Newspaper Page Text
Inside: Sports camps set for June — page 2B
MAY 27,
2009
Phone: (706) 367-5233
Fax: (706) 387-5409
sports@mainstreetnews. com
Section B
AUTO RACING
OPINION
Gresham Motorsports Park repaving hits the ground
ONE OF the most criti
cal phases of the Gresham
Motorsports Park renovation
got underway last week with
the removal of the track's
old half-mile racing surface.
“You can’t believe how
happy I am to have this part
of the project underway,”
said track general manager
Dan Elliott. “It's very hard
to find the right people to do
the job. With the banking in
the turns a full 14 degrees,
not just any company could
do this. Sunbelt Asphalt is
that kind of company and are
just as interested in what the
surface is going to look like,
how it’s going to race, and
how it’s going to stand up to
racing as we are. Honestly, I
think they are more enthusi
astic about getting started on
it than I am.”
According to Elliott,
the paving process started
with Simpson Trucking
and Grading, Inc. taking
up the old layer of asphalt
that graced the former
Peach State Speedway rac
ing surface. When Simpson
has the surface preparation
complete, Sunbelt Asphalt
Services, Inc., an Auburn,
Ga. company, will begin the
repaving process.
“In the first bids we did for
Gresham Motorsports Park,
we weren’t going to take off
the old surface, we were just
going to cover it with new
asphalt,” said Elliott. “I’m so
pleased that Simpson Truck
and Grading is going to take
the old surface off. I was very
concerned that over time, the
repairs to the old asphalt
were going to come up after
a couple of years. No matter
how good we covered it up,
I don’t believe there was any
way to negate the imperfec
tions coming back over time.
To be able to stabilize the
surface under the new track
and cover it with new asphalt
is going to allow Sunbelt to
laser the surface and make
it as smooth as possible. It’s
going to make the final rac
ing surface we have here at
Gresham Motorsports Park
first rate for years to come.”
According to the site plans.
Sunbelt will be laying down
more than just a new half-
mile oval racing surface at
GMP. Additional areas that
Sunbelt plans on asphalting
include the infield Legends
Car oval, all of the track
aprons, infield access roads,
facility entrance roads and
specific parking areas such
as Special Needs/Handicap
lots.
“What you don't want
in any asphalt job is cold
joints,” said Elliott. “You
want it to look like one con
tinuous ribbon of asphalt,
you want those joints to be
smoothed together. The tem
perature that the asphalt is
laid and how quickly they
can get it down will have
a lot to do with that. We’re
hoping to do that in July, in
the heat of the summer, so
we can get the best surface
TEARING IT UP
Work began last week at Gresham Motorsports Park to pull up the old asphalt as the
track is prepared for a new
next few weeks.
we can possibly have.”
If all things stay on point,
Elliott hopes to have the
paving portion of the total
facility renovation done by
mid summer and have race-
cars on the track by early
fall. When the reconstruc
tion process is completed,
GMP will be a totally fresh
facility featuring a new rac
ing surface, fencing, lighting
and retaining walls for the
half-mile oval. Additional
scheduled improvements
will also include a new alu
minum grandstand - now
racing surface, which is exf
to be located on what used
to be the back straight of
the Peach State track - and
a lowered infield pit area
for better sight lines and
fan viewing. Other improve
ments scheduled are a quar
ter-mile Legends track on
infield of the half-mile oval,
renovated restrooms, new
concession areas and track-
side parking.
“We're hoping to have a
30-day cure time before we
start putting some racecars
on the racetrack,” said Elliott.
“We've already talked about
cted to be put down in the
having cars on the track by
September 1. We’d love to
be able to conduct some tire
tests to determine what tire
compound we want to use
here when we open the track
for the World Crown 300 in
November. We'll also have
some open tests that will
allow teams to come in and
get some laps under their
belts on the new track. That
will also get some rubber
into the racetrack and make
it ready to go when we swing
the gates open on the World
Crown 300.”
