What is happening to WEST GEORGIA SPEEDWAY?

A Track that was too hard to tame, "may become a track to hard to lease, and run right".


Sammy Duke, is looking for some one to run West Georgia Speedway again, after Philip Stafford gave it a try and seemed not to be making any money at it.

Running a race track in these times are not fun at all because you always have drivers that complain and belly ache about something. '

Then are the rules enforced, are maybe some drivers just get by because of their name.


Racing at New Senoia Raceway takes on a whole different meaning sure it does not have the history of wild nights like West Georgia Speedway but then again drivers go by rules at Senoia and they are enforced and nothing will be tolerated.

When 7 Flags Speedway in Douglasville closed down, and there were just two tracks to run, one being Dixie Speedway and the next West Georgia Speedway, well that gave all the drivers a place to come that was closer. West Georgia Speedway is located in Whitesburg, Georgia.


One thing against West Georgia Speedway was the aggressive drivers and bad tack ticks and the fight or two.

Most drivers who come and race at WGS hoping not to have to haul their cars back on a roll back. Most nights racing went smooth but that was far between. Most real racing nights you never know who's car was going to end up in a wall by a mad driver.


So the track started to gain a bad reputation. and when that happens things start to slide down hill.

NOT PAYING THE DRIVERS WHAT YOU SAY MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

Cutting races short does not help, and having expensive food is something NO Fan wants to put up with.

Rules are set and everyone needs to be expected to go by the rules and no one gets a deal, because of his name or what family he belongs to.

When the rumors of Senoia Raceway started to surface all we could say was they were rumors and everyone just laughed them off. Thinking their was no way that Senoia would return to Dirt and race again on the clay.

But then it happened New Senoia Raceway opened in 2010 to a opening night crowd of 4000 people, that's right 4 thousand die hard race fans and the dirt track drivers showed up in droves and everyone was happy.

The only ones that were not happy were the Dukes and everyone that worked at West Georgia Speedway. Cars started to bale out, and take the trip to Senoia Raceway.


Then it became apparent that the track needed someone new fresh blood, someone that cared about the track, and that is where Phillip Swafford and his wife came in and tried to rescue the track and breath life back into "The Burg".

Phillip came in guns a blazing, with new paint jobs, walls and building even creating the restrooms a place you were not afraid of entering. He came in with new rules, and a pay off that matched New Senoia Raceway, but to be honest the damage had been done and even with a half of a season under his belt he was still seeing no signs of making money. More so he was losing money in a money pit.


Now the track that has shown so much history of racing careers may be on the death bed, unless Sammy can get some one to release the track and let Saturday night racing start again, then again who ever takes over will be competing with New Senoia Raceway and some of the best drivers in the South.


Whatever happens West Georgia Speedway will go down in HISTORY as a track that was to hard to tame, but if you won their you could win any where at any track.


GOOD LUCK to who ever leases West Georgia Speedway.


Maybe they will go racing again some year in the future, then again maybe it will grow up in vines and Sammy Duke may plant a garden in the middle of the track.



Whatever happens Sammy Duke was one of a kind, and is a legend in his own mind, we still love him though.



Many Thanks



Tino Patti



A Freelance Photographer/ Video Journalist



With a World WIDE RACING BLOG Following!