Newspaper Page Text
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3B
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008
Down the Stretch
Indy tire woes reminiscent of 1969
T here’s no way to sugar
coat it. Sunday’s
NASCAR Sprint Cup
race at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway was painful to watch.
That was because tire issues on
Sunday caused drivers to tip toe
around the storied 2.5 mile track,
and caused NASCAR to throw
several competition caution flags
to allow teams to change the
quickly worn out tires for new.
The problem was that, for some
reason, there was never enough
initial rubber laid on the track
surface to prevent the abrasive
asphalt from ripping the tires to
shreds. Usually, this is a prob
lem that fixes itself as the race
weekend wears on.
But not this time.
The result was a race where
drivers had to resist the urge to
go fast, crew chiefs had to fight
the urge to throttle tire company
officials, and fans had to fight
the urge to fall asleep.
Now in all honesty, it was a
situation that, by race day, little
could be done about. All indica
tions had been that by the time
the race was hitting its stride, the
problem would have fixed itself.
But it didn’t, and NASCAR
had to do the best they could in
the situation.
They did this with the use of
competition cautions, choos
ing to put safety ahead of ticket
sales. For that, they should be
commended.
So too should the drivers and
crews, many of whom decided
to run very conservatively. That
meant many potential winners
never really flexed their muscles,
but in doing so, they not only
made sure they stayed safe, but
also made sure that they did not
put their fellow competitors in
harm’s way
unnecessar
ily.
The whole
situation was,
as that great
philosopher
Yogi Berra
once said,
“Deja vu all
over again”
with a similar
moment in
time back in
1969.
The inaugural Talladega
500 was held at the Alabama
International Motor Speedway
(now called Talladega
Superspeedway) in September of
that year.
Bill France Sr. built the tower
ing Alabama track as a sister
facility to the 2.5 mile track in
Daytona Beach, using the same
basic shape.
But Talladega was a little
wider. It was banked a little
steeper. It was a little longer at
2.66 miles.
The purpose was simple. It
was intended to be the fastest
closed course racetrack in the
world.
The proof was there. Piloting
the newly engineered Dodge
Daytona Charger, Charlie
Glotzbach turned a lap in prac
tice at 199.466 mph. By con
trast, fellow Dodge driver Buddy
Baker had won the pole at
Daytona in February at 188.901
mph. But there was a problem.
When the drivers took to the
track, the high-powered engines
spat out so much horsepower
that the tires were wearing out in
just a few laps.
The drivers, in the guise of
a newly formed Professional
Drivers Association, voiced
their concerns angrily to France.
They asked that he postpone the
event to allow Firestone to fix
the problem with the tires.
Big Bill disagreed. He felt that
the gas pedal went both ways,
and that if the drivers would sim
ply slow down, they could race
safely. He even took to the track
himself in a Tiny Lund prepared
Ford to try to back it up.
The drivers were incensed by
this notion. They had come to
race, not to be a pretty parade for
the Alabama fans.
When an agreement couldn’t
be reached, members of the PDA
loaded up their racecars and
went home. France scrambled,
and fdled the field with drivers
from the previous day’s support
event, and ran the race. Richard
Brickhouse piloted a new Dodge
Daytona Charger to victory.
While the record books show
7 cautions in the event, none are
recorded to be due to an acci
dent.
After Sunday’s event at Indy,
it’s clear today, just as it was
back in 1969, that the technology
of the new car has outrun the
technology of the current racing
tire.
This is something NASCAR
and Goodyear must address.
This is more than just an issue
about having a good race.
The bottom line is that if the
two pieces of technology can’t
work in unison, the safety of 43
drivers becomes a risk.
That’s a risk nobody wants to
take.
Brandon Reed is a reporter for
Mainstreet Newspapers. E-mail
comments about this column to
brandon @ mainstreetnews. com.
brandon
reed
Auto Racing
BUDGET HEARING
The Banks County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on July 31,2008 at 9:00 a.m. and
6:00 p.m. in the conference room of the Banks County Courthouse for all interested citizens.
This hearing will be for the purpose of discussion of the proposed FY 2009 budget as shown
below. All citizens will have the opportunity to give comments. The budget is available for review
in the Commissioners’ office Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
BANKS COUNTY
FY2009
Revenues
Exoenditures
General Property Taxes
$3,400,000
General Government
$100,000
Motor Vehicle Taxes
375,000
Governing Body
479,426
Railroad Equipment Tax
7,500
Registrars
60,625
Real Estate Transfer
25,000
Technology/M IS
297,042
Intangible Tax
105,000
Human Resources
216,125
Franchise Tax - Cable TV
2,000
Tax Commissioner
267,485
Local Option Sales Tax
2,700,000
Tax Assessors
371,630
Hotel/Motel Tax - Co 60%
215,000
Courthouse/Buildings
163,429
Hotel/Motel Tax - CVB 40%
140,000
Annex
693,567
Alcoholic Beverage Excise Tax
195,000
Superior Court
266,741
Business & Occupation Tax
50,000
Clerk of Superior Court
217,624
Insurance Premium
580,000
District Attorney
200,417
Beer - Package
4,700
Magistrate Court
130,523
Beer - Consumption
5,500
Probate Court
214,024
Wine - Package
6,000
Probation
38,411
Liquor - Consumption
22,500
Jail Operations
948,708
Building Permits
140,000
Sheriff
1,916,400
Federal payment in lieu of taxes
500
Fire/EMS
2,253,183
Local Government Unit Grants
Coroner
27,744
Court Costs - Probation Fee
56,000
Highways and Streets
1,543,017
Election Qualifying Fee
500
Landfill/Solid Waste
14,450
Sale of maps & publications
1,000
Recyclables Program
47,747
Board of Education Coll Fee
171,000
Public Health Admin.
