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Green Valley Speedway Bama Bash Review
Late Model Mark
Pinson, Alabama (February 24 2009)
Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, hosted the second big Dirt Late Model show of 2009 here in Alabama. This race at GVS is like the Daytona 500 in one aspect, it is Green Valley's biggest race of the year. Starting off your season with your biggest race, in February, can be a recipe for a headache. After a great Ice Bowl at Talladega, the Bama Bash is the last of the special events before the season starts in earnest in March. This is my take, a view from the seats. Cold seats for sure.
Day 3 of the Bama Bash was day 1 for me. After 2 days of practice and some preliminaries, the Dodge rolled into GVS just before action began. Track owner Dennis Harker continues to improve this track.The track had a sparkle to it. Some of the improvements made in the off season, a fresh coat of GVS green on all the walls, made it really look like a racetrack. The scales are now in full view in the infield with a small "house" for the track crew. A nice Sunoco sign lights up the scale area, makes it racy looking. After the terrible crash involving Southern Regional Racing Series champion Byron Michaels last November in turn 3, Dennis Harker went to work and installed multi rows of crash barrels that did it's job well. It was tested in the Hobby Stock feature. The track is well lighted, was clean, and looked really good. The Green Valley safety team is well equiped and well trained, your in good hands at GVS if you have a problem on the track.
Saturday on the race track. It was cold this day, mid 40s' during the day, high 30s' at night. When I rolled in it took some time to find a spot to park, pit parking was full, trackside parking was sold out as well. Over 200 cars signed in with over 100 Late Models in 3 divisions. This race was run like boot camp, officials from Talladega were on hand to keep things going, Hot laps started at 4:00pm. for the Late Models. The track took on a couple of different faces this day, started good then turned later into a groove and a half of locked down fast. Kind of unusual for GVS to get that way but that can happen with days of racing. The hottest driver in the country, Ray Cook,continues to be on fire. He "won" hot laps when the track was moist and fast. Timed in quick and destroyed the field in his heat race. His car is so dialed-in right now that nobody has anything for this North Carolina hot shoe. The Super heats were mostly single file due to the one lane groove. The Crate heats had some decent action under the heavy threat of rain. The good crowd on hand got to see a well run program that had the Late Model portion done at 9:25pm. Leaving the track, just one mile away it was raining, and it rained all the way home. GVS missed the rain, as it was all around the area.
Sunday dawned clear, bright, sunny, and very cold. Arriving at 1:45pm. the cars were allready hot lapping and the dust was flying, I thought, oh no, a dustbowl! I thought to myself, day 4 of racing and the track is tired, not that tired I surmised later. Crate and Super Late consi races were held, the track was biteless and dusty, yet it showed some hope for later. Once again the GVS team ran the race fast, except a short break before the Super main. The Crate race was a good one as there was 41 laps of green flag action at one point. While Ronnie Johnson led up front, the action behind him was good, the show was watching Super driver Ray Cook trying so hard to make the cushion work, it didn't but it was fun to see. The Crates were dicing all thru the field. The track widened out a little but is was a hooked up deal. The Steel-Block Lates put on a decent race with some action that was also won by Ronnie Johnson. RJ won $6000 dollars by taking the Crate and Steel Block features, could he win all 3 mains? The $7500 to win Super race was a "clinic" by Ray Cook. This 75 lapper had little passing and fast speeds, boring it was not. Randy Weaver was on Cooks' bumper for all 75 laps but everytime they got into traffic a yellow would come out and end the drama to be. That's just the way it goes sometimes. It was a fast race with many quality cars on hand. The Modified race was the best of the day with good action thru the field, Jimmy Hiett won it over NASCAR driver Ken Schraeder. The races were over around 7:00pm. How cold was it Sunday? The fans looked like they were at the Winter Olympics rather than at a race. Low 30s' all day with a bone chilling breeze.
My final thoughts on the weekend at Green Valley Speedway. Yes it was cold, yes the track was not as racy as it could be, but that is daytime racing. The cars on hand raced hard and put on a good show. The track has a bright future as it will go to Friday nights and work with Talladega on many promotions. The facility is looking good and "acting" like a racetrack. Dennis Harker is a man who is not afraid to try different things, some work, some might not. The 2009 season looks good at Green Valley with many big races and interesting fan promotions. Dennis is a good solid person that I am glad to know, thank you for all the hospitality this past weekend at the Bama Bash, I had a blast. If you ever come to Alabama, check out Green Valley, you will not be disappointed. In closing, support your local track, they need you! Take a friend,take the family,kids love racing, check out a Dirt Late Model race, it is no doubt the best racing by "any" type of dirt race car. A unmuffled Dirt Late Model on the cushion with the left front hiked up a foot on a Saturday night is the way to spend the evening with friends and family!!
Late Model Mark
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