Rome Speedway: Fourth of July race weekend
July 6, 2008

- story by Rocky Sinyard

Happy Independence Day from Rome Speedway!   Or should I say SUPERSPEEDWAY!   After all, Rome is the fastest ½-mile clay oval on the planet!   Super Cars have turned this track in excess of 130 mph!   (And it's just plain scary thinking about Winged Sprint Cars!)  

In addition to the grand aerial fireworks display put on at the facility ... an excellent field of cars made the trip to Rome to provide fireworks on the track.   There were Super Late Models, Crates, Limited Late Models, Super Bombers, Econo Bombers, and Pony Stocks.  

In the Super Late Model feature, Jamie Perry of Tennessee dominated the first portion of the 30-lap event.   He ran the very bottom of the track; others followed suit ... and simply played follow the leader during the wreck-riddled first half of the race.   Then, Georgia's Luther Jenkins moved up the track and blasted into the lead!   Sam Simmons and Travis Pennington watched as Jenkins pulled away and moved up off the bottom as well.   Running the middle of the track, all soon blew by Perry on the outside!   Gary McPherson and Mike Head rounded out the top five.  

The Crate Cars were 44-strong at Rome this Sunday night.   For those of you not familiar with dirt racing, a Crate Car is simply a Super Late Model with a stock GM crate engine.  

Frank Ingram of Acworth, Georgia found victory lane in the 30-lap Crate event.   Early leader Alan Brewer was in control until he found his self involved in a crash, handing the lead over to Ingram.   Ingram then fought to hold off Chris Cape and Michael Jones to earn the win.   Todd Morrow and Jerry Fowler finished fourth and fifth.   Mike Head, having both his Crate Car and Super Car here, ran seventh in this race.  

Bobby Tucker took home his first victory of the season as he won the Limited Late Model race.   Travis Millwood, Jason Smith, Oliver Gentry, and Jarrod Greene filled out the top five.  

Powder Springs local Ronnie Sanders won the Econo Bomber event.   He was 'on a rail' ... no one could touch him!   It was a genuine pleasure watching him drive this race!  

Friends, a little history about Rome Speedway.   Back in the day, Rome was known for its very-tacky, super-fast clay.   They called it 'bubble-gum-clay'.   The clay surface of the racetrack, after a night of racing, would be as soft as modeling clay.   The track never dried out and dusted up.   I remember walking across Rome Speedway in penny-loafers ... and walking out of my shoes because the track was so sticky!  

Years ago, Rome was like a "super show" ever Sunday night!   There were plenty of racetracks running their weekly Friday and Saturday night shows around the area ... but Rome was the only Sunday night show around.   Car owners and drivers knew that if they couldn't run in the top five at their local tracks, they might as well not show up at Rome.   Rome Speedway was where 'the big dogs would eat' ... the "World's Fastest Half-Mile Clay Oval"!  

Well race fans, having said that, let me share this; over the past few years, the tendency of track owners and promoters has changed.   Tracks from Indiana down through Alabama and Georgia are not being "watered-in" as thoroughly as they once were.   And all of these tracks have a tendency to dry-slick and dust over towards the end of a night of racing.  

And Friends ... I believe that these changes came about due to "grumblings" from car owners and drivers.   Bottom line is this; a dry-slick track helps to level the playing field between big-budget and small-budget Super Car operations.   Meaning ...if you have a Super Car with a 40-thousand-dollar engine ... you can hook up and fly on a heavy track (watered-in thoroughly, tacky).   But if that track becomes dry-slick, that 40-thousand-dollar engine will simply spin your tires off!   And the person with the 15-thousand-dollar engine can compete!

Now friends, I said all of that to say this ... there is a Lucas Oil Super Late Model event scheduled for Rome Speedway on October 3rd this fall.   I pray that the Swims family take the necessary measures to prepare the track as they did back in the day.   How I yearn to walk across that track after that night of racing, kneel down and feel that soft-damp-tacky-bubble-gum-clay! 

Race fans, if you have not picked up on it, I love Rome Speedway!   Rome is the fastest half-mile in the nation!   Faster than Bristol in my humble opinion!   I wish Tony Stewart would bring his Super Car down here and take a spin!

Rome 'SUPERSPEEDWAY' ... the ELDORA of the Southeast!   Don't show up here without HORSEPOWER!