Towns County Herald’s Sporting News

Mountain Lions out-claw the Cougars 12-5 Local Racing

JIM BRYANT Smith followed with a single A single to center field and a of the fourth inning, the Cats Action to left and Daniel Warzon bouncer off the glove of the had a 5-5 tie Sports Writer plated the first Cat run with a right fielder made it 5-3 for After a single by Bryson by Carl Vanzura double to left. Smith scored Cleveland State and again the Smith, a Kenny Swab RBI Cats put six pitchers off a sac fly by Derrick Lowery Cats changed pitchers, this double, 5-4 and a sac fly to the on the hill in see-saw game. and after one inning it was a 2- time going to Jeff Brown. This fence by Derrick Lowery plated Mashburn passes Chastain on last lap at Tri-County 2 tie. The second went badly and a little on-field shake-up Bryson Smith 5-5. The Moun- If you were a pitcher and for the Cougars when Clay would end up being the pattern tain Lions plated twelve runs Murphy’s George Mashburn followed Johnny Chastain liked to work a short time, Remole nailed the Cleveland for the day as they sent Chris off sixteen hits with Austin for 29 and 3/4s laps and took the lead out of turn 4 when Wednesday’s game was perfect State pitcher in the face with a George, Sean Kelly and Ben Schultz going 3-3 and scoring Chastain slid out of the groove with a flat tire as Mashburn as the Mountain Lions went line drive that resulted in a big Watson to the hill to finally three runs to lead the offense took the lead for the last 200 feet to take the first checker through pitchers like water cut and a new Cougar in re- secure the win. By the bottom in the 12-5 win. flag of the 2009 season. Rodney Weeks, Chris Williams, over the dike. Starting with lief. The Cougars loaded the Glenn Barnett and Terry Ledford rounded out the field. Jamie Bryan Cole, the visiting Cou- diamond and walked in the go- Oliver broke in hot laps and did not start. gars from Cleveland State ahead run, 3-2 but stranded Blairsville driver Robby Roxbury won the Sportsman touched each YHC hurler un- three runners. feature, his first win since his championship in Street Stock til the purple Cats finally pre- Andrew Chilcoat came several years ago. Preston Crisp, Blairsville’s Jamie Lunsford, vailed by utilizing six pitchers. in relief to start the third but Doug Sneed, Sammy Berrong, Adam Morrow, Blairsville’s It was a see-saw game from the the Cougars touched him to get Tracy Dockery, Todd Manners, Mike Davis, Hiawassee’s start with the Cougars jump- the 3-3 tie. A passed ball at Kevin Bradshaw and Jacob Anderson rounded out the field. ing off to a 2-0 lead in the top home led to a 4-3 lead for the In the Nesmith Crate Late Model feature the top of the first inning. Austin visitors and even after singles five saw Jason Deal lead Blairsville’s Brian Kinnersley, Schultz started the bottom of by Derrick Lowery and Travis Seth Wimpey, Jim Bob David and Kevin Sutton across the the inning with a walk, Bryson Echols, the Cats stranded two. finish line. Brasstown racer Greg Sudderth started this year where he left off last year as the track champion, with a victory in the Modified Street feature over Jim Twiggs, Jeffery Wood, Heather Taylor and Charles Devine.\ Hiawassee’s Steven Sofield won the Street Stock fea- ture over Josh Roberts and Charles Toomey. Jim Exum broke Bryson Smith goes airborne is his slide at third base. in hot laps and did not start. Three of the top five Mini Stocks were disqualified during the post race inspection that saw Justin Woodard take the first place honors. Casey Carter, Lynn Burchfield, and Danny Cordin rounded out the top five. Racing returns to Tri-County this Saturday night when the Georgia Mini Sprint Series are in action along with all six classes including the Super Late Models. Sugar Creek Speedway got off to a bad start of their new season when rain forced a cancellation of last Friday’s races. They will try again this Friday night. Blairsville’s Jonathan Davenport placed third Satur- day at Gaffney Speedway during the Southern All Star race won by Chris Madden. Kenny Swab tries for the tag at home as the CS Cougar scores their first run.

