By Allen Hamrick
With school sports taking a break, I thought it would be good if we look back at some of the events that took place in this county that have since faded into history. In this article, I will look back at June, 2011, when the O’Brion Oval speedway was in full throttle.
The O’Brion race track was full of fiery competition that Saturday night. Aggressive racing was a meek way to describe the guardrail smacking, two wheel running, spinning out frenzy. It looked more like an audition for a new Dukes of Hazzard movie. They didn’t just run around the track in a boring oblong Sunday drive; drivers fought for the right to stay on top or to knock the top dogs off the heap. Lester Jenkins was this season’s first three-peat winner. Lester and his J2 car seemed unbeatable. Sheldon Ferrebee also became a three-peat winner; sporting a brand new paint job, he ran his #44 car to the winner’s circle without a scratch. Cooter Thorne won his second in a row by outdistancing the competition, especially the favored Scott Harper who spun out in the last laps allowing Cooter to pass him.
The races were fast and furious, just the way dirt track racing is supposed to be. There was a hill side full of fans that got their money’s worth. So, if you liked the idea of alcohol fuel scented deodorant, you couldn’t seem to get the tow set on your push mower, or perhaps had installed a roll cage on your recliner, the racetrack was the place to be. The track is silent now, but the memories made there continue on.