April 21, 2010 THE TOWNS COUNTY HERALD Page 9A TT SportsTowns County’s Leader In Sports ■ E-mail: [email protected] AprilDecember 21, 2010 2, 2009 www.townscountyherald.net Hiawassee, Georgia Lady Indians headed to state tennis tourney NASCAR 2010 By Charles Duncan By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter TOWNS COUNTY HERALD [email protected] and remains fourth in points. much speculation about what The other cars that in- The Towns County Lady volved in the lap 317 crash the fallout will be at RPM. A team can survive if there’s a Indians will make their fi rst included Joey Logano, Juan trip to the state playoffs in ten- Montoya, A J Allmendinger, pile of cash in the bank and their teams are winning. RPM nis on Thursday. Jamie McMurray, Clent Bow- They’re in the unenvi- yer, and Paul Menard. has neither of these. Richard Petty Motor- able position of No. 4 seed out Top-10 fi nishers: 1. of Region 8-A following last Hamlin, 2. Johnson, 3. Kyle sports fi nancial tank is about empty and all of their cars are week’s region tournament at Busch, 4. Kurt Busch, 5. Lakeview Academy. Kasey Kahne, 6. Mark Mar- sputtering. They need to fi nd a way to get some fuel back “We’re happy to be tin, 7. Kevin Harvick, 8. Dale there,” Head Coach Shannon Earnhardt Jr., 9. Martin Truex, back in, which isn’t too easy when your number one driver Floyd said. “However, we’re 10. Greg Biffl e learning a valuable lesson. Top-12 Chase contend- is pulling out. Denny Hamlin Pretty soon, they will be That regular season loss to ers after 8 of 36: 1. John- Lakeview Academy cost us. son-1248, 2. Kenseth-1140, coasting to the infi eld with the Hamlin Wins Texas fuel light burning a bright red We ended up having to play 3. Biffl e-1120, 4. Har- Athens Academy in our second Shootout vick-1107, 5. J. Gordon-1028, and no amount of after-hour Denny Hamlin took ad- back slapping, or press confer- match and that put us in a bad 6. Kyle Busch-1020, 7. Earn- position. vantage of a 9 car pileup with hardt-1013, 8. Burton-1005, ences is going to help. 17 laps to go to win Monday’s While Kahne has been “If we had won that Towns County Lady Indians Ginny Rhoades could be a signifi cant 9. Kurt Busch-999, 10. Mar- regular season match up, we rain-postponed Samsung 500 tin-994, 11. Hamlin-973, 12. fortunate to land with good factor in Thursday’s state tennis playoffs. The Lady Indians travel at Texas Motor Speedway. teams, most drivers that aspire very easily could have been the to Pace Academy to take on the Lady Knights. Photo/Lowell Nich- Edwards-942 No. 2 seed and in a lot better olson “I never doubted the Kasey Kahne will be to race at the Cup level are not outcome,” said Hamlin. “We so lucky. position in this thing,” Coach early on in a tough match up leaving Richard Petty Motor- Floyd said. Lady Indians who right now were in this for the long runs sports at the end of this season, To get started in racing, believe they can beat anybody. with Hebron Christian, Coach and the team did a great job a young driver had better come The Lady Indians de- Floyd said. for Hendrick Motorsports, but feated Prince Avenue Chris- “We’ll go down there there at the end.” exactly which car he will be into the deal with a great deal and give them our best,” Coach “We gave it our best Hamlin’s win was the of available capital, no matter tian 3-0 to advance to the state shot,” he said. “We had our driving is yet to be determined, playoffs. Their second match Floyd said. second one in the last three as Hendrick already has four what form of racing is being The Lady Indians match chances, but it didn’t pan out races, both victories coming considered. against Athens Academy didn’t for us.” teams, the maximum allowed go as well. The Lady Indians against Region 5-A Pace Acad- in races that were postponed by NASCAR. With that said, one has emy is at Pace Academy at 4 by rain before being run on the to reason that many young, up lost 3-0. Stewart-Haas Racing – That pitted the Lady In- p.m. on Thursday. fi rst day of the week. which features drivers Tony and coming drivers must have “Hey, making the state GWRRA meetings Hamlin never led until rich dads, and in at least some dians against Athens Christian, Stewart and Ryan Newman – a team they had beaten in the playoffs in tennis