RESULTS April 25. 2009

"Welcome back, I have News and Results"

First off for all those that do not know, my wife had to be rushed to the Hospital, because the doctors thought her Kidney's were shutting down, and it did not look good at all. I was really scared and did some extra praying for her. Then on Saturday Morning she awoke, and was able to speak to me, and that is the best news I could have had. She is still in the hospital, and under good care. I am so sorry for not being able to film the pure mini class as I had thought I would have been able to, but when your spouse of over 21 years is laying in a hospital bed and you really don't have any idea what is going to happen you can become more than worried. As I said, she awoke Saturday and was hurting but was alert. I thought I was not going to film at West Georgia Saturday night, but she urged me to go and do the best I could and not worry. That seems easy to say but while I was filming my heart was in a different place altogether. So, now that you have heard my side of the story I will continue trying to keep the blog updated, including news from West Georgia Speedway, or "The Burg" as I have called it.

Racing was more than exciting, as drivers, fought back and forth to get the win at the Burg.

The crowd was great as HOT Georgia weather had arrived and that brought more and more fans to the race track, which was great to see. I know promoter and Owner Sammy Duke was happy.

In the HEADLINES : RICHARD BAGBY WON HIS 5TH RACE IN A ROW IN MODIFIED MINI, HE WILL BE SHOOTING FOR 6 WINS STRAIGHT THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, SO BE THERE AND SEE IF HE GETS IT.

IN THE HOBBY RACE, LEGEND ROSCOE COLLINS IN HIS FAMOUS #69 TOOK HIS 2ND WIN, IT WAS NOT EASY AS HE HAD TO BATTLE #3 JEFF CARTER.

THE CRATE RACE NEWS: WELL MICHAEL "MOUTH" KEENER WAS BACK IN HIS ORANGE AND BLUE #8 AND HIS RIVAL TONY KEMP WAS THERE ALSO, THINGS LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE GOING TO HEAT UP.

IN SPORTSMAN NEWS: HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO FLY?, WELL THAT IS WHAT CAR #28 OF MICHAEL MILLS DID ON THE FRONT STRAIGHT AS THE GREEN FLAG WAS WAVING.

Now we are back in the saddle so too speak, since it is past 12:30 a.m, and its a new day Tuesday arising. I have so much to do so I better get busy.

I am not going into great detail about the results because of time, and I need rest.

The Modified Mini race, was won by a veteran and champion driver, Richard Bagby, and guess what folks he has won his 5th straight victory at the BURG. Now the secret is out about his winning, how he does it and it is very simple every time Richard has won he has had Lauren and Lindsey along with his beautiful wife so you see he can't loose with folks like that around. Yeah, I bet you thought I would say he has a cheating motor, come on get real, Richard is a veteran of the dirt track wars, and he knows when to go and when to slow. Also if you are in the way, wait you will feel a tap on your back bumper, that means MOVE or he will Move you.

If you don't believe me ask Ross Baines, or Ryan Heppner, and they will tell you like it is.
So the finish of the Modified Mini race saw Richard Bagby in his now famous #6, I still think it is time for Sammy Duke to get out some bounty money to chase Richard back home.

Modified Mini Winner #6 Richard "The King" Bagby
2nd #14 Ross Baines
3rd #20 Ryan Heppner

The Enduro race proved to be exciting as well, lot's of great drivers and cars that were willing to battle it out. #M4 of Winford Minnix was the car really to beat but there was a new comer at least to me in car #92 I have know idea who this driver was, but I can report his car quit and that is never a good sign. So that left some real racing and car #8 driven by Dustin Smith was tearing the track up, but running hard to catch him was car #6 of Eddie Swafford, and he tried to out race Smith but there was not enough laps in the race. Closing in 3rd place was the #M4 of "the purple people eater", Winford Minnix, who has been trying hard to regain his winning habits at West Georgia Speedway.

