Enduro Championship Night

"RACING IN THE HEAT, AND A NEW ENDURO CHAMPION"

"CONGRAGULATIONS, TO THE WINNER , #M4, WINFORD MINNIX"

The Heat was blazing at West Georgia Speedway, Saturday, it was so HOT I failed to walk around and talk to drivers and take random pictures, it was just to hot.

All I was looking for was shade of any kind, and something to cool me down, like water, or Gatorade.

The speedway was dry but some how Sammy Duke got a extra water truck, and was having 2 trucks dump water on the bone dry desert of a track.

I was sad to hear that Hobby Car champion, Rusty Johnson, would not be racing because he said in the Hobby championship he blistered his tires, and hoped to be racing again this coming Saturday Night.

Johnson will be the man to beat as he is the Champion, and you have to beat the Champion to be the best.

The Modified Mini cars, started the race off and during hot laps it looked as if the cars to beat would be #6 of Richard Bagby or #07 of Frank Long. Although #20 Ryan Heppner had a fast looking truck.

Sometimes a race you can call, but there are times when, things just refuse to work out, as in the Modified Mini race, where I thought Richard Bagby was going to take another win, but his car just did not want to work with him.

As soon as Frank Long got the lead I could see Bagby was not catching Long, in any way unless Franks car blew a engine or something drastic happened, so all in all Richard just ran as hard as his Mustang would go, but Saturday night was not Richard's night at winning.

The results from the Modified Mini race ended up as :

#07 Frank Long Winning

#6 Richard Bagby in a rare 2nd place finish

#B14 Bubba Collins in third place.

When the Hobby feature was upcoming, I knew we were about to see a new race, as some of the top drivers were there. Like #3 of Jeff Carter, #01 of Blant Duke, #47 Jason Causey's car with Mark Knight at the wheel.

Drivers were ready to battle a track to hard to tame, "The Burg", as she is called.

Most drivers think this is a easy track, but you know this track not only tears up cars but can hurt some drivers. Thinking West Georgia Speedway is a really easy money hole, try thinking again, because I have seen the best drivers load their cars up in pieces at the end of a long night.

I have seen cars lock up, and run all others, with constant beating and banging, cars look worse after they leave the Burg. Then again some drivers have the cash and can afford to make their car look like a show piece before every race and these are usually those high end drivers, like Crate, or Sportsman, there are a few hobby car drivers that try and keep their ride clean, and when they show up they put on a show for the many fans.

When the Hobby cars lined up, starting on the pole was car #31 driven by Blake Griffin, who had the car to try and out run Saturday night, but too be honest he was so far ahead, I panned my camera back to see some real hard nosed racing, featuring drivers like Jeff Carter, Blant Duke and Mark Knight, all three of these cars were putting on a show, and fans were standing and cheering, as they went flying by the grandstands.

Jeff Carter looked like he had the car to take 2nd place, but that was not to be as he was involved in a spin, Blant Duke would pull along side of Carter and you could see Blant rubbing Carter, not spinning him out, just trying to annoy Jeff to where he would back out and let Blant go, but that was not to happen. Anyway like every race, cars would spin and cautions would fly, and that would narrow the racing field down.

Blake Griffin was so far ahead of all the cars, I started filming the cars racing hard for 2nd, 3rd and 4th place. And it was incredible to watch Jeff Carter and Blant Duke tangle, and trailing all this was Mark Knight in Jason Causey's hobby car.

They were rubbing and it was obvious, no one was catching Griffin would had strung out a huge lead, over the other cars. The real race was between Carter, Duke and Knight, there was your race.

But like always at the Burg, wrecks happen, and Causeys car was sent spinning into the guard rail around the track, and Blant Duke finally made his way around Jeff Carter.

So you see racing at West Georgia Speedway can be a blast, and you really never know who will come up with a win, every Saturday is different.

So the hobby car final results were:

#31 Blake Griffin

#01 Blant Duke

#03 Buck Williams (Who is Buck Williams?)

Now it was time for the Enduro Championship race, which would feature a 30 lap race.

We had some of the best Enduro drivers #12 Gary Brand, plus many more cars.

The race featured some intense racing including a car #8 that flipped and caught on fire on the front straight, after being hit by car #85, don't worry I never did get the car running into car #8 all I got on video was #8 rolling down the straightaway an catching on fire, lucky the driver was able to crawl out and get away from his car, but he was shook up, and fell on the front stretch as a ambulance and other drivers surrounded him. Helping him in every way, he was one lucky driver who walked away from a terrible crash.

One thing is for sure when a wreck does happen Sammy Duke has EMT's on the scene as soon as possible.

