Plusphotography: October 3, 2009 results and action

“Racing West Georgia Style, no rules, run what you want”

If you wa

nted to see some hot racing on a cold night in October of 2009, then West Georgia Speedway was the place to be.

Drivers from the Modified Mini class to the pure mini drivers put on a show, but the show that really happened was in the hobby car race.

The Hobby car feature would feature #3 of Jeff Carter and his rival, #69 of Roscoe Collins. Who on this night, brought his car too the track and was running it “Topless”. That is something that is rare, but there were other cars in different classes that ran a “topless car”.

The Modified Mini race would feature outstanding driver, Frank Long in his #07 car that has won so many races, not racing were great drivers like #06 Richard Bagby, who stayed at home.
Also missing from the racing action was #16 Huie Stewart from Oxford, Ga. But there were enough drivers to make up a great field of modified mini cars and everyone of them had a chance to win, except they had to chase Frank Long down, and that is hard to do. The only other drivers to pressure “Long” were, Bagby and Stewart. So you can say that Frank Long can and will win at the Burg anytime he is there.

After Frank went on to win the Modified Mini race, he slowly came around turn 4 to take the checkered flag and win another race at “The Burg” , he was saying more or less, “I am the Champion” can you beat me?.

Later the Enduro race feature came and again we were having a battle royal. Long time driver who we had not seen in a long time “Sunshine” Terry Finnel was driving his #32 YELLOW Camero, but he was having a bad night, and maybe that was because he was rusty. He had missed a season, and not driving was showing signs

He had a car that was looking like it was unbeatable, but later everything would fall apart for him. In hot laps I was watching Terry and his #32 rounded turn 1 and went into turn 2 he was spinning and sliding up against the outside wall. His damage was minor in hot laps but he would spin again during the Enduro feature but this time he would have worst luck. Terry was trying and that’s really all that counted, remember he had been without his car for most of the 2009 season. I am sure he will be back and have that bright Yellow #32 ready to rock and roll in the 2010 season.

Winning the Enduro feature was car #20 whose name I have yet to get, but I do know who came in 2nd place and that was the old crafty winning driver, Winford Minnix in his #M4 car, when Winford is racing he is going all out. He never looks back. He is a forward thinking driver and one that has a real sense of humor something you do not find in most dirt track drivers.

Then it was time for the Hobby car feature and this was the race I had been waiting on. There were some top name drivers in this feature, some like Rusty Johnson in his famous #29 who is known for his pure out racing style and giving it everything he can, he is a driver supreme.

We also had special drivers like long time famous #69 of Roscoe Collins, and then also was the #3 of Jeff Carter, both drivers known for their hard racing style.
Collins, had been a long time winner at West Georgia Speedway, but prior to racing at the “Burg”, he won races at 7 Flags Speedway where he won some heated races. His famous yellow and green and that number 69 was always a car you would see one time and remember, there was know way to forget it.
As for as Jeff Carter goes his famous number #3 has been seen racing all over the place, but his home track is West Georgia Speedway. He has the car that it takes to win, and has won some races at the Burg, but remember he has a new body on his car and sometimes it takes time to break it in good. Once Carter has his car in a groove there is no one that can catch “The Magic Man” as I named him years ago.

One car missing was that of Blant Duke, and some one has said he has retired from racing for the 2009 season at West Georgia Speedway, I wonder how true this is for this young gun?

Well the Hobby feature was all that it was billed for and more, there was just one problem, Roscoe Collins, and Jeff Carter had two fast cars, and neither driver was giving an inch of clay. It was a do are die race, as the race began and the green flag waved it was Carter that had the lead, but wait, he had jumped the start so they had to come around again and this time try again. Then both drivers went back into formation and came around to take the green flag again, only this time Collins tried to hold a line and Carter refused to give up his line, and from my angle and view in the camera, I could see Collins cut down into Jeff Carters car, which sent Collins car spinning wildly on the front straightaway and landed hard against the fence of the wall in front of the flag stand. The race went to a full RED FLAG as medics, raced to check out Roscoe and make sure he was alright, he was driving a topless race car, and too me that itself makes it more dangerous, but these are some really tough and daring drivers. Fear it not something they dwell on, winning is.

Racing across the pit area came Roscoe’s son, who wanted to make sure his father was ok, Collins gave him the thumbs up, then he turned around and here came Collins wife Susan, making sure her husband was alright, once she knew he was fine, she carried the hood of his car back to his pit area and then Sammy hooked him up to his old faithful Ford 150 and pulled him into his pit area.

