Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3B
Down the Stretch
Recalling Swayne Pritchett: Racing pioneer
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 post
poned the event. NASCAR resched
uled the race for Richmond, but, for
whatever 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
feature, and led every lap en route to
the victory.
But moments after taking the check
ered 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 apparently caused
the seat belt support 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 treatment, and would
recover.
Pritchett was still conscious when
crew members reached him, and
was taken to a hospital in nearby
Commerce.
Several people who had accom
panied 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 ceme
tery in Banks County. He had turned
26 years old one month earlier.
This year marks the 60-year anni
versary of Pritchett’s passing. The
speedway where he suffered his fatal
injuries is gone. A bypass connecting
I-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 tal
ents, his memory lives on today.
brandon
reed
NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Banks County High School offensive coordinator Chuck Hudson,
working with quarterback Alex Banks, will oversee the Leopard
offense this fall. Photo by Chris Bridges
"We didn’t do a lot of fancy things
this spring,” Armstrong said. "We
kept things pretty simple. In the
spring game we had a few offensive
penalties including a holding call.
When you are working with three
different quarterbacks then things
like that are going to happen.”
BCHS will have a new defen
sive coordinator in Paul Hoch,
who arrives from Peachtree Ridge.
The new coordinator worked with
Armstrong at Peachtree Ridge and
helped the program win state in
2006.
"Defensively, we did well this
spring considering the short amount
of time we had to work,” Armstrong
said. "We will have a new scheme
so that means a learning curve. We
do have several returning players on
defense. I also thought our younger
players stepped in and did well
defensively.”
Cody Gowder, Matthew Patton,
Billy Pinson and Demetric Dempson
each played well at lineback this
spring, the head coach said.
Armstrong has just about put the
finishing touches on his coaching
staff for 2008. Hudson will be the
offensive coordinator and continue
to oversee the offensive line. Jason
Armstrong will work with the wide
receivers while Armstrong will han
dle the running backs.
Jeff Ravencraft will once again
help with the offensive line.
Hoch will be the defensive coordi
nator and work with the inside line
backers. Tony Bowen will coach the
defensive line with Jerry Williams
working with the defensive ends.
Brandon Worley will help with the
outside linebackers and assist with
the running backs. Newcomer Tyson
Baxter will assist with the defensive
backs.
BCHS recently lost two assistant
coaches from its 2007 staff as Eric
Bona stepped down to take a posi
tion at Franklin County and Jay Reid
resigned to move to Jackson County.
Bona had been at BCHS for one sea
son while Reid had worked with the
program for the past two seasons.
Leopard players will now begin
summer workouts.
First and Ten ... continued from page 1B
Once spring arrived, even more success was earned by
BCHS student-athletes.
Coach Joe Lord’s Diamond Leopards finished tied
for first in the subregion and advanced to the state
tournament. It was the first trip to state for Lord as a
head coach and the first time the BCHS program has
advanced since 2001.
With only two seniors graduating, thoughts are already
looking to 2009 for BCHS baseball.
A sport which is on the way up locally, I believe, is
track. The BCHS boys program qualifed three athletes
for state this spring. Jay Harn won two state champion
ship medals in the wheelchair competition along with a
runner-up medal.
Lyn Hester qualified for state for the first time as did
Jamail Jennings. Harn and Jennings will graduate but
Hester is expected to be a candidate for state again next
spring along with several other Leopard athletes.
The BCHS boys tennis team qualified once again for
the region tournament and continue to be one of the
most consistent programs in the Leopard athletic pro
gram. Look for that to continue in 2009.
While the summer months will provide us with some
what of a break, many BCHS athletes will continue
working in preparation for their upcoming seasons. It
seems work never really ends for today's student-athlete
in their quest to be successful.
Lor now, I think I will simply enjoy this school year
before worrying about the next one. At least I will for a
couple of days.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of The Banks County
News. E-mail comments about this column to chris @
mainstreetnews. com.
Registration underway for annual Kids' Fishing Rodeo
The ninth annual Banks County
Kids’ Fishing Rodeo has been sched
uled for Saturday, June 7.
The event will be held at Hammers
Glen Golf and Country Club.
Applications are currently avail-
able at Wal-Mart, Shuler’s Great
Outdoors and the Banks County
Extension Office.
Applications must be completed
and turned in at the Banks County
Extension Office, located at 413
Evans Street, by Wednesday May
28, at 5 p.m.
For additional information, contact
Department of Natural Resources
Corporal Adam Loudermillk at
770-535-5499.
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TAKE THAT, RALPH NADER!
One of the more unique cars spotted at the YearOne Experience at Road Atlanta this past week
end was this street legal Chevy Corvair. The owner often drag races the Corvair at meets, and
put the rear engine car through its paces in the autocross early Friday. The YearOne Experience
drew hundreds of visitors and participants from all over the country. Photo by Brandon Reed
Football... continued from page 1B
I t was 60 years ago last week
that the racing world lost a driv
er that many felt would have
been an early NASCAR star.
On May 16, 1948, Swayne Pritchett
of Baldwin lost his life due to inju
ries 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 turning the wrenches.
Driving his blue and white num
ber 17 Ford, Pritchett caught the
eye of many race fans and promot
ers around the south. He raced on
Daytona Beach in 1947 and raced on
Bill France’s pre-NASCAR circuit in
1947, finishing 17th in points.
In 1948, Pritchett became the 23rd
driver to obtain a license for France’s
new racing organization, named
NASCAR.
Racing out of Edward’s garage in
Cornelia, Pritchett prepared 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) division 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 stand
ings.
His name was also popping up in
a lot of NASCAR press releases.
Seeing the popularity 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 sanctioning body. Surely,
Pritchett was on his way to being a
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On this Memorial Day,
we honor those who have given
their lives
defending our way of life.
As we remember their
sacrifices,
we appreciate more than ever
their willingness to risk
their own lives for our country.
God bless them and God bless
America!
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