Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 14G
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, March 28,1899
SPORTS, LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT
iNGQMAfrom 1G
“Economic impact studies have
• Shown that this event has a multi
rmiilion dollar impact on the com
rmunity; businesses will benefit
' tremendously,” says Lee DeFeo, a
J club member who is the director
1 of the Grands. “It’s a pretty neat
5 thing.”
J Indeed. As Mike Dozier, head
'of public relations for the
; NGQMA, adds, “When we write
; this next page in our history, it will
♦ be quite a lot we’ve accomplished
’► in a short period of time.”
- It’s no accident that this young
I association has been awarded one
►of the sport’s two most prestigious
! events (along with the Western
IGrands). When the facility was
; dedicated in 1996, national QMA
quickly became aware
that the facility was one of the
r finest in the country.
s In the two years that ensued,
the NGQMA proved it could pull
off big events, like their springtime
Apple Blossom Classic and their
Cotton Classic in the fall. Then
last summer, it was the Junior
Sprint Cars of America event, the
biggest yet, providing the final
proof.
Later in the year, the bid to
acquire the Grands was successful
and the mission completed.
How did this all happen? A lot
of it comes down to the vision of
Thomas, and others like him who
were able to see the same thing.
DeFeo has been involved in
QMA racing since 1989, starting
with the Marietta club. He said
Thomas came up to that venue that
first year and said, “We ought to
race in Cumming.”
“Some might have thought he
was crazy,” recalls DeFeo. “But he
said, ‘We can do this.’”
Now the Grands are just four
months away and officials of the
still-fairly-small club (about 30
families) are on the move to get
things in place. Much of the cost
of putting on the event will be
.taken care of by registration
income, but the club is still look
ing for sponsors.
“We’re starting to get the infor
mation out and we’re getting some
feedback,” said DeFeo. “And
we’re having registration on our
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Photo/submitted
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M.A., Mike Dozier’s son, accepts an award from Bill Thomas at
January’s banquet.
j Jewelry & Loan
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Ingles Shopping Center
GA 400/Hwy 53 • Dawsonville
, (706) 216-1468
L— 'L.— * i _1
Photo/Dustin Wright
Mike Dozier is one of several parents with more than one child
racing. Here, he helps daughter Havilah at her first race in March.
web site (www.ngqma.com).”
Dozier added that the overall
budget for the event is $50,000
and that the club is also selling ads
for its huge program to raise
funds. “We’re looking for about
250 local businesses to donate a
small amount, so it wouldn’t be
burdensome to anyone ... But we
really need a good title sponsor for
the event.”
With this year’s Apple
Blossom Classic (Apr. 30-May 1,
a regional qualifier), there will be
ample opportunity for the club to
do a “dry run” of sorts and for rac
ers from around the country to get
their first glimpse of the Cumming
Raceway.
“We’re expecting a huge
turnout,” said Dozier. “Folks want
to come out and get some practice
time on the track ... Folks aren’t
going to believe what kind of
facility they’re going to.”
“This place is world class,”
agrees DeFeo.
Actually, families will start
arriving on the 16th and 17th
(Friday-Saturday), with practice
on the oval on the 18th and 19th
(Sunday-Monday). Qualifying will
then be Tuesday the 20th, with the
racing - down to the “A” Main
finals on the final day - going
Wednesday the 21st through
Saturday the 24th.
Extra seating and concessions
will be in abundance. John Baker’s
barbecue and other the food that
has been offered at the Cumming
Raceway over the years has
already been highly praised.
“Someone told me that it was the
only race track he’d drive 400
miles for the food,” laughs DeFeo.
Another treat for everyone will
be the “unofficial” appearances of
some of racing’s biggest profes
sional names - individuals whose
children are in quarter-midget rac
ing. Some possible visitors include
NASCAR driver Mark Martin,
IRL champ Bill Boats and at least
a few World of Outlaw Sprint Car
drivers.
Visitors will also get informa
tion about the city, county and sur
rounding areas, and the attractions
they offer. After all, this will be
the summer vacation for a lot of
families.
“We want to show the city
fathers that the effort we’re all
putting in will not only benefit the
kids, but the larger business com
munity,” says DeFeo. “This is
more than a race, it’s a vacation
destination.”
While the race is the huge
thing going on this year, the regu
lar events and philosophy of the
club are what drives it and keeps
them coming back - that quarter
midget racing is a safe, family
sport; it gives youngsters valuable
experience; it trains some aspiring
racers; and is good, inexpensive
entertainment.
Thomas knows a good thing
when he sees it and gives credit
where credit is due. “We’ve
accomplished a lot in a short time
... and we couldn’t have done it
without the help of the city.”
In 1999, the city will see just
how much it has benefited from
the help it gave.
k —n — F I
1 I • k JldMk. I I’l 1
Photo/Stephen Underwood
Under-6 Rowdies youngsters get in their warmup licks before their turn on the field on a March
Saturday at Sharon Springs. <. •
Lack of space to play really
getting serious for Rowdies
By Stephen Underwood
Sports Editor
If another year has passed, it
must mean another huge increase
in the numbers in the Forsyth
Rowdies soccer program, an orga
nization which continues to strive
to meet the needs of the world’s
most popular sport -a sport
which continues to grow dramati
cally in the county.
The figures are there for anyone
to see: In 1998, there were 888
youth that registered for the
Rowdies’ spring program; several
weeks ago, it was 1,200 that
signed up for the 1999 season.
“It was the smoothest registra
tion we’ve ever had,” said
Rowdies President Bill
Levensalor, whose tenure will end
in June. “And it was the best in
terms of our ability to get coach
es.”
Similarly, the fall program (larg
er, because more older players
that play high school in the spring
sign up) went from 800 in 1997 to
1,200 in 1998. And, as usual) the
refrain is: There isn’t enough
space.
“We’re in desperate neftd of
fields,” said Rowdies registrar
Debbie Parks. “We may have to
limit registration for the first time
this fall.”
The teams play at Sharon
Springs Park and Sawnee
Mountain Park, as well as football
See ROWDIES, Page 18G