Sammy has always been a historic figure, and everyone likes him one thing for sure Sammy can be a real nice man and he can also be funny when you get to know him.

But when it comes time to races and people Sammy likes them all, he also has too put up drivers grumbles.

When the hobby race restarted, Carter had to go to go to the back of the pack and that gave racing room for #29 Rusty Johnson to make his move and prove he was still as good a driver as he was when he won the hobby championship beating out Blant Duke.

Some how Roscoe was able to tear parts off his car and return to the race, he was racing to catch Johnson but was having no luck. Still in the race but had fallen behind was Jeff Carter, who’s engine would later go on to overheat and put him out of the race.

The race was won by non other than #29 of Rusty Johnson and coming in 4th place was Roscoe Collins in his beat up #69.

I know one thing tempers flared after the race, between families as well as drivers. To be honest I believe the family members were hotter than both drivers. That is racing, and racing can get you hot, good thing it was a cool night.

Will these drivers return to the Burg Saturday night for what should be the last race of the season, because the weather is cooling down and really even though the drivers like the weather cooler, some of the fans may not. Then again you always have those die hard fans, which come out to support the track in rain and shine and cold temps.

West Georgia Speedway has a challenge facing the track this next year, and it is all do to a new mayor being elected. Rumors have it that if a certain Mayor is elected he will try and close the track, do to fights and drinking, and what ever else he can find, I hope he is not elected.

The Crate feature was run with maybe 5 cars, and winning like he always does when he drives was Michael Keener in car #90 that he was driving. It really seems that any car Michael drives he can win in. So if you are looking for a winning driver, add Michael Keener to your wish list.

In the Sportsman race, it was a all out battle with no rules and no protest and anything went.
So I had thought that Anthony Hill in car #10 would be the young man to run down, then again there was #73 Jason Williams who always runs well at the Burg, but don’t leave out #13 of Roger Cassell, who proves he can win those big time races. As Cassell prepared for the race he was taking off weights and making his car lighter and I guess what ever he did proved that is what he

needed because he was the man everyone was chasing. Also in the chase was #8 of “High Flying” Michael Mills who had some trouble in the hot laps and later spun in the feature. One thing I have to say about Mills is that he hangs in there at all times even when he is chasing down some cars that seem to have better engines. Soon Mills will win and when he does he will remain the champion driver and great person that I have found Michael to be.

Also Scott Duffey was racing and trying his best to get up to the lead, but Duffey a veteran at the Burg was having his share of problems but one thing is for sure Scott never backs down, as a matter of fact while I was filming, I was watching the battle between Mills and Duffey, and it was interesting.

The driver who I really thought would bring his best to the track was Anthony Hill, who is the Father of young gun Ben Hill who comes from a huge dirt track racing family. I mean the rules were simple, bring to the race track what ever you had, so if Anthony brought his late model engine, guess what all was fair, but for some odd reason Hill was unable to catch either Williams or the leader Cassell. Something was off in his car, then again he was driving car #10 and not his usual #1 car, and did this make the difference? So needless to say it was not Ben Hill driving car #10 it was his Father and Late Model Star, Anthony Hill. Next week Ben Hill will return for the last race of the season and who knows what kind of engine he will bring. I do know one thing Anthony Hill finished in 3rd place, and if Ben is there next Saturday night, we should see some outstanding racing, because Ben knows the track and I don’t believe Anthony knows the track as well.

Also next Saturday night maybe Glenn McWaters in his famous #G1 will return, also #99 Rucker Orr will come back to the Burg if he has his engine back together after blowing it at East Alabama Speedway.

Can you imagine, seeing Orr, McWaters, Hill both Anthony and Ben , plus Jason Williams and of course Roger Cassell?
There will be some outstanding feature racing, and I know it will be tough, because every driver wants to win the last race of the season. So I advise if you plan on coming to West Georgia Speedway brings some blankets, hot coffee, hot coco, and get ready to see some all out racing wars.

The Last race of the season is like seeing the first race of the season, the driver that wins will go away happy and know that all they have to do is wait till next March to go racing again.

So come on out and support your favorite driver and also West Georgia Speedway.

Remember Sammy is always subject to changing the dates to closing, but for now Next Saturday Night will be the season ending race, so be there and also remember you can cheat all you want, so bring the biggest engine you can find.

See you at the track,

Thank You,

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

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