Crew Chiefs Do they get enough credit, my friend?

CREW CHIEFS: DO THEY GET ENOUGH CREDIT?

Take Glenn McWaters crew chief, "Tim Gahring" he is in charge of making sure Glenn's car makes it to the track ,unloads its, makes sure everything is safe, and makes sure Glenn has the ride he likes best. Tim is also part owner of the famous G1, sportsman ride.

The famous G1 with battle scars, if your car is not scared from rubbing, your not racing!.

Tim has to be one of the classiest people to speak with, always kind and always saying hello, just like his driver Glenn McWaters.

He may be small, but Glenn McWaters above left, can and will out drive almost every driver he faces, he knows the tracks and knows his car, and most important has faith in his Crew Chief, Tim Gahring.

Drivers and Crew Chiefs have to work together and this has to be one of the winningest teams in racing. One thing is for sure when #G1 is in the house every one knows it. Glenn McWaters has become somewhat of a legend, and still one of the best drivers on dirt.

Behind a Winning driver is a top notch crew chief, and Glenn McWaters can prove that. Look at how many wins he has achieved in his racing days that are long from over.
Glenn has the pleasure of arriving in his own vehicle and leaving in it, never having to load the car back up, he drives and wins, and that's what a Champion does best.

THEN YOU HAVE THE WARRIOR, LAMAR HAYGOOD, HIS "EYE'S" TELL THE STORY

Then you have drivers like Lamar Haygood a legend in his own right, he works hard all week, has a growing family and a precious wife, his business is striving, and he still has time to work on his race car at his home.

Here he brings his Late Model, down to the BURG for some testing, and of course his crew chief Tim Turner is with him all the way, as they so gently roll the car to the end of the lift before it's decent down to mother earth.

Haygood is best known for blowing away everyone in those last 5 races in May 2000 before Historic 7 Flags Speedway was closed.

One thing is for sure Lamar is never afraid of getting his hands dirty, as he makes sure tires are inflated and on, and gives his car the once over before hitting the track. Safety is a main issue with Lamar. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

When racing season comes around in March he is headed to a race track for some big cash payouts, but he still loads his car, and with his crew chief "Tim Turner " who has been with Lamar for ages they still combine to get the car to each track and still work together as a team. Maybe you know something I have not figured out but my question is how do these two complete opposites, Lamar being the driver and Tim the crew chief, always make sure the proper air is in the tires and make sure he has enough fuel , maybe because they have been working as a team for so long.

This is a shot of Tim, as he helped Lamar bring a Crate car down to West Georgia Speedway, a place that for some reason Tim hates, maybe because it is not fancy, elegant, and looks like a lifeless BEAST. But that is what West Georgia Speedway is all about, being hard on every driver, this is a NO THRILLS races track, bare bones, and when you race you are in for a hell of a fight. Drivers fall out of races because their cars can't take the pounding, the curves seem to never end, and the rough spots makes drivers bounce around like putty.

That is what "The Burg" is all about, a driver vs a BEAST.

If you can win at the "BURG" you can win on any track.

Haygood listens for every sound, that might not be right, as Tim Turner his crew chief checks the engine and makes sure every thing is correct, before sending his Warrior out onto the track for some test runs.

You may think a crew chief is really no fun, all work and no play, but for some reason Tim can make anyone laugh, he is a family man and a father of "Girls" , GOD bless him!. You know when it is time to get serious, that is when Tim seems to breath FIRE into Lamar and give him that extra jolt of juice that is needed more so when Lamar is seeming not really to be in the game. Of course that is very rare, because Haygood is a Champion and fights and drives like one, 2nd place is not a option, winning is what he does best, and if you were a betting man, lay all your money on #17 when Haygood is racing. One thing for sure Lamar is a game player, rub him once and it's ok, twice and you may be history.

Tim can joke with the best of them, and to be honest he most likely has to with a family full of girls and a pretty wife.

Won't go into all the girls names but one of them could be the next outstanding softball player yet to come up, and I am talking "Fast Pitch".