Andrew Chilcoat was the second of six Mountain Lions pitchers in the game. Photos by Jim and Lisa Bryant

Herald’s sports quote of the week “I'm working on a new pitch. It's called a strike.” Scoop Pharr makes a put-out at second base in 12-5 win. - Jim The Great Emu Kern, pitcher

The Georgia Mini Sprints will be in action this Saturday NASCAR 2009 By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter night at Tri-County.

HOW GOOD WERE THE Today’s drivers enjoy big The victory was Logano’s points lead and now trails by Bears out for their nightly bird GOOD OLD DAYS company sponsorship, have first of the season and second 23 after the sixth race of the chauffer-driven limousines, or of his young career. The 18- season. feeder all-you-can-eat buffet A lot of fans that I re- helicopters, and never work year-old also won last year at Top-10 points leaders af- ceive mail from refer to “The beside their pit crews and me- . ter 6 of 35: 1. Edwards-959, 2. close-ups) they went from the Good Old Days.” Sometimes I chanics to help create a better “It’s been awhile,” a Ky. Busch-936, 3. Ragan-799, deck to the front porch and con- even long for them, but how race car. smiling Logano said after the 4. Leffler-762, 5. Keselowski- tinued their buffet. Not even good was the actual racing in I would say NASCAR race. “We had a really good 733, 6. Logano-728, 7. threats of tornados and rainy the early days of NASCAR. racing is now NASCAR enter- run here. The last time we were Allgaier-676, 8. Gaughan-676, weather deterred the hungry Walt Wimer sent me tainment. here, we got caught up in a 9. Lagasse-672, 10. Keller-667 visitors. the following statement: Please understand that wreck. It was awesome to be The Sprint Cup and After a brief hiatus in “Sometimes we read a lot of I’m not trying to say that able to get that win this time. Camping World Series had an dining, they calmly climbed complaints about the NASCAR today’s racing doesn’t have its Ever since I’ve been coming to off weekend. straight up the bank to the road racing of today, but look at the bright spots, or isn’t exciting. Nashville … I’ve been want- Next Week: above us, only to return at 3:00 results of the 1962 Daytona Few sports or businesses ing to get that guitar, and this Dodge’s Racing Future is am just as I managed to get Modified race. Leroy have enlarged without some is just awesome.” Iffy back to sleep. Again, out came Yarbrough won it with Bobby type of change. Racing is a The track awards a Weekend Racing; the camera and flashes lit the Johns second, the only other car spectator sport with fan identi- unique trophy to the race win- The Nationwide Series nigh sky. Photographers get on the lead lap. Eddie Crouse, fication. As the sport has ner, a Sam Bass-painted Gibson and Sprint Cup teams are at the turned on by the simple things another NASCAR Modified changed, so have the fans. Les Paul guitar, which Logano 1-mile Phoenix International in nature. It was worth the lack champ was third, 4 laps down People generally like proudly carried home in a case Raceway. The Camping World of sleep, while 4th and 5th Larry Frank action and activity to fill their after the race. Trucks do not race again until and Jackie Evans were 5 laps leisure hours, and of all the The race was a battle Apr. 25, back. Only 13 cars completed major sports, except football, between the Gibbs teammates, Fri., Apr., 17, Nation- Bear cub decides to come on the 90 or more of the 100 laps.” there is more action to be and Busch and Logano led 172 wide Series Bashas Supermar- front porch or finds its mother. Could NASCAR sell found in NASCAR than any- of the race’s 225 laps. kets 200, race 7 of 35, Starting Photos by Jim/Lisa Bryant that product to the TV today? where else. “He had a better car on time: 9 p.m. (EDT); TV: No. No matter how polished the short run, and we had a ESPN2. But it was more "fun" today’s drivers appear on tele- better car on the long run,” Sat., Apr. 18, Sprint Cup JIM BRYANT back then. vision, there is still something Busch said. “(The team) did a Subway Fresh