is a big deal Chapter J of the Gold that fi nal run, set up after a gets chassis and engines from cases that is correct. for Towns County,” Coach Wing Road Riders Association spectacular nine-car crash in- This past weekend, driv- regular season. Hendrick and could be a pos- “We’ll make no excus- Floyd said. “Who knows, we (GWRRA) meets on the fourth volving Jeff Gordon who had sibility for Kahne, who cur- er John Wes Townley became may just pull this off.” Saturday of each month (ex- led 124 laps, and pole-sitter es,” Coach Floyd said. “We rently drives for Richard Petty part of the story of the Nation- should have won, but we lost Of the 16 teams that cluding December) at Daniels Tony Stewart. Motorsports. wide Series race in Phoenix. made the tournament from Steakhouse, Hiawassee, GA. After a brief red fl ag 3-2. They switched their line- “If this opportunity was After a practice crash, team up against us this time and put North Georgia, there aren’t Fellowship and food at 11 AM period while offi cials cleaned going to happen, I knew having owner Richard Childress re- many public schools left. with the meeting commencing debris from the track, racing the pressure on our doubles some unanswered questions moved him from the No. 21 teams.” “Hey, we’re proud to be at noon. We welcome riders of resumed with 13 laps to go. would be part of the scenario Chevrolet in favor of the more The difference, Towns representing the public schools all brands of motorcycles and Hamlin passed Jeff Bur- at this stage,” Kahne said in a experienced Clint Bowyer. County plays No. 1 seed Pace of North Georgia,” Coach welcome participants of other ton the leader with 11 to go. news release. “Hendrick Mo- The 20 year old Town- Academy and Athens Christian Floyd said. “There aren’t a GWRRA chapters. For further After a brief battle with Kyle torsports has a commitment ley has raced in the NASCAR plays The Walker School. whole lot of public schools information, please contact Busch, Hamlin pulled away to Mark Martin that they want Camping World Truck Series “It’s a matter of pick- in Class A tennis, so we’re Chapter Director Peg Jones and beat Jimmie Johnson to and the Nationwide Series to fulfi ll, and that’s important. ing your poison on that one,” proud to be there representing 678-464-7340. NT(Apr21-G1)gg the fi nish line by about 100 It’s part of what attracts me to since 2008. And despite the Coach Floyd said. “Both of the public school side of the feet. the team.” fact that he has never record- those teams are incredible.” coin.” The big crash came on Kahne is in the fi nal ed a top-10 fi nish in either of That won’t deter the The Boys’ squad lost lap 317 of the 334-lap race year of his contract at RPM. those series’, he has driven for after Tony Stewart got loose His sponsor, Budweiser, also a team tied with Roush Fen- coming out of turn-2. He is in the last year of its con- way Racing and Richard Chil- slowed and was bumped from tract with RPM. A Budweiser dress Racing. the rear by Carl Edwards. The executive said Tuesday the So, how with virtually YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE left front of Stewart’s No. 14 company has not decided on no racing resume to speak of bumped into the rear of the its 2011 plans. did Townley land such high No. 24 driven by Jeff Gordon. The 30-year-old Kahne, profi le rides? CLAY DOTSON “It was my fault,” said who entered the Cup series in The simple answer to Stewart. “I got up into the turn 2004 with Evernham Motor- that question is money. His and got squirrely and came sports, has 11 career victories father, Tony Townley, is a co- down. It wasn’t Jeff’s (Gor- and is a two-time Chase For founder and the chief fi nancial don) fault, it was mine.” offi cer of the Zaxby’s restau- pen The Sprint Cup participant. He O Stewart fi nished 32nd is 26th in the 2010 standings. rant chain, hence the reason and dropped from 9th to 14th Kahne still must put en- why his son’s cars are always in points. ergy toward determining his sponsored by that company. May 17, 2010 Jeff Gordon led 124 2011 plans. A spokesman for Townley’s history in laps, the most of any driver JR Motorsports, another Hen- NASCAR is a story of one and had the dominant car, but drick affi liate, said that there crash after another.