In this classic photo I shot, I call it "Haygood, Playing in the Dirt", here he gives his car full power coming out of turn 1 and headed into turn 2 at West Georgia Speedway on a cold January 2010 practice.

Meet the next racing Haygood, Kyler, son of
Top Gun and Late Model Champion, Lamar Haygood, who is without a doubt ready for a gun fight at any track, he is a champion.

Who knows when this young man will jump into a race car and try and out run his famous father, won't that be a day to remember!

THEN WE COME TO THE "MAGIC MAN" Jeff Carter!!!!!!

Hobby Car "Giant", Mr.Jeff Carter, who drives the #3 car that is clean and sparkles.

Jeff is one of the cleanest drivers and has had some bad luck, but this season should put him back on top at West Georgia Speedway.

Here his precious daughter Haley Carter helps back his famous #3 Hobby car out of his racing trailer.

Jeff has his own special home grown "Georgia Pit Crew" called Family and Friends.

Everyone pitches in when this car goes racing!.

But the real "Queen Bee", is Momma Carter , Jeff's wife and caretaker for so many years.

She is the real racing queen, and we have a saying down south that goes like this "IF MOMMA'S NOT HAPPY, NOBODY'S HAPPY".

So Jeff makes sure Momma "Lisa 55 Ounce Coke "Carter is always Happy!

So Jeff makes sure Mama Carter is happy as she can be, one thing for sure she is a real die hard race fan, and can yell and scream with the best of the racing fans.

But you know the party really doesn't start, till Jeff Carter's #3 takes the checkered flag at West Georgia Speedway, then let the party begin, as family and friends and neighbors combine to get into the winning picture that will displayed so proudly at the Carter Home!

Jeff is so proud of his son Robbie, Haley, his wife Lisa and best friend "Sunshine" Terry Finnell, one man missing was his crew man, "Spotlight" where was he?.

The moral of this story is that every driver has needs a pit crew, a cheering section, or friends to help, and when you have people like "Tim Gahring" head crew chief and part owner of the famous G1 of Glenn McWaters you have it made.

Same goes for Lamar Haygood, who has one head crew chief, Tim Turner, but without Tim, Lamar would have to do everything himself, he could do it, but I believe a driver needs friends, family to support them.

As for as Jeff Carter, what more does he need, his a proven winning driver, with a home grown Georgia Pit crew, of family and friends, and that's all he needs.

Without a Crew Chief, you may be driving up a dark alley with out your lights on, so have someone there to support you.

OUR CONGRAGULATIONS GO OUT TO Mr.& Mrs. Glenn McWaters and his wife, on the birth of Glenn's new son, another racing McWaters on January 9th, 2010 and his name is "Walter Glenn McWaters"

May GOD Bless the entire McWaters Family!!!!

Thanks To All

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

With a World Wide Racing Blog following!

check out these racing links: http://westgaspeedway.webs.com/

and http://www.littleriverspeedway.com/

or http://www.newsenoiaraceway.com/

NEW FROM SAMMY DUKE FLASH!!!!

FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

SEEMS THERE HAS BEEN SOME MISUNDERSTANDING, I HAD A POLL A LONG TIME AGO THAT WAS ASKING "IF WEST GEORGIA SPEEDWAY WAS TO RUN ON FRIDAY NIGHT WOULD YOU AS A DRIVER OR FAN SUPPORT THE TRACK?"

FORGET IT THE ANSWER IS DIRECT FROM SAMMY DUKE, WEST GEORGIA SPEEDWAY WILL BE RUN ON SATURDAY NIGHTS LIKE ALWAYS.

THERE WILL BE "NO FRIDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY RACES"

SO NOW PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD THE ONLY RACING AT THE TRACK TO HARD TO TAME WILL BE ON SATURDAY NIGHTS!

Again from the mouth of the promoter and owner, NO FRIDAY NIGHT RACES !

