Filling Those Shoes

 I’ve always thought there’s a country song that fits nearly every situation. The late Loretta Lynn became world famous by boldly writing and singing about issues she and others, particularly women, faced.

 As I pondered what to write leading into the Hence and Reba Pollard Memorial race at Senoia Raceway this weekend, the tune that comes to mind is: “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes."

 It was written by Troy Seals and Max Barnes and made famous by George Jones. The song features Jones, one legendary giant of the industry, singing about his peers and those who came before them and wondering who, if anyone, would step up and carry country music forward when the current stars are all gone.

 I remember thinking similar thoughts when we lost Hence and then Reba Pollard. It was the same when the star drivers of my youth got older and no longer chased checkered flags.

 Closer to home, I also wonder who will step up to fill the shoes of the aging antique iron collectors who have been the backbone of Inman Farm Heritage Days for the past 25 years.

 But just like in country music, newcomers step in and carry things forward.

 Hence and Reba Pollard’s offspring now run Senoia Raceway. Hence and Reba’s son Sonny and his wife Vickie, along with their children Bubba and Andrea are leading the way as the track continues to move forward.

 At our shows, and at the track, it’s often the girls that fill the shoes of an earlier generation. My daughter Stephanie has taken over much of the operations of our shows. Shannon Mikulskis and her family help operate the sawmill that her late grandfather Zane Bristol once ran. Richard Maxwell’s daughter Debbie and her brother Doug lead a huge family effort, including the girls, in running Mr. Maxwell’s old machine shop and planing mill.

 Allison Maloney works side-by-side with our long-time syrup cooker Ben Merchant. There are others too.

 At the race track, Andrea Pollard plays a big role in promoting and hosting the events, and several female drivers are carrying on their family legacies.

 Olivia Gentry is following in the tire tracks of her father Oliver Gentry, while her sister Jenna sells racing apparel at Senoia and other tracks.

 Tina Cooper Johnson is continuing the family driving tradition started by her father Sammy Cooper.

 Brandy Brewer married into the racing Brewer family that includes drivers Daniel and Alan. She has taken over the driving duties from her husband Michael, writing another chapter in that family’s racing history.

 The boys are doing their part as well, with a number of second-generation drivers and some third, like Bailey Williams, who has followed both his father Richie and grandfather Ricky Williams.

 There are countless others. Glenn Morris, himself the son of a Senoia pioneer (Bob Morris), sent me a list of second-and third-generation racers. Among those on his list are Lee McElwaney, Landon Bagby, Kyler Haygood, Jake Herrell, Scott Howard, Dalton Poston, Rucker Orr, Shane Fulcher, Marty Lunsford, Michael Page, Peyton Stevenson, Robert Caldwell and Clint Thompson.

 It’s been more than 50 years since the first race at Senoia, and sport and the race track remain in good hands.

 I know Hence and Reba Pollard would be mighty proud.  




  

  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Proud Daddy

Image
  In several conversations with Sonny Pollard since he and his family repurchased Senoia Raceway and began transforming it into one of dirt racing’s better facilities, he’s asked me: “Do you think my daddy would be proud?”  And my answer is always: “Yes.”  Hence Pollard died young and has been gone for years, but his influence on Georgia auto racing remains strong, and that’s a big reason he was recently elected as a member of the Class of 2023 of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. He joins long-time Atlanta Motor Speedway president Ed Clark, Hall of Fame founder Gordon Pirkle and short-track asphalt racers Bob Leach and Sandy Goss.  On a personal note, it was Hence who helped start my career as a motorsports journalist by giving me a season pass when I was just a teenager. I tried to repay him by sending in results from the track to the old Atlanta radio stations WBIE and WPLO and to the Atlanta newspapers, and that eventually led to a career as a full-time writer.  I still have
Read more

“Old Guys Drule”

Image
  Some years back, when NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte was in the last years of his driving career, running part-time for upstart teams, he had lots more time to chat than when he was a full-time driver.  One weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he was driving a car near the bottom of the points standings, which meant his crew had to work outside the garage under a tent. With few sponsors to represent, Terry wore a plain black firesuit.  But he seemed be happy with his situation.  He joked about his experiences on Sundays away from the track after decades of racing nearly every weekend. He even floated the idea of an “All Star” team of semi-retired drivers. He proposed that each of the participating drivers would run at their best tracks. As for the Talladega crashfests, which most veterans privately – and sometimes publicly - despise, he suggested picking at random an inebriated fan and putting them behind the wheel.  Interestingly, the SRX Series that debuted this year has many of
Read more

Things That Make You Say "Wow"

Image
 As I sit here on a rainy night in Georgia, I’m thinking about some things I’ve seen lately that have me saying “Wow!” to myself.  On a personal note, I recently received my red, white and blue Medicare card in the mail. Since I lost my health insurance along with my job at the big newspaper we’ve paid some really hefty premiums for some not-so-great coverage.  We even had some agents look at our medical history and tell us our best hope is to hurry up and turn 65.  I’m here now, and it feels pretty darn good.  On the racing front, I, like a million or more others, am still marveling at the way Ross Chastain rode the wall on the last lap at Martinsville Speedway to pass five drivers for position and claim a playoff berth.  I’ve had several drivers, good ones, tell me they’ve often wondered if that would work. Of course none of them ever tried it, which makes what Ross did even more impressive.  Just today, I saw something else on the racing front that I thought I’d never se
Read more