So the Enduro Results were:
Winner #8 Dustin Smith
2nd #6 Eddie Swafford
3rd #M4 Winford Minnix

The Hobby feature was a real battle, and cars that had their chances to win were fan favorite #3 of Jeff Carter, as well as #19 of Chad Ledbetter, who was given a warning for rough driving. Charlie Garrett driving the GT47 car has always been a force and on this Saturday night Charlie was driving like he always has, running hard, and mean. Most of the race Jeff Carter held the lead but something was going wrong, and he spun a time or two, and was also given a good shot in the rear, by another car, so Jeff was not happy and his crew was not happy.
Staying out of trouble was #69 Roscoe Collins, who ran his wheels off, and if there is a inch he will slip his car between cars and make that incredible pass. That's what he did Saturday night coming around turn 4 and heading toward the front straight, he nosed to the inside where the wall was and some how made it past 2 cars and that gave Roscoe the lead, and he would go on and lead the pack around. Jeff Carter's car slipped back to 5th position, as Charlie Garrett in the #GT47, hung on to second place with #19 Chad Ledbetter rounding it out of the top 3 cars.

The final Results of the Hobby race were:
Winner #69 Roscoe Collins (the legend that lives on)
2nd place was #GT47 of Charlie Garrett
3rd place was #19 of Chad Ledbetter

IN HOBBY CAR NEWS: NEXT WEEK BLANT DUKE RETURNS WITH HIS NEW AND SEASONED NEW HOBBY ENGINE

Now those ever fast Crate Cars pulled onto the track for their feature, and driver Tony Kemp in his fan favorite #16 was starting on the pole, the only problem was that #8 driven by Michael "Mouth" Keener was right next to him, and it looked like it would be a Kemp, Keener shootout.
When the green flag dropped, Keener took off, but was recaled because he jumped the start, next time around Tony Kemp took off, and Keener some how lost control on the back streach and ended up having the flagman restart the race.
This time the start was perfect, and Keener blasted around the old track, Tony Kemp staying right with him, and them what seemed impossible happened, #16 Tony Kemp's car gave away and it quit, something that never happens to Tony, he is known to take care of his car. Then again this is racing and also at "The Burg".
As Keener was blasting the speedway, and had pulled away from everyone, the only driver that could give him a run was #89 of Carey Smith, but again Carey's car was not helping him at all.

#19 Jeremy Hall was chasing Keener but he did not have the horsepower to over take Keener in any way. So Jeremy hung in and finished in 2nd place.

The Crate car result were:
Winner #8 Michael Keener (seems like ever time he is at The Burg, he Wins)
2nd #19 of Jeremy Hall
3rd place #89 Carey Smith

Time for some fast food and good drinks from West Georgia Speedways Concession stand.

Ok fans were back in their seats to see the super fast Sportsman feature and they all got a tastes of racing reality. Tonight the fans were about to see a racing nightmare, as the green flag fell, #99 Rucker Orr blasted out taking a lead, well like I have always done while filming I was following the lead cars as they headed into turn 1 were lots of action takes place, when all of a sudden I saw a yellow blur past me, as I sung the camera into place, I could see it was a car flying through the air, and it was not a good site. The driver was #28 Michael Mills, and as his car came to a crushing stop, all of West Georgia Speedways fans stopped for a moment, I mean it looked bad. As the fans rushed down to the straightaway to get a better look, paramedics were on the way, as well as race officials. Every one was doing there job, and to the crowd roar and cheers Michal Mills climbed out of the twisted mass of what was a nice looking Sportsman car. He walked to the infield, and was greeted by family. Are for as his car, Sammy Duke was using his Ford F5600 tractor to move the wreckage off the track. When this reporter spoke with him on Tuesday morning, I asked him if he was ok?, "He replied he had a sore tailbone and that was it", he also said he would be back in a back-up car. Another driver that had his car beaten to where one side was caved in was a great driver, Scott Duffy. Duffy a fan favorite drives the #25 White car, and has always been moving on up. Tonight was not his night either at racing, as his car was beaten so bad at the end of the night it was thought that it would be able to continue in the race, but Scott is a battler and he did finish.
As for Rucker Orr he was a run away express, the only competition he was having was from car #11 of Ryan Law and Law tried his best to catch Orr but Orr was to fast.
Hanging in there also was the every present #13 of Roger Cassell.
After all the crashing was over, the fans could sit back and know that they had witnessed some racing action.

The Final Results of the Sportsman feature were:
Winning #99 Rucker Orr
2nd Ryan Law
3rd Roger Cassell

So folks I hope we see you next Saturday night for some more exiting racing action at "The Burg".
I mean where else can you see a Sportsman car fly through the air, and the driver walk away from the wreck and wave to the crowd and smile?

Thanks to all,

Tino Patti

a Freelance Photographer/video Journalist
With a world wide blog readership.