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Duck River Speedway - Old School Cool
Late Model Mark
March 8, 2009
Pinson, Alabama
Even though the calendar tells me it's 2010, last Saturday night I thought I was back in the 60s or 70s. That was not a bad feeling, but a real good one, I like the older stuff. Since moving down to the South, I have gone to so many sweet and different tracks, last weekend was no different. For a couple years now racers and fans have said you need to check out the "Duck." I did and man-o-man am I glad I did. So this round of the Red Clay Report will describe my day at the "Old school cool" Duck River Speedway up in Tennessee.
I have been told that this track is quite tricky to find, with that in mind I hooked up with a great race buddy to help me find the joint and show me the ropes. Glad I had him with me as the place was indeed hard to find as it truly is out in the country. I left Dirt Late Model headquarters and flew up I-65 and met my buddy off the Interstate in Hartselle, Alabama. So off we went in the ole Dodge to Tennessee for Duck River's Southern Regional Racing Series show that was paying a nice $3000-to-win. 22 miles into Tennessee we exit the Interstate and out into the country,warned not to bust the speed limit in Cornersville, labeled the biggest speed trap in the South. It takes a number of different highways to get there, all are 2-lane deals thru real nice areas. We made tunrs here, turns there, all somewhat confusing, we made one final turn off of Highway 64 onto Hastings Chapel Road and after a mile there was the track. My thought was , who would build a track here? Glad they did. Duck River is no doubt a track out in the country. You drive into "Ducktona" as they call it, on a smooth watered dirt road. Parking is on grass and it is easy to find a nice spot, or you can pay a few more bucks and get a pit pass and park right on the backstraight just a few feet from the track. The pit booth is small yet very functional with 2 sweet ladies working it. The pits are all dirt and run the length of the back of the track, so much room that you can park on grass and see deer nearby in the woods. The track is really a throwback type of deal. It is a 1/4mi. high-banked dirt oval. Not the typical red clay normally found in the South, more brown in color. Concrete guardwalls mixed with double steel guardrails circle the track. The infield is empty except safety vehicles, it has great sightlines. It has good fencing, good lighting and a nice soundsystem. The tower is old style with the concessions underneith. The restrooms are ok, not big, not modern, but they do the trick. The ticket booth for spectators is "open-air" and very retro,it really is cool, kinda vintage.
Owners Jim Hastings and Tim Smith work hard in running a tight show and they take track prep serious, it showed. This was a late afternoon, early evening race, the thermometer would drop like an anchor later on. Hot laps for the 119 cars ran off super quick then time trials for the S.R.R.S. Supers and the 2-barrel Late Models were run off quick. The 3 Super Late Model heats had some decent action, the S.R.R.S. 40-lap feature was a nice one. Only 2 cautions slowed the action and there was plenty of that. The track size, only a 1/4mi. and high-banked is just a "bees nest" of quick action. The laps are snapped off real fast, there is racing all over the field, you almost did not know where to look. This race, won by young-gun, Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth, was a dandy as "Right foot" sliced and diced his way thru the tough field for the popular win. A nice 31-car lineup signed in at the "Duck" this night. I thought the track was excellent even though it was sunny when the show started. The dirt held up real well, was not dusty at all, providing good racing in my view. After the race, track owner Jim Hastings said he was sorry the racing wasn't better, huh? The fans sure liked it and I liked it, he then said that the top groove did not come in but it wasn't too bad for the first race of the year. I though it was a heck of a race. I can only imagine now that if the top comes in this place could rival Talladega as the raciest joint in the South. The Super feature was done at 8:19pm. and the ole Dodeg was on the road at 8:30pm. Having a veteran with me to guide me home was a real blessing as it was even more confusing getting home, my buddy, Dickie Glenn, made it easy to navigate all the dark left and rights that finally got us to the Interstate. Right around 160 miles from my shack to the track.
Duck River Speedway just outside of Wheel, Tennessee, is such a cool track. Nothing fancy and that is fine by me. The product on the track is something, those high-banks get the job done. The track officials and workers make you feel at home. The fans are all nice and respectfull, the atmosphere is great, the seating is nice and close. I hope they don't change a thing. This is one great place to see Dirt Late Models race. Legendary racer Ronnie "the Chattanooga Flash" Johnson said it best, "it's tight but this place is real racy". I agree!!! I really enjoyed my trip to Duck River Speedway, it is indeed "Old school cool."
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