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PAGE 4B - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS - MAY 14, 2008
Auto Racing
Outdoors
Swayne Pritchett, Racing Pioneer
It was 60 years ago this week
that the racing world lost a
driver that many felt would
have been an early NASCAR
star.
On May 16, 1948, Swayne
Pritchett of Baldwin lost his
life due to injuries sustained in
a racing accident in Jefferson,
GA.
Pritchett was born in 1922,
and early on, was fascinated by
speed. As many young men of
the day were, he was involved
in the moonshine business.
Later on, Pritchett would
become successful by using
his whisky money to buy land,
and also to go into the used
car business. After World
War II, Pritchett became more
involved with used cars.
And he became involved in
racing.
Swayne’s son Harold says
that as best his family can find,
Pritchett became involved in
racing after the war. Harold
recalls seeing his father finish
third at the old Habersham
County Speedway north of Mt.
Airy.
Pee Wee Dooley, who was
the promoter at the speedway,
owned Pritchett’s ride that day.
Dooley died soon after that
race in a freak gas explosion
at his home.
After that, Pritchett owned
his own cars, with legendary
mechanic Jack Edwards turn
ing the wrenches.
Driving his blue and white
number 17 Ford, Pritchett
caught the eye of many race
fans and promoters around the
south. He raced on Daytona
Beach in 1947 and raced on
Bill France’s pre-NASCAR cir
cuit in 1947, finishing 17 th in
points.
In 1948, Pritchett became the
23rd driver to obtain a license
for France’s new racing organi
zation, named NASCAR.
Down
The
Stretch
BY BRANDON REED
Racing out of Edward’s garage
in Cornelia, Pritchett pre
pared to run many of the new
NASCAR events. NASCAR
raced only modifieds that year,
with the strictly stock (later to
be known as Sprint Cup) divi
sion still a year away from its
birth.
Pritchett piloted his Ford to a
fifth place finish on the beach
and road course in Daytona.
He took third at Augusta and
fourth at North Wilkesboro. By
the early part of May, Pritchett
found himself in sixth place in
the NASCAR point standings.
His name was also popping
up in a lot of NASCAR press
releases. Seeing the popular
ity of the young driver, France
would mention him several
times in the releases that he
sent to newspapers to spread
the word of the new sanction
ing body. Surely, Pritchett was
on his way to being a shining
star on the racing scene.
Then came May 16, 1948.
Pritchett was due to race
in Martinsville, Va. on that
weekend, but a freak snow
storm postponed the event.
NASCAR rescheduled the race
for Richmond, but, for what
ever reason, Pritchett decided
instead to run on May 16 at
the half mile Jackson County
Speedway just outside of
Jefferson.
Pritchett was the class of the
field that day, winning in the
heat race, then in the trophy
dash. Pritchett took the green
flag from the pole in the fea
ture, and led every lap en
route to the victory.
But moments after taking
the checkered flag, disaster
struck.
For some reason, Pritchett’s
car and the lap car of Truett
Black collided in the first
turn after the end of the race.
Pritchett’s car was thrown end
over end. The impact appar
ently caused the seat belt sup
port in Pritchett’s car to break,
and he was thrown out of the
tumbling car.
Black was taken to an area
hospital for care and treat
ment, and would recover.
Pritchett was still conscious
when crew members reached
him, and was taken to a hospi
tal in nearby Commerce.
Several people who had
accompanied or followed the
ambulance waited outside.
Soon, a nurse came out to
tell them Swayne Pritchett had
died of internal injuries.
Pritchett was buried at the
Leatherwood Baptist Church
cemetery in Banks County. He
had turned 26 years old one
month earlier.
This year marks the 60-year
anniversary of Pritchett’s pass
ing. The speedway where he
suffered his fatal injuries is
gone. A bypass connecting
1-85 and Athens crosses its
front and back stretch.
But the memory of Swayne
Pritchett continues on to this
day. He was a racing pioneer,
and an early star of stock car
racing. For those who saw him
race, or have heard about his
talents, his memory lives on
today.
