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Recent Travels Through The South
Late Model Mark
August 10, 2010
Pinson, Alabama
The ole Dodge has sure racked up some miles these past couple of months chasing those addicting Dirt Late Models week after week, sometimes two times a week. This round of the Red Clay Report will focus on the shows I've seen since June up through this past weekend.
June started off with my first trip to Johnny Stokes sweet Magnolia Motor Speedway just outside of Columbus, Mississippi. Maybe the nicest track in the South, this night had the $5000-to-win Governors Cup. Just a great place to see a race. great views, clean grounds and a racy joint. Ronnie Lee Hollingsworth raced to a popular win, on the 140 mile drive home, I thought to myself that any time the track has a biggie, I'll be there.
Six days later I hit for the first time one of the most remote, rural tracks there is. Located in the Southeastern part of Alabama, Penton Raceway was hosting the Nesmith Super Dirt Series. Promoted by the Edge family, this show was one of the tracks large events for 2010. The 134 mile drive sure was a scenic one, the closet thing to the track is a throwback country store run by the Edge family. When I pulled into the track, my thought was who would build a track truly in the tulies? There ain't much around here. The track was a nice clean little facility, wide and high-banked, smooth and racy. The track sure draws a crowd, the grandstands are small, the concessions small but good. Anthony Burroughs won the entertaining show that was nicely called by Clint Stanton. Track is hard to find with all those small country roads but worth the drive.
The next night the same series rolled into Talladega. The usual stellar show at TST. Ole Ronnie Johnson won a slobberknocker in style over the TST regulars. TST is an easy 57 miles shot from the house on the hill.
On July 3rd I made my first visit of 2010 to Marvin Ford's cool track on the mountain, Ft. Payne Motor Speedway up in Fyffe, Alabama. A super scenic 75 mile run up, this night had the track's first Super Late special, the $2000-to-win Firecracker 50. A well run, well groomed track that had a packed house. Jake Knowles swept the program in style. Ft. Payne is a track that has had a year so far, crowds are up as well as the car count. A very fun track to see a race.
A 2-day Lucas Oil Series race was on tap next at the "Mag," Magnolia Motor Speedway. The most fun I have had at a track this year. Big crowd on Friday, the largest crowd in track history on Saturday, and a super race had everybody happy. A very fun race weekend highlighted by a large BBQ on Saturday by some good friends that was attended by Bloomquist. Earl Pearson Jr. scored the big $20,000 check.
Next on tap was a rare mid-week show in Alabama, a surprising date for a big race at Phenix City's East Alabama Motor Speedway. A risky promotion bringing in Ray Cook's Southern National Series, a $22,000 dollar risk in a cash strapped area. Owned and operated by the Thomas family, the lady in charge, Beverly Thomas, worked incredibly hard to make this deal work. At 7:00pm. I thought, oh no, this thing is going to flop, nope! By 8:00pm. a very large crowd was on hand to witness Jonathan Davenport smoke a large and talented field on the very fast 3/8mi. speedplant. The track had 3 good announcers call the exciting show, track regular Clint Stanton, WoO racecaller Rick Eshelman, and series mikeman Chris Tilley, all did a great job. It was a long 170 mile drive home but well worth the effort.
Then came "marathon" Saturday on July 31st. My plan was to make my first trip up to the recently re-opened Winchester Speedway in Tennessee for an unsanctioned $3000-to-win Super Late Model special, that was the plan. I hopped into the ole Dodge at 1:00pm. I was first going to head up to Lynchburg to take another tour of the Jack Daniels Distillery. Shortly after getting on I-65, I was caught in a rare traffic jam due to a wreck, that cost me around 90 minutes, my goal was to make it up for the last tour by 4:00pm. I made it with 10 minutes to spare. The skies were ugly but no rain. After the tour I "buzzed" over to the Winchester area on this ultra cool and super scenic Hwy 50. Winchester is smack dab in the middle of the city. I drive on a wet Hwy 50, no rain, but a wet road. I get to the track about 5:45pm only to find that the track is a ghost town, what? I called track promoter Jimmy Nowlin, Jimmy says, "we had not one, but two big thunderstorms hit the track and we are done for tonight." Great, now what to do? Do I drive home, go to Thunderhill in Summertown, or buzz down to Moulton? None of those, I decide to make the super long drive all the way to Talladega for the $5400-to-win Mike Head Jr, Memorial Southern All Star show.
I left the city of Winchester at 5:50pm. I thought I would never get down to TST. I arrived at 8:35pm. very tired of driving all day. Since the show started at 8:00pm. all I missed was hot laps and time trials. On a very hot and swamp like night, Ronnie Johnson won the big check in a super entertaining race that had 3 wide racing thru most of the 54 lapper. At 11:30pm. I was on the road, again, for the drive home. Tired of driving over 400 miles but the end result was worth it.
Ever since I was "little" Late Model Mark, I have dreamed of being a race announcer. Dreams do come true folks, I auditioned and got the gig at the recent re-opened River Valley Speedway in Arkadelphia, Alabama. Called a couple of practice nights then last Saturday, the big opening show. In front of a packed house and a good field of cars, the dream was fulfilled and realized. Had a blast up in the tower and got to call a race that was won by Ronnie Johnson. What a deal to announce at the rebirth of a track and call a winning performance by a legend. The rest of the season the dude in the orange shirt will call the remaining races in 2010 and gear up for a full year in 2011. I am one lucky dude, till next time, Dirt Late Models rock!!
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