SPREAD THE WORD RACING ON SATURDAY AS USUAL AT WEST GEORGIA SPEEDWAY.

SEE YOU SATURDAY MARCH 6, 2010 FOR SOME RACING AT THE BURG!

Many Thanks,

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

With a World wide racing BLOG following!

A Hardworking Family Man

"A PROVEN WINNER, AND CLASS DRIVER"

MEET RICHARD BAGBY

What is Richard Bagby doing Now?

He is doing something to make sure he has another toy he can play in the dirt with.

While working at his shop in Lithia Springs, Richard finds time to mess with building a Super Bomber, or Hobby car that he can run at Dixie, or Senoia, maybe West Georgia Speedway, but there I think he will continue to dominate the Modified Mini features, taking home some easy money.

Richard is known a the "KING" of the modified mini cars and every time he has raced has won, so you know when he does not finish it is not because he is not trying. Bagby is a legend, who has driven every kind of car from Sportsman to Super Late Models, and the one he is best known for these days is his modified mini car, that gets him around the track almost every Saturday night at West Georgia Speedway where he takes home the cash. Not bad for a short Saturday night of racing action, he is a "Warrior", Tall lean and mean, but has a really CLASS heart inside that body.

Most drivers never seem to have that attitude, but maybe they need to take advice and watch Richard when he races.

One thing for sure when Richard had a winning streak going at West Georgia Speedway, he had a rooting section, and every time they were there at the track to watch him, he WON.

He should hire these precious gals who bring him all that luck.

Not only is Richard a hard worker owning his own business, called Neighborhood Auto Center located in down town Lithia Springs, Ga., he is a devoted family man and has a wife that loves him and has stood by him all the years he has been racing, her name is Tiffani Bagby.

Behind those sunglasses is a heart of gold, she has seen Richard win, and lose, but one thing for sure she has stood behind her man in everything he has tried to do.

Richard and Tiffani, also are bringing up the next generation of "Bagby drivers" and that would be his 13 year old driver Landon Bagby, a driver with a bright future, Landon can handle a modified mini car like the best, the trouble is he can not race yet, when he is 16 he will be blazing the trails and he will be the next young superstar.

So you see Richard has a lot going for him, a family, a good business, a racing career, and a good home.

One thing else he has going for him, he has good friends, and that means a lot in this world we live in now. He helps those that need help, and he is not one to be afraid and share what he does know regarding racing.

Again I say it and I always will, Richard Bagby is one CLASS Superstar!

This was just a short peice I wanted to write about a driver that has helped me in my career of filming and just plain giving me some great facts.

Thanks to everyone, and enjoy, maybe the next driver will be all about your favorite driver.

Thank You,

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

With a world wide racing BLOG Following!

If you want your favorite driver mentioned , please leave me a message and I will try and work on it for you, remember we will be back to racing in MARCH, with Practices in FEB.

WALDO, WHO?

"JUST A SHORT TRACK WIN AWAY"

WHO SAY’S HIS NAME IS “WALDO”?


Racing can get interesting, but when you have pure mini drivers you never know what will happen.

Take a friend of mine, a racing friend, his name is MIKE SPENCER, but it seems a long time ago he and his car ran into the wall at West Georgia Speedway, so pure mini drivers decided to call him “WALDO”.

Now all is fair in racing, and “Waldo” just does not fit Mike as a name, sure he may not be the best of drivers but half the pure mini class drivers are not the best.

There are some wannabe racers, who try and be superstars on the old 3/8th mile track in Whitesburg, Ga. Known as “The Burg”.

West Georgia Speedway has been a car killer in the past, and is not a track that is easy to be tamed.

Check the small damage on Joe Spencers J17 car, I mean he has one of the cleanest cars and yet he gets upset if it gets rubbed, well rubbing is racing, so I hope he can do better this year.

Drivers come from all over to try and win at the “Burg” but half of them go home with a broken down car, and their feelings hurt.

Then you have drivers like Mike Spencer, who’s brother is Joe Spencer, who runs in the pure mini class when he races at West Georgia Speedway, in his famous J17.

