Speedway, now known Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. The Mason-Dixon 500 started out much as any other race you might expect to see on a Sunday afternoon. David Pearson, piloting an Oldsmobile for Kennie Childers, started on the pole, with Morgan Shepherd outside in Cliff Stewart’s Pontiac.
Georgia Racing Hall of Famer Raymond Parks changes a tire on Red Byron's Cadillac during the running of the first Southern 500 at Darlington, SC in 1950.
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Feature Stories 5/6/11
From the first race on Labor Day of 1950, the Georgia Gang has played a big role in the happenings in the famed Southern 500, held annually at the Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