Brandon Reed is a reporter
for MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Contact him at brandon@main-
streetnews.com.
California Attacks Should Raise Coyote Awareness
The recent coyote attack on a
young child in California should
remind all Georgians that wild
animals should not be underes
timated .
For the past two decades, coy
otes have been present in all 159
of Georgia’s counties and have
become more common in urban
areas, including metro Atlanta.
To date, the Georgia Department
of Natural Resources’ Wildlife
Resources Division (WRD) has
never received a report of a coy
ote attack on a person. In order
to maintain this track record,
WRD is offering residents some
advice.
“Coyotes in urban environ
ments potentially pose a great
er threat to people than coy
otes in rural areas,’’ said Mark
Whitney, WRD chief of Game
Management. “This is because
coyotes that live in proximity to
people become acclimated to the
sights, sounds and smells associ
ated with humans and can lose
their fear of people.
“Wild animals with no fear of
people are more prone to attack
and may even associate people
with food.”
The widespread phenomenon of
wild animals associating humans
and residential areas with food
causes conflict on a regular basis
here in Georgia and across the
country.
But it’s not just coyotes; it’s
bears, alligators, raccoons, foxes,
opossums and many other spe
cies.
So, now that Georgians’ are
aware, how can they co-exist with
coyotes and what can they do to
keep their families and animals
safe?
The most important tip: do
not leave easy meals for coy
otes. Coyotes are opportunistic
and therefore, eat a variety of
foods. In the wild they mostly
eat rodents, rabbits and fruit, but
given the chance, they will eat
available garbage or pet food.
They also may prey on small
domestic animals and because of
this, small house pets (especially
cats), young or small livestock
and poultry are vulnerable.
Here are some specific actions
residents can take to help elimi
nate a coyote’s food source:
•Never, under any circum
stances, feed a coyote.
•Keep items, such as grills, pet
food or bird feeders off-limits.
Clean and store grills when not
in use, keep pet food indoors or
feed pets indoors and refill bird
feeders with small amounts and
only as needed.
•Make trashcans inaccessible.
Fasten lids securely or store
trashcans in the garage until trash
day.
•Take pets indoors at night, as
this is the coyote’s primary hunt
ing time.
•If the pet must be kept out
side, install fencing and flood
lights to discourage predators.
Keep small livestock or poultry in
an enclosed or sheltered area.
Coyotes rarely bother larg
er livestock although they are
often blamed for such nuisance
instances.
Never approach a coyote that
shows no fear of people, acts
aggressively or that appears
uncoordinated or sick. If a hom
eowner or neighborhood associa
tion believes that a coyote in the
area is a serious issue, they can
take steps to eliminate the poten
tial problem. Here’s what to do:
•Hunting - There is no closed
hunting season, and coyotes can
be killed without a license or
permit from WRD. Residents
do need to ensure that they are
abiding by local city or county
firearms ordinances.
•Trapping - WRD does NOT
offer trapping services, but does
provide technical assistance and
information on trapping, includ
ing a list of licensed nuisance
wildlife trappers across the state.
To locate a licensed wildlife
trapper near you go to www.
georgiawildlife.com and click on
“Permits & Other Services’’ on the
home page. Find the “Nuisance
Wildlife Trappers List’’ beneath
the “NUISANCE WILDLIFE
CONTROL’’ heading.
Relocation is not a solution.
Relocating coyotes only moves
the problem into someone else’s
backyard. Relocation of a carni
vore also may result in relocation
of significant diseases, like rabies.
Trapping and killing aggressive
coyotes is the only way to remove
a coyote that has been a regular
backyard visitor.
While coyotes may closely
resemble dogs in appearance, the
distinctive characteristics that set
the coyote apart are their upright
and pointed ears, pointed snout,
low forehead, mottled color fur
pattern ranging from black to
reddish-blonde and bushy tail
that generally is carried straight
out below the level of its back.
WRD stresses that while it is
not necessary to be overly con
cerned about the presence of
coyotes, it is important to be
aware.
For more information regarding
coyotes, visit www.georgiawild-
life.com.
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