Joe and Mike are racers and as a matter of fact, Mike is moving up the ladder into the Modified Mini class, and will be racing at times against, Richard Bagby, maybe Frank Long, and who knows who else.

His car will have the #7 on the side, and it will be a Ford, no Chevrolet.

When drivers come to West Georgia Speedway to race they come to win, and I know from filming some of the most exciting races that there is always action in every feature.

Sammy Duke, has changed the program around so you never know what will happen, but we do know in February 2010 he will begin holding practices for drivers to get their cars in shape for the season which will start in March 2010.

No matter what kind of these giants of racing get into they will put on a heck of a racing show.
s
Joe, and Mike Spencer, but who is WALDO?

NO it is not this little man, he just wants to race like his father, Mike . He is really Mikes #1 racing fan. Really that is Mike Spencers son, and pure out buddy.

I hope to watch Mike and Joe again race but who knows what will happen, maybe they will return to West Georgia Speedway then again from all I have heard they are headed to Senoia to race and maybe Little River Speedway, since Wren Goodman is putting on a big weekend show for his fans and drivers.

More on that later, need to take off my jet is double parked and I need to move it before I get another ticket.

Thanks to everyone,

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

With a world wide racing BLOG Following!

CLASS DRIVERS COME OUT IN THE COLD WEATHER

THESE ARE VETERANS OF DIRT TRACK "WARS"

Richard Bagby known as "KING" at Whitesburg, talks with veteran driver in Pure Pony, Rocky Johnson, who has been faithful to West Georgia Speedway.

Then the youngest and newest Modified Mini Driver, with a Legend for a Father, Landon Bagby

Lamar Haygood slips into his racing shoes to be ready for practice with his super fast late model that he will be running at "The Bama Bash", or better "The Ice Bowl".

Richard in this photo, you can tell shows all the Love and Pride for his young racing son. Landon Bagby who is only 13 but drives like a veteran and when you have a famous father that maybe that all it takes..

His Eyes, tell the whole story, meet Late Model driver, Lamar Haygood, who has one thing on his mind when he charges onto a racetrack and that is "Winning", His Eyes tell you the story of a real warrior.

Lamar, "Playing in the DIRT", his famous #17 slides around the "Burg", and he seems to have no trouble at all.

Mashing the gas, Haygood fires down the backstrech of West Georgia Speedway, a man on a mission.

Signs of WARS are on the sides of Haygoods car, and it proves he has been dancing with the big guys, damages like this shows he is not afraid of a war in a race, shove him he will shove back.


Every great driver needs a crew, and here TIM, stands beside Lamars cars and makes sure they are on the right page as for as the car setup, faithful old TIM is someone that has been with Lamar for years.

FLAT OUT, GETTING IT, CHECK OUT THE DUST FLYING BEHIND, LAMAR'S CAR AS HE COMES OUT OF 4 AND HEADS TO THE CHECKED FLAG. To bad this was only Practice, but someone will be beat by Haygood in this upcomming season of 2010.

Now here is a SHOT of a lifetime, Richard has just climbed out Lamars late Model and put on a show in front of his young Son, Landon Bagby.

Filled with Joy and amazement, Richard climbs out in excitement and his son Landon, strolls by him sucking on a sucker, almost saying "Not bad for a Old man"

Richard, was filled with POWER after taking that spin around the old Burg, rememeber Richard has been and always will be a CLASS Driver and a Proven Winner, in every type of car.

He put on many super shows in the sportsman feature between Shane Clanton at the late great 7 Flags Speedway.

Some I still have on Vidoe, because I was filming these Wars!

Racing belongs to CLASS drivers like Richard Bagby and Lamar Haygood, veterans of the wars on DIRT.

To see the best drivers you have to know the best drivers, and Bagby and Hayood are at the top of the pole in racing.

Many Thanks,

Tino Patti

A Freelance Photographer/Video Journalist

With a World Wide Blog following!