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.
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Posted 18 November 2011
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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.
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Posted 21 October 2011
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Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 10/6/11
Racing historian and GRH.com contributor Mike Bell is currently hard at work on a book chronicling all of the race tracks that have existed in the state of Georgia.
He says that, to date, he has discovered around 175 tracks that operated at one point or another in the state of Georgia. Of those, around 25 still are in operation.
Right now, the future of one of those has come into question.
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Posted 07 October 2011
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Mike Bell
By Mike Bell
Posted in Columns 9/23/11
In August of 2007, Walter “W.M.” Fulmer of Saluda, SC passed away at the age of 71. The former Marine Korean war veteran was born in Martinez, Georgia and was involved in racing most of his life.
W.M. Fulmer started racing in the late 1950s when they reopened the fairgrounds race track at Greenwood, SC. They ran flatheads and in-line six cylinders. On a very limited budget, Fulmer did quite well. His father-in-law, Lewis Maw, promoted Greenwood and Newberry Fairgrounds until the overheads took over.
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Posted 23 September 2011
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The cars of George Robson (left) and George Barringer (right) at the scene of the Labor Day, 1946 crash that took both men's lives. Photo courtesy Eddie Samples
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 9/16/11
It was planned to be a race to celebrate Labor Day. It ended up as one of the darkest moments in Atlanta racing history.
It occurred on September 2, 1946. Racing promoter Sam Nunis put together a 100-lap Indy car race at Atlanta’s famed Lakewood Speedway, a treacherous one-mile dirt track located on the grounds of the Lakewood Fairgrounds. The event was sanctioned by the AAA, who also sanctioned the famed Indianapolis 500, which had run its first event since the ending of World War II only a few months prior.
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Posted 16 September 2011
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Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 9/9/11
A couple of weeks ago, I traveled with Georgia racing historian Mike Bell down to New Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia to take in sprint car action on the fast 3/8 mile track.
After a great night of racing, we headed back north towards the Atlanta area. As usual, we discussed various aspects of racing, both past and present.
Now, there are many things Mike and I agree on when it comes to the history of auto racing. There are others that we don’t quite agree on.
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Posted 09 September 2011
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Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 7/15/11
The recent news that Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Georgia would be hosting Wednesday night races for the first time in several years brought back memories of a time when mid-week racing was the norm in Georgia.
While modern day fans might not know it, long time race chasers remember the days when drivers would face off at various tracks around the region all through the week.
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Posted 15 July 2011
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Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 6/17/11
Following Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Pocono, Pennsylvania, the #18 M&M’s Toyota of Kyle Busch failed to pass post-race tech. According to reports, the Joe Gibbs owned Toyota was 1/16th of an inch outside the tolerances allowed by NASCAR.
The result was a $25,000 fine, the loss of six championship owner’s points and six championship driver’s points.
The debate over such fines and penalties has gone on for years. But today’s drivers should count themselves very, very lucky. Back in the “pioneer days”, drivers weren’t just slapped with fines. They were completely disqualified, or in some cases stripped completely of championship titles.
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Posted 17 June 2011
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Brandon Reed
By Brandon Reed
Posted in Columns 6/10/11
There can be no doubt as to the biggest topic of discussion coming out of last weekend’s NASCAR events at Kansas City. It wasn’t the winner, or the fact that there was a fuel mileage finish for the second straight event, and third in the last four, counting Saturday’s Nationwide series event at Chicago.
It wasn’t the second straight near miss by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. It wasn’t the second career win of second generation racer Brad Keselowski.
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Posted 10 June 2011
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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.
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Posted 23 May 2011
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