Off-season changes to the Senoia Raceway have been completed and area stock car drivers will have their first opportunity to test the new configuration on Saturday, Feb. 21.
“The track looks great,” said two-time defending Limited Late Model champion Glenn Morris on social media. “I can’t wait to get on it.”
The new promoter team of Bill Massey, Mayes Massey and Doug Stevens tore down the interior walls in each corner of the 3/8ths mile bull ring allowing for better passing lanes and more room to race.
The turns have been widened from 65 to nearly 90 feet and an additional two hundred loads of Georgia red clay were mixed into the racing surface. Morris’ excitement is similar throughout the area’s racing community.
The open practice on Feb. 21 will offer a free opportunity for race fans to see the changes to the track and watch the drivers test their skills. Grandstand admission on that day will be free for spectators. Pit passes will be $20. The open practice will begin at 5 p.m. with all divisions rotating practice time until 9 p.m. There will also be a swap meet from noon until 4 p.m. allowing for race teams to clean out the garage. Racers are invited to buy, sell and trade at the swap meet with vendor spaces and admission included in the pit pass entry.
Senoia Raceway will also offer a unique opportunity for fans to get behind the wheel or ride in a dirt car the following week. On Friday, Feb. 27, the Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience will be at Senoia Raceway offering several different packages allowing interested parties to either ride with a professional driver or strap in and sling the car sideways themselves.
“This is a great chance for the armchair race car driver to hammer down,” Mayes Massey said. “Who wouldn’t want to sling it sideways at least once in their life. It will give the casual fan a whole new perspective of what our Saturday night drivers face each week.”
The track will open for the first race of the season on Saturday, March 7. The first official race under the guidance of the new team will start with hot laps at 6 p.m. Heat races, qualifying and features will follow in all eight of the weekly divisions.
“Shane Clanton, fresh off his World of Outlaws win in south Georgia, says he is coming to opening night,” Mayes Massey said. “If he does not tear up his car on Alabama the week before.”
Opening night will also mark the first time the dirt Super Late Models have competed at the track since the mid-eighties when Roscoe Smith, Mike Head and Leon Archer dominated the Senoia Raceway high banks.
“Cat Daddy (Roscoe’s son Clint Smith) wants to pick up where his dad left off,” added Massey with a smile. “We have a lot of interest from the drivers and we hope they like what they see in the changes to the track.”
Weekly Saturday night racing will continue through March until the end of October. The Super Late Models, Limited Late Models and Crate Late Models will be joined by the B Cadet, Hobby Stock, Mini Stock and Bombers with the Legends Cars and Modified Mini joining the show on a limited basis.
Grandstand admission will remain at $12 with kids five through 12 admitted for only $5. Pit passes are $25 with kids five through 12 discounted to $12. Children ages four and under will be admitted into either the grandstand or the pit area for free when accompanied by an adult. Trackside parking is available on a first come, first serve basis for the same price as a pit admission. Interested parties can also reserve a trackside parking space for the season by calling the speedway office at 770-599-6161.
“We will eventually place fence between the hot pit area and the trackside parking which will allow us to reduce the admission for this spectator area,” Mayes Massey said. “But we have to get the money coming in before we can take on the fencing project. I hope the fans who enjoy trackside can be patient with us.”
For more information, schedules, rules and more, visit the Senoia Raceway website at www.senoiaraceway.com. The track also offers an e-mail newsletter (sign-up on the website) and Facebook pages for social media access to news and information.