When you really think of the Enduro race, the champion for years has been "Charge Card" as I call him, #M4 Winford Minnix. The Purple people eater has been around racing for so long, he forgets when and where he has raced, he just knows he was there, and the car won the race. Winford is one of a kind, and when racing ever loses this bad dude, we will all be saddened, because you can't not like Winford, he is a true winner, and his laughter is amazing. He can joke with the best of people and he has always been someone you can walk up to and talk to and have a few laughs.

One time I was looking into his car, and it was covered with winning stickers from West Georgia Speedway, he has so many, he says he has them packed in drawers and cases and places he doesn't even remember.

Winford is like Lee Owensby, two tough drivers, that go all out when on the track. Owensby who drives #91 has always been a really though.

The Championship race featured some great racing stars, and you know, who they are and if not let me in on a future winning team, and that is driver #55 Steven Parker who with his wife have formed the racing team called "Team Twisted Racing", now that's something you don't see in these racing days.

Parker can hold his own with the best of enduro drivers and has really shown some great improvement in his style, which has been compared to the style of Sportsman winner for years #G1 Glenn McWaters, who takes car of his car, and his car takes care of him, that is why Glenn is a proven winner. Steven looks like he is made from the same mold.

Getting back to the final results of this tough 30 lap feature race, was Winford Minnix, and we congratulate Winford and his many years of making the fans cheer for him.

THE FINAL RESULTS OF THIS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE WERE:

WINNING #M4 Winford Minnix

2nd #91 Lee Owensby

3rd Steven Parker

After the fan's were treated to a royal Enduro Championship race, we all were ready for the next fastest race and that of course is the Crate race, these drivers and cars are up to the same speed almost as the Sportsman feature.

Drivers like #16 Tony Kemp are at the top of their game, and this night would be no different. There was one thing missing in this race and it was the likes of #14 of Michael "Mouth, Showcase" Keener, who in qualifing had some bad problems and it was do to his brakes, so Keener would not pull his #14 car onto the track.

But on the track were other drivers like #K77 Mark Knight, who drove earlier in the Hobby race, and of course #19 Jeremy Hall, plus #B77 of Shane Barrett.

When the green flag was dropped , the race was on, and Tony Kemp was blistering the track. It was after the race that I found out that Kemp had raced at Green Valley and tore his car up, so you know he had it fixed and he was on fire again. Kemp has always been a fan favorite, and you know the Crate Championship race will be held this weekend, at the BURG.

So all the drivers in the Crate race should be ready to run, for the cash.

THE RESULTS FOR THE CRATE RACES WERE:

Winning #16 Tony Kemp

2nd#19 Jeremy Hall

3rd #B77 Shane Barrett

After a brief intermission, and some fast food, the fans were ready to watch the Sportsman feature.

Tonight's race was going to be different, there would be no Ryan Law, no Fletcher Cavander, No Rucker Orr.

Orr had been suspended for 2 weeks for not tearing down his car, after a race that seemed to have Orr so far ahead he seemed not to be in the race, and that is with Glenn McWaters in the same race. Seems as if Orr would not tear his car down when McWaters requested and when he refused he not only lost the race, he was banned for 2 weeks.

So Saturday night, Glenn McWaters had a clear field, except for #1 of Ben Hill, who was on the top of his game, he was close to Glenn but never could pass him, and being close is really great, that means something is working so he better keep his car running and in the same shape, he was almost able to pass Glenn and take a Win that he deserves so much.

Scott Duffey in his #25, had changed some of his setting and that is what was hurting him the most, he was trying to gain ground, but him and Clifton Moran in the #B2 car was not making his life easy.

#13 Roger Cassell, was as he always is right there in the mix of the racing action.

So the Final Results of the Sportsman feature was:

#G1 Glenn McWaters

2nd #1 Ben Hill

3rd # B12 Todd Darda (He is new to me)

Don't forget the Crate Championship race will be, this Weekend, and the crate cars should be ready to rock n' roll.

The 4th of July should be a shootout as the Sportsman cars will be racing for $1000.00 CASH money, and it will be Winner take ALL.

PLUS LADIES: AT THE END OF THE RACE WILL BE THE WELL KNOWN POWDER PUFF RACE, SO BE READY TO DRIVE YOUR HUSBANDS CAR, IN THIS WILD RACE.

Ok, that means Lisa Carter, Tina Parker, and all the rest of the young ladies, come on, get it on, and show your husband you can drive like the best of the men.

Thanks For Everthing,

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

With a WORLD WIDE BLOG FOLLOWING!