Fit 500, race 8 Sports Writer The drivers were a to be said for the early driv- great job, and it was just a of 36; Starting time: 8 p.m. unique bunch. They had an over- ers. The ones who partied and shame we weren’t able to get (EDT); TV: FOX. On Young Harris Moun- abundance of talent, courage, drank the night before, showed out there and win this thing. Racing Trivia Question: tain the bears rule the night. and a strong desire to do what up just in time to race, and That’s kind of frustrating, but Who does At least night, as a large they knew best, which was rac- then might light up a Camel we finished second today.” drive for? mother and three big cubs ing. But what made them spe- in victory lane, were heroes JR Motorsports’ Brad Last Week’s Question: made a 1:30 am visit to the cial was their humanness. just as well. Keselowski was third, followed How many Cup races did deck an dined on the bird feed- They were more real You could see they were by Kelly Bires, , win in 2008? An- ers. Awakened to the crunch- than the drivers we have today. real people. , David swer. He won eight. ing of plastic feeders, the four Now, I don’t mean to They didn’t do it for the Ragan, , Steve You may contact the Rac- bears showed absolutely no take away from drivers like big bucks they received. It was Wallace and Jr. ing Reporter at: fear as they ram-sacked the Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon, the love of the sport, the love Busch cut into Edwards’ [email protected]. feeders. Not the least both- Bear cub in a tree calling for both who have tremendous driv- of racing that drove them to risk ered by the flashing of my cam- it’s mother who had moved ing skills. But our drivers of their lives each week. era (got some really great ahead with two other cubs. today are more like robots act- Every Sprint Cup, Na- ing on behalf of the large cor- tionwide, and Camping World porations that control driver I have talked with told WILD FACTS: common cottontails NASCAR racing. me how he loves racing. , winner of Maybe one of my future Georgia is home to four WILD Facts is a regu- this past weekend’s Nationwide questions to drivers will be, “If species of rabbits: the Eastern lar feature written by Linda Series race in Nashville, never you knew you had to have a cottontail, swamp rabbit, May, a wildlife interpretive had to get “down and dirty,” part-time job in order to sur- marsh rabbit and Appalachian specialist with the Georgia or sleep in the back of a pickup vive and provide for your fam- cottontail. The Eastern cotton- DNR Wildlife Resources Di- on race weekends. He doesn’t ily, would you still be out there tail is the most common and vision. know what it’s like to have on Sunday?” occurs statewide. For good grease under his fingernails. Ponder that question as reason, they are considered a How did he learn to drive you watch the Sprint Cup race symbol of spring fertility, with and become a talented driver? next Sunday. You decide how one female rabbit producing as According to one report, his dedicated to racing your favor- many as 50 young per year. father invested over $1-million ite driver might be. Baby rabbits are born in tutors and training. That in- LOGANO BEATS KYLE blind inside a well-camou- cluded buying him the best BUSCH AT NASHVILLE flaged yet shallow nest hole. equipment money could buy. LEBANON, Tenn. -- Active from early evening to True race fans know late morning, the mother only there is more to it than the Joey Logano slipped past team- mate Kyle Busch with nine laps visits the nest to suckle her glamour of race day. Many young. Cottontails grow up drivers used to spend the bet- to go and hung on to win Satur- days’ Nashville 300 Nation- quickly, venturing out to eat ter part of his life struggling vegetation when just 1 week to build a car and race it on wide Series race at Nashville Red Farmer stands beside his Studebaker prior to the 1962 Daytona Superspeedway. old. They are fully weaned by Sunday. Modified race Courtesy of Walt Wimer 2 weeks old.

April 16 2009 sports.p65 1 4/13/2009, 9:25 AM