116,500
Special Police Services
21,000
Public Welfare Admin.
76,000
Ambulance Fees
250,000
Extension Service
107,594
Solid Waste Disposal Fees
1,000,000
Senior Citizens Program
255,673
Public Trans. - State Reimb.
15,000
Public Transportion
43,187
Public Trans. - Passenger Fares
12,500
Recreation Program
385,907
Recreation Fees
40,000
Historic Bldg. Maint.
15,200
Senior Center Receipts
80,000
Natural Resource Cons.
3,589
Recreation Vending Receipts
100
Library Admin.
98,000
Courts
Bldg. Inspection
102,625
Superior
325,000
Planning & Zoning
153,531
Magistrate
25,000
Economic Development
37,500
Probate
350,000
Chamber of Commerce
35,000
VSVRD
15,000
CVB/Motel 40%
140,000
Interest Revenues
200,000
Emergency Communications
869,713
Other
500
Public Utilities
Interfund Transfers
S ewag e/Wastewate r
210,6842
Jail Operations Reimb.
250,000
Administration
308,523
Victims Assistance
33,879
Pumping & Purification
610,730
Public Utilities Operations Reimb
855,000
Distribution
529,502
E911 Operations Reimb
200,000
Prior Year Reserve
2,637,402
Surplus Property Sale
5,000
Capital Lease Proceeds
50,153
Total Revenues $14,567,734
Total Expenses
$14,567,734
Gladiators ... continued from page IB
TIRE CARRY
Sophomore Riley Nicholson takes part in the Gladiator Wars at
Banks County High School last week. Photo by Lyn Sengupta
The fourth place team just missed
third place by three points.
BCHS coaches noted captains
Chris Porter and Billy Dunn also
had their team in contention until
the end finishing just three points
out of fourth place. Team mem
bers included Bill Redmon, Cody
Gowder, Cody Evans, Homer Carver
and Blake Cotton. The team won
first in the barrel roll.
Friday's event was also attended by
the Junior Leopard Helmet Buddies,
young players from Banks County
Primary School and Banks County
Elementary School. The young play
ers also competed in three Gladiator
War events while being encouraged
by their older counterparts.
“It was incredible to see the
great effort by these 7, 8, 9, 10
and 11-year-olds,” BCHS football
coaches said. “We will be increas
ing the number of events for these
young players next summer.”
The young players competed in
the seated sled pull, the running sled
pull and tire jumps.
In the 7 and 8-year-old catego
ry with the top totals between all
three events, Easton Staton took
third while Cale Compton and Blake
Segars tied for second. Lex Mason
won first although only one point
separated the top three finishers.
The competition was just as tough
for the 9-year-olds. Kelly Mize
and Kelan Dalton tied for third
while Stetson Boswell was second.
Mitchell Patton was first for the age
group.
In the 10-year-old division, Jamie
Wood, Cody Stanley and Jody Poole
tied for second place with Austin
Holland and Brock Ivey tying for
first.
Michael Patton was third in the
11-year-old division with Noah
Trebech finishing as runner-up and
Jake Franklin earning first.
BCHS athletic director and head
football coach Blair Armstrong said
he wanted to thank all the families
who came out to offer support and
help.
“Everyone is alreay talking about
how they can't wait until next
summer when we start up again,”
Armstrong said.
First and Ten ... continued from page JB
After the practice session ended,
the young 4-Hers decided they
wanted to try and get autographs
from some of the players.
They weren't going to be available
until after they ate so we all ventured
to the famous “McDonald's on the
hill” and tried to cool off from the
sweltering Georgia heat.
Eventually a few players began
emerging and fans, including the
ones I had made the trip with, were
able to get a few autographs. The
funniest thing was one youngster
(not with our group) asked me for
an autograph.
With a stunned look on my face, I
said, “I’m not a player.”
One of the members of my group
then said, “You should have given
him one anyway!”
There would be another practice
session later in the afternoon but it
was time for our local 4-H group
to return home. While I know the
young people had fun on the trip, it
was also an experience for me, being
a lifelong Falcon fan.
Much has changed for me since
the summer of 1992.1 haven't been
to the small town where I interned
at in I don’t know when. All those
kids whom I was a “chaperone” for
are grown now. Many are probably
married with families of their own.
Who knows how many are football
fans today.
None of the Falcons practicing
that summer day are still playing.
The Falcons' homebase is even in a
different city.
Still, it's fun to remember back to
a time when things were different
and when a carefree summer morn
ing meant seeing your favorite pro
football team practice.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of
The Banks County News. E-mail
comments to him at chris@main-
streetnews.com.
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