Trackside with Rick Minter

   By any measure, last weekend’s Roscoe Smith Classic at Senoia Raceway was a rousing success.  Fans turned out in droves, with vehicles parked all the way to the entrance to the track. The grandstands were jammed, and hundreds more stood two or three deep behind the trackside fence. If it wasn’t the biggest crowd ever at the track it was close.  The racing was good in all divisions, and the Southern All Stars feature was a highly competitive race.  Michael Page, Austin Horton and Ashton Winger led the field of 27 to the green flag and dominated at the front for the remainder of the 44-lap race. Winger made a bold move to the front at first, but fell back. Page appeared to be in command as the laps wound down, but he spun in Turn One in traffic, handing the lead to Winger, who sped away to victory.  Winger has a strong racing pedigree. His dad, Gary Winger, is a nationally known racing shock guru. And Winger’s late grandfather on his mother’s side,...

 One of the things I miss about traveling to NASCAR races is an occasional visit with Kyle Petty. There are some folks out there who don’t care for Kyle, which is hard to figure if you really get to know him.  He understands racing and racers as good as anyone I’ve ever met. And he was a pretty good racer in his day.  A few years ago, we were talking about drivers we admire. Of course his dad and David Pearson came up, as did other famous names.  I offered that I always looked up to some of the drivers from home. I mentioned Roscoe Smith. Foolishly, and as it turned out, I thought Kyle might not know of him.  He quickly responded: “Black-and-white car with a checkerboard top. Number 44.”  It turned out Kyle was well versed in the reputation and accomplishments of Roscoe Smith.  Another time I was talking with NASCAR’s vice-chairman Mike Helton about his days attending races at Senoia and even driving in a few races there back when he was president of A...

  With the Pollard family’s return to ownership and management of Senoia Raceway and the accompanying emphasis on the track’s history and heritage, my mind wanders back to some of what I consider the greatest moments of my time at the track.  The summer of 1979 stands out. The Late Model class offered up spirited battles between drivers like Leon Archer, Roscoe Smith, Doug Kenimer, Dennis Vernon, Leon Sells, Billy Clanton, Mike Head, Russell Nelson and Charlie Mincey. All of those except Vernon, who hasn’t been nominated, are now in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.   The Limited Sportsman division also was packed with talent.  Drivers like Gar Dickson, Buddy Dingler, Len Harper, Horace Fowler, Gilbert Jenkins, Mike Bagwell, Larry Raines, Gary Gourley, Phillip Goss, Sammy Cooper, Jerry Couch and Tommy Cumbie were regular threats to win, but Ricky Williams seemed to wind up on top more often than the rest.  Williams hit a particularly hot streak in la...

    Anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m old-school about most everything. My friend Steve McCrary says I’m stuck in the 1980s when it comes to what prices should be.  My tastes in vehicles goes from the 1980s back to about 1915. My favorite TV shows and movies are all black and white, most from the 1940s and 50s.  I’m especially old-school about racing. Lots of the modern changes don’t sit well with me, before and after the checkered flag.  In my early days of writing about NASCAR races, the winning driver and crew chief or car owner would make their way to the press box overlooking the track for their post-race interviews. There was something magical about the winners sitting there, overlooking the track they’d just conquered, talking about the battle just won.  The answers to our questions were far more reflective than the modern-day pre-COVID format.  In recent years, reporters, even those at the track, mostly watch the race on ...

   Like a lot of folks, I was glad to see Joey Logano emerge unhurt from his car after a nasty tumble down the straightaway at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. You never want to see anybody get hurt, whether the driver involved is one you like or one you hate.   While he has his detractors, there’s lots to like a bout Logano. For one thing, he likes Model T Fords, and has one he drives fairly regularly.   Then there’s his connection to Senoia Raceway.  A good argument can be made that he’s the most famous driver ever to race at Senoia. Back in the track’s asphalt days, he spent a most memorable 13 th  birthday at Senoia Raceway.   That night, May 24, 2003, h e hit the wall in his Late Model, and broke his arm.  Like a lot of other young drivers then and now, Logano showed great promise in his appearances at Senoia.  He’s gone on to win a Cup championship and 27 Cup races, including his latest which came on the dirt at Bristol Motor Spe...