MCCRAY’S SHS basketball team manager NIGHT, 1B suits up for very memorable night Suwannee Democrat 129th YEAR, NO. 31 | 2 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES Wednesday Edition — January 29, 2014 50 CENTS Serving Suwannee County since 1884, including Live Oak, Wellborn, Dowling Park, Branford, McAlpin and O’Brien Editor’sof a note:two-part This series is the onfirst NASCAR racing legend, NASCAR legend Johnny “Speedy”calls Thompson. Suwannee home Winter storm Leon brings possibility of snow flurries Johnny Thompson in car #2 at Jacksonville Speedway in 1950. By Bryant Thigpen possibility of adverse dri-
[email protected] ving conditions such as ice Staff on roadways. Bridges and There are stories about the bravery and Winter storm Leon is elevated roadways are at a the iron-fisted constitutions of the early dri- making its way through the high risk for ice accumula- vers of NASCAR. It was a time of sand and south, bringing freezing tion on the surface. speed, when the annual spring assault on the temperatures with the pos- beach at Daytona brought drivers from all sibility of sleet and snow Rain over the United States to compete on two flurries today for our area, On Tuesday evening, the miles of beach and two miles of black top according to the National rain came in with sleet mix- Weather Center. The Flori- ing in. Today, there is a 70 SEE NASCAR, PAGE 15A da Highway Patrol urges motorists to prepare for the SEE WINTER, PAGE 13A Johnny Thompson (left) and Walt’s Live Oak Ford General Manager Jason Archer listen to the sounds of a 1952 Ford Flathead at Thomp- son’s barn near Live Oak.