Hobby Champion 2009 West Georgia Speedway

"It's Official We have the new 2009 Hobby Car Champion"

MR.RUSTY JOHNSON IN HIS #29 CAR

The day was hot, and the track was bone dry, but that did not stop the many hobby cars from racing and trying to win the prize of $500 cash, and the satisfaction of knowing that they were the NEW West Georgia Speedway Hobby car champion. Something that few drivers can say, because not only did they beat fellow drivers, they beat the track, "The Burg".

Top name drivers entered the race, each wanting to win the gold ring, but racing on West Georgia's 3/8th clay oval is a challenge.

Driving in place of Jason Causey was one who is racing most humble driver, Mark Knight, who would drive Jason's car, since Jason was working. One thing for sure Mark knows the track and, can be a force to deal with.

Other drivers were the #3 of Jeff Carter, who in hop laps had some rough going as Jeff and a car #3 got into each other, causing some heavy damage to Carters right side. We all thought Blant Duke would not be racing but he drove the B1 car of Clifton Moran. Then you had #56 of Lee Mclewayne, who has always raced hard at this track.

But the man of hour and the day was driver Rusty Johnson, in his famous #29 car, who shows no fear, as he races between other drivers ,are he goes high when there is no room. He is a fearless driver, and because of this he beat out Blant Duke in a shootout for the Championship.

Yes the 2009 Hobby car champion from West Georgia Speedway is #29 of Rusty Johnson, and a lot of his achievements can also go to his crew and car owners who have believed in Rusty and that is so important in racing.

You can have the best car, but if you do not have car owners and a crew that believes in the driver, he has nothing.

So all hats off to our new 2009 season Champion Rusty Johnson, and he is now the man to beat at the "Burg".

The Final Results of the Hobby Championship were:

Winning Rusty Johnson in his #29 that he is making famous at the "Burg"

2nd place #B1 Blant Duke

3rd #56 Lee Mcelwayne

This Weekend, I hope all the Enduro cars are ready as they are having their Championship race, and it should be a good one, I am sure that #91 Lee Owensby will be ready as well as Winford Minnix in his #M4 car, not to mention a upcoming driver who in this Saturday nights action at the Burg, received his first two major donuts from other cars, and that proves he is moving up the racing ladder.

The driver I am speaking about finished in 3rd place and is Steven Parker, who gets advice from long time winning veteran driver Richie Taylor.

From what I see, Parker has a real racing future and looks to become the new kid in the Enduro class. I can see him moving up to Hobby in a season or two.

The results from the modified mini race changed, as long time winner, Richard Bagby could not hold a lead, and let #07 of dangerous Frank Long get past him, and to win the modified mini race.

One of Richard Bagby' rooters was seen with a magazine reading the news from People Magazine, and I am sure Richard was not mentioned in there at all, so you see she may have jinxed him.

The order of finish were:

#07 Frank Long Winning

#6 Richard Bagby

#B14 Bubba Collins

When the Enduro boys pulled onto the track, we knew the battle was on, I had a feeling that # 91 of Lee Owensby had the car to win with, but like in cricket, we all can be wrong.

Lee got banged around pretty bad, to where his car looked like a junker. But like a true racer, he pulled in during a yellow caution and I could see from my camera's viewpoint his crew members beating and banging on his rear tire. They were amazing, and I thought he would not make it out of the pits, but Lee is a driver and if he has to he would have carried the car on his back in this race.

Talking about luck, #M4 of Winford Minnix, had engine trouble last but Saturday he was the car to chase. Every Enduro car was after Winford, including the young rookie #55 Steven Parker, who was showing no fear. He was being rubbed by the best and has the donuts on the sides of his car to prove he was racing to win.

Parker was running hard in 3rd place and was chasing, #12 Gary Brand, who if you have not noticed does not seem to care that you can hardly make out the numbers on the side of his car, he seems not to care, and I have never met him.

Like I was saying, Parker was trying hard to catch Brand, but you have to remember Brand was chasing Winford and that was were the race was happening. I kept a close eye on Steven Parker as I knew that with Lee Owensby back in the race, he was going to close on the young driver and teach him a thing or two, Lee is not a driver that likes to sit back and wait, he is a mover and a shaker.

The cars bounced off each other like a bad pin ball machine, and even as driver's dropped out, Steven Parker was still chasing Gary Brand, and behind Steven was coming up through the pack in a wounded war car, was Lee Owensby.

What was impressive, was how Parker handled his driving skills, showing no fear and not being to aggressive in the turns, it seems like Parker is learning and has a fine car that can help him win.

But be honest now? is anyone able to chase down "Charge Card" Winford Minnix in his purple #M4 machine.

This weekend, $500 dollars will be riding, on the line, and I know that there will be some tough all out hard racing going to happen, and these drivers will bring everything they have because this is the GUNFIGHT of the year!. The winner will become Enduro Champion for 2009, so lets see who brings the best firearms, and I mean cars, NOT GUNS.

The results of Saturday Nights Enduro Race went as follows:

Winning #M4 of Winford Minnix

2nd #12 of Gary Brand

3rd #55 of Steven Parker

When the Crate cars came out to race it was getting late, so Sammy did not even stop to have a intermission which is unusual.

He got the crates on the track, and we had some real racers, even some top guns from Alabama, like the #K9 of Dana Eiland, and his partner in #K9 X with a driver known as "Rocket Man".
Some extra and unknown drivers were #K8 of Bob Eiland, plus #34 of Chad Wallace, then we have #16 car of Georgia own Tony Kemp. Then again there was #14 of Michael "Mouth, Showcase" Keener, but tonight Keener was not even able to chase down these other super fast Crate cars.

