Trackside with Rick Minter

 It’s no secret I’m into old things. I spend a lot of my time and money on Inman Farm Heritage Days, the annual celebration at our farm featuring antique equipment and old ways of doing things. We’re heading into our 25 th annual show on Sept. 16-18, so there’s an extra push going on here at the farm this year. (Now that the little plug for the show is out of the way, back to racing.)  Like a lot of racing folks my age (almost 65), I fondly recall watching NASCAR battles between Richard Petty and David Pearson and others of their era.  On the local scene, it was drivers like Roscoe Smith, Leon Archer, Doug Kenimer, Buck Simmons and other legends of the dirt-racing scene that kept me interested. Many of those are gone now, but Roscoe’s still around, and this weekend’s Southern All Stars race at Senoia will be run in his honor.  I’ll be there, and I hope lots of you will too.  While those drivers from decades ago hold a special place in my heart, lately...

 It takes a while to come up with something to write about in this space. I was well on my way to writing about the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame Class of 2022 when I heard about the unexpected passing of long-time Senoia Raceway driver Dow Kirkland.  I wasn’t particularly close to him, but I’ve written his name countless times in racing stories over the decades.  I knew him better through his friends Glenn and Cheryl Morris, who always spoke mighty highly of him.  By all accounts his was a life well lived. And he is gone way to soon, at just 67 years old. Prayers to his family and friends as they deal with his loss.  Back to the Hall of Fame, this year’s list of inductees includes two whose lives were cut short.  My daughter Stephanie and I have been processing nominations and collecting votes for several years. It’s a tedious process, which this year was made easier due to the help we got from Ronnie Sanders and his daughter Pam Fulson.  Over the years...