JHS BASEBALL
JCCHS BASEBALL
ALL REGION SHORTSTOP
JCCHS junior Rob Williams was recently named the first team All
Region shortstop for region 8-AAA baseball. Honorable mentions also
went to Codye Elrod, Zack Sticher, and Austin Robinson. Pictured,
left to right, are Williams, Robinson, Sticher and Elrod.
PARK AND RECREATION
ALL-STAR
Chris Swancey, seen here from playoff action earlier in the year, was
one of two players to take part in All-Star game action last weekend.
Photo by Brandon Reed
Two Dragons make All-Star starts
JEFFERSON HIGH School head
baseball coach Tommy Knight, along
with two JHS players, took part in
the recent round-robin tournament
that made up the 2009 All-Star games
last week. Knight was tabbed by the
Atlanta Dugout Club to coach the
North Georgia All-Stars, while Chris
Beck and Chris Swancey were chosen
to play.
The first two games were held at
Kennesaw State University, while the
O -
last three were held in Statesboro.
The North Georgia All-Stars went
3-2 in the tournament, beating Atlanta
East and Atlanta West last Thursday,
then losing to Atlanta East and West
on Sunday before beating Southwest
Georgia on Monday.
Beck pitched four innings through
the tournament, and also played
infield. Swancey pitched three and
one third innings during the week
end.
CARDINALS WIN 10U JEFFERSON TOURNAMENT
The 10U Cardinals of the Jefferson Rec league recently won the
season ending league tournament. The team posted a 4-1 record
for the tournament and defeated the Mets 9-4 in the championship
game to capture the crown. Team members include, pictured left to
right, back row, coach Zach Lego, coach Charles Chapeau, coach
Jeff Cole, coach Tommy Finch and coach Coaty Brown, middle row,
Ethan Jones, Blake Ehl, Jackson Purvis, Kayne Berryhill, Kaiden Lego,
Garrett Brown, front row, Toby Chapeau, Lane Sorrows, Conor Smith,
Garrett Beem, Billy Finch and Justin Cole.
Summer
events on tap
W ITH Memorial
Day, the end
of school and
warmer weather marking the
unofficial start of summer,
sports fans notice a signifi
cant lack
of school
sporting
events.
Despite
the lack of
high school
athletics,
there are
still sev
eral ath
letic events
available during the summer.
The local Jefferson Park
and Rec and the Jackson
County Recreation depart
ment offer a variety of activi
ties for a range of age groups
to fill in the sport gaps until
the cooler weather of autumn
signals the return of high
school athletics.
Possibly the number one
summertime activity for a
wide range of age groups is
swimming.
With the Jefferson recre
ation department offering
swim leagues this summer
for youth from ages 5-18,
the next Michael Phelps or
Dara Torres may get his or
her start in a pool this sum
mer. Before a swimmer can
join one of the teams, he
or she should know how to
swim. For those competing,
many of the swim teams have
optional swim meets with
in the North Georgia Swim
League against neighbor
ing county or city recreation
departments.
Out of the water, both of
the local departments offer
several camps and ball teams
during the summer. While
each recreation department
has its own schedule of events
and offerings, the summer is
usually a good time for base
ball, softball and basketball at
the beginning of the summer
while football, cheerleading
and soccer starts toward the
end of summer.
The openings for sports
camps will likely fill up
quickly, as athletes who look
to make the school teams
work to stay fit.
There are other options
for those who, in a time of
depressed economy, can't
afford the recreation registra
tion fees.
Family hikes or bike rid
ing as well as local clubs for
outdoor events are sometimes
a cheaper alternative, as are
fishing, running or camping.
Church leagues or backyard
teams can provide all the
healthy benefits of exercise
and enjoyment as the more
expensive alternatives.
Then there are the non-
traditional sports like paint
ball, skateboarding, or auto
racing. These high adrenaline
sports can run up a bill when
first getting started, but rental
packages and other programs
can allow first-timers to ease
into the sport without break
ing the bank. Second-hand
equipment can also save on
start-up costs.
Just remember that as sum
mertime approaches and the
mercury inches higher there
remain many activities for
everyone to enjoy. The fall
high school athletic season
will be here before you know
it.
Justin Poole is a report erf or
MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Contact him at justin@
mainstreetnews. com.
justin
poole