Trackside with Rick Minter

 Like a lot of people my age, I tend to tell the same stories over and over. I do try harder as time goes by to be consistent with those stories and not get the facts confused.  Some of what you’ll read here, assuming you’re still with me, has appeared before on blogs and other places I write.  This Saturday night marks the Hence and Reba Pollard Memorial at Senoia Raceway, a major race program topped by a $10,000 to win Late Model feature.  Some folks might not be big fans of memorial races. I’m all for them, especially when it comes to Hence and Reba Pollard.  As I’ve often said, Hence had a hand in getting me started as a racing reporter. (My dad obviously had a big role in that as well, but that’s a story for another day.)  Back in the early 1970s, I loved to hang out at Paul Lamb’s Grocery in my hometown of Inman. Hence Pollard was often in the area cutting timber and would stop in at the store. Like his son, current track owner Sonny Pollard...

  The ongoing spat between Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick has given NASCAR fans something spicy to talk about as the racing season winds down.  Like most “feuds” at the Cup Series level, the latest one likely won’t last long, mostly due to concerns over how the drivers’ sponsors and sanctioning body officials will react. The AP is reporting that NASCAR officials already have laid down the law to the parties involved.  It's ironic that Rick Hendrick is involved again. Years ago, NASCAR officials intervened in a similar situation when one of Hendrick's drivers, Geoff Bodine, and Dale Earnhardt were going at it on a weekly basis. (That’s the incident portrayed in the movie “Days of Thunder.”)  Rivalries, even friendly ones, are fun to follow. Back in the day, NASCAR fans watched David Pearson and Richard Petty battle for wins on a weekly basis. Their most interesting encounter occurred in the 1976 Daytona 500, where they wrecked racing for the lead on the final lap...