It was racing in a dust bowl, as dust was blowing from every direction, and you know if any fans were wearing white shirts when they came to the race, they were red clay colored at the end of the race for sure.

The only driver that seemed like he could chase Tony down was #K8 driven by Bob Eiland, who I do not know, he must race in Alabama also. Plus in 3rd place and running hard was #34 of Chad Wallace, parts unknown.





Since there was rain moving in all over Alabama, the top drivers, from "Bama" converged to try and tame the track at West Georgia Speedway. "The Burg".




Seems as though the word is getting out that if you can win at the BURG you can win anywhere. Trouble is too many drivers come and try, and none can beat this historic track, and if you do, you can say you are at the top of your game.




Most drivers that race at "The Burg" load their cars, back up in pieces at the end of the night. But some drivers have learned where to be to avoid the major wreck.






Someone asked me how many crate cars started the race I counted 13, but that was not how many finished, because after a few cautions, racing was back and cars were flying around this dusty track, and I was sure I would see the Alabama boys catch our local drivers and blow by them, but you know that never happened, one reason was fan favorite #16 Tony Kemp had is car set up right, and believe me there was no one going to catch Tony, he was a pure out animal.








As I said it was dry and dusty, and one thing for sure is the race was fast, and I know Tony Kemp was happy to see the checked flag fly, because he had been out front with a car that was unbeatable, it was amazing and that is how Tony Kemp drives.





The final results of the Crate race were:








#16 Tony Kemp Winning

#K8 Bob Eiland








#34 Chad Wallace

I believe this was Tony Kemp's best racing night. He put on a show for the fans.






NO INTERMISSION, NO INTERMISSION, NO BREAK , NO BREAK





Sammy Duke the Promoter of this historic track was heard over the radio, yelling send out the Sportsman, come on, lets go racing.

So all 14 powerful Sportsman cars pulled on the track, and you could feel the tension as drivers like, #99 Rucker Orr, #G1 of Glenn McWaters, #26 of Fletcher Cavander, plus #25 of Scott Duffey, and #8 of Michael "High Flying" Mills, plus #13 old faithfull Roger Cassell plus some men from Alabama came to try and beat some Georgia boy's. Drivers like #K9 of Dana Eiland, who is known as the best at his home track at East Alabama Speedway.



Trouble was this race was not in Alabama ,it was on Georgia Clay. And West Georgia Speedway, never cares about where a driver is from because this track will beat the best of any driver.

When Keith the flagman was lining the cars up we had Rucker Orr on the outside pole with #G1 of Glenn McWaters on the inside pole, side by side two veterans of wars in racing, then you had in the second row drivers like the #26 of Fletcher Cavander a driver that knows how to win. Plus we had the old faithful drivers like #13 Roger Cassel, who is never one with lots of words he is kind of shy and says he knows nothing about a computer, that is rough in these days and times.

Roger may not know anything regarding a computer but he does know how t

o take his car around West Georgia Speedway at top speed. He is a veteran of racing wars at this historic track.

When the green flag dropped, all you could see since the dust was flying everywhere was the #99 car of Rucker Orr leading the way around the "Burg".

In chase and hard was long time winning driver, #G1 of Glenn McWaters, who had not been at the track in a long time, he was rusty but he is a well known veteran driver who knows how to get things done.

Never count Glenn McWaters out of any race, because he will be there in the end some how and that's the sign of a great driver.

As Rucker Orr pushed his #99 car farther in the lead it was apparent that G1 was not going to be able to catch him, and as for as anyone else, well the race was up for grabs, as Scott Duffey was in a duel with Roger Cassell, and this duel seems to be heating up every Saturday night. Duffey has the car, he just needed the right tires as he tires were going away fast later in the race.

Ryan Law in car #11 who I spoke with after hotlaps , said he was not going to be in the race, BUT WAIT when the Sportsman race feature came up, there was Law in starting in the back of the pack, seems he fixed his unfixable problem. That was good for this young and talented driver.

After 25 hard grueling laps of in a dust bowl, and the checkered flag was flying, and the first car under it was #99 of Rucker Orr, followed by the #G1 of Glenn McWaters and running in 3rd place was #13 of Roger Cassell, who was followed by in 4th place of Fletcher Cavander.

The race was over but was it?

Because after pulling off the track, Rucker Orr was asked to tear his car down, and he refused, and in doing this Orr was disqualified, and the win went into the pocket of #G1 Glenn McWaters, with #13 Roger Cassell finishing 2nd and #26 of Fletcher Cavander finishing in 3rd place.

The only comment to this reporter about why Rucker Orr did not tear down
was because he was headed to run at Rome Speedway on Sunday and did not want to take his time tearing his car down. Now we have a problem, because West Georgia Speedway rules state if a driver refuses to tear his car down, he loses the race of course but is banned from racing at the speedway for a period of 2 weeks.

Now will the Speedway stick to it's ruling are will Orr be headed back next Saturday night?.

We will all have to watch and see.

So the results of the Sportsman Feature were:

#G1 Glenn McWaters (Since Rucker Orr was DQed)

2nd #13 of Roger Cassell

3rd #26 of Fletcher Cavander

Hope you can be at next Saturday Nights race as it will be the Enduro Championship on the line and who knows what will happen with these men.

Thats a lot of cash and I know in these lean times they all want a peice of this sweet pie.

So be there and bring a friend or two.

Thanks,

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

With a WORLD WIDE BLOG Following!