Sunday afternoon racing at West Georgia Speedway became a real challenge for all the many drivers that came to the historic new race track which is under new management of Jack Mills.
The races at West Georgia Speedway or held every Friday night, but since the holiday was at hand they went to a Sunday race, and the heat in Georgia was incredible, making it impossible to keep the track watered and not dry, as a bone.
But just like everything, the heat was beating down so fast that the track was not able to hold water. Which was a shame because it almost cost #73 Jason Williams a car, as he barreled into turn 3 and was coming out during his qualifying run, he almost lost his ride in the wall at West Georgia Speedway due to the dust.
There were several late model drivers that were on hand to race at West Georgia Speedway before heading to Rome Speedway to race that same night. So damaging a car was not what any of the drivers needed are wanted. Drivers like #11 Lavon Sparks known as the “Phenix City Predator” and he is moving up the point’s leader board at New Senoia Raceway in Senoia Georgia. Then there was #25 Scott Duffy, always a class act race car driver. Duffy, who has had so many wins at West Georgia Speedway plus wins at other tracks, it is impossible to keep track of all of them, amazing.
#73X Richard Davis was also there driving a car that looks almost identical to Jason Williams car, only the number is different.
Stevens also is a winner and won the crate race at Senoia Raceway, this past weekend.
Also racing at West Georgia Speedway was #54 Mike Head who was not driving his car but a friend’s car, trying to get the bugs worked out of it.
But the day belonged to Lavon Sparks who came up from Alabama to race at West Georgia Speedway, and then he would be off to Rome just like Williams, Duffy and other late model drivers.
The Speedway was also packed with hobby cars, and pure mini cars plus what can you say B-Cadet cars.
The B-Cadet race was hot, in more ways than one, put it this way during Hot laps, Billy Bright Sr. and his Son Billy Bright Jr took the track with #3 Jeff Carter, nothing new just hot laps right?
Wrong, I had not started filming when I noticed Billy Bright Sr. gained speed and passed his son’s car and that is when it happened he ran right into Jeff Carter, whose car spun, and out of the car came a heated Carter and the battle was one. Jeff would pull his car into the infield pit area, where some sheet metal work just had to be done, while Billy Bright Sr. had to load his car on his trailer and get it ready to head back home and work on the entire front of his car. Why did this all happen, well it started at New Senoia Raceway last weekend when Jeff Carter got into the back of Billy Bright Sr. who thought Carter did it on purpose, but if it was done on purpose I am sure Chad Harrington the main flagman who was in the tower talking over the race receiver’s would have informed Jeff to go to the back of the field but that did not happen. The video I shot shows the entire racing accident including, the end of the 20 lap feature where Billy Bright Jr spun and was hit directly near the driver’s door by Blake Griffin who had nowhere to go, but into Billy Jr. At that point in the video I had closed the camera into a close up shot of Billy Bright Jr, whose head was laying sideways in the car that was when I became very worried about the driver. He is young and a warrior, but licks that that can take a toll on the human body.
I had not even realized that that was the end of the race, until I looked down and seen Billy Bright Sr. in front of the grandstands, and the Announcer letting Billy have his say. It was then and only then did I know that the battle between Jeff Carter and Billy Bright Sr had reached a new level of impact.
Like I said, racing is racing, but when a driver gets hurt that is not a sport anymore it becomes dangerous. Will this battle rage on, all I know is I hate to see what happens at Senoia this weekend.
One person that was not happy with the whole event was Jack Mills, who gave both drivers a piece of his mind and even during the B-Cadet race at West Georgia Speedway he informed both Billy Bright Jr and Jeff Carter that if anything happened during their race they would be escorted by the County to the local jail and that would be the end of that. As Jack said if you want to wreck each other take it back to New Senoia Raceway. One thing for sure Jack Mills will not tolerate this nonsense at his track.
Needless to say, Billy Jr started the race in his #B7jr car, and took the lead, and was being chased by Jeff Carter, but the laps would run down and Billy Bright Jr would take his 1st win of the 2011 racing season on a Sunday afternoon at Hot West Georgia Speedway.
Jeff Carter would finish 2nd and sitting in the grandstands was Billy Bright Sr. what a race.
Jack Mills has been bringing some great racing action to the Historic race track and giving it more life, the infield is in bad shape, but before long Jack will have that worked out, to where cars can again fill the infield pit area. One thing for sure Jack Mills knows how to run a track, and you listen or you can find the highway home.
One thing for sure this weekend will be something else. Also I was informed by a driver, that really if you look at it all in all, it was a BRIGHT WEEKEND, what that means is simple, Billy Bright Sr. won on Saturday Night at Senoia Raceway and Billy Bright Jr won at West Georgia Speedway on Sunday afternoon. So it may have been HOT but the Bright’s were in full charge, and could this be the start of the winning streak for the Bright’s.
The drama between the Carters and Bright’s has just exploded and who knows when it will end. Drivers are strange, some can be the best that you can meet then at times they turn in to wolves, and you never know what can happen.
As for as West Georgia Speedway’s food, HAND’s DOWN THE BEST IN THE SOUTH, Jack and Mark have been working at making the food tastes like real food and not racetrack junk. So when at “The Burg” or West Georgia Speedway, cruise on into the concession stand for some great Hamburgers, Cheeseburger, Chicken Sandwiches, Fries and Nachos and Cheese, Corn Dogs, and Hot dogs and of course cold drinks of your choice.
All this food served with a smile, something that the concession stand at Senoia Raceway was known for, plus the food is delivered into your hands by people that care.
Jack Mills, “BIG JACK” is back and West Georgia Speedway will be racing every Friday night, hopefully the races will be over before midnight, so people have time to get home and get some rest for Saturday.
Thanks to every driver that came out to West Georgia Speedway on Sunday April 29, 2011 in the HEAT to watch some exciting racing. All we know is West Georgia Speedway is BACK!
I would like to pass along an apology from promoter Jack Mills. Jack acknowledges that there was inadequate preparation and watering done to the track surface prior to Sunday's race. He takes full responsibility for the resultant dust. Further, he assures me, and asks me to pass along a promise to fans and racers that it will never happen again. Jack Mills has been around race tracks for 30 years and has been a driver and knows what needs to be done to upgrade the track to where it is the finest in the South.
Many Thanks to all my readers,
Tino Patti
A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist
With a World Wide racing BLOG following!
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