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Jarrett, Speedway Associates Return Metrolina TrackBy JEBHY JOSEYCHARLOTTE — New management will take over the operations of Metrolina Speedway, a half-mile paved track at the Metrolina Fair and Exposition facilities on US 21 north of here, effective with races this Friday night.At a press conference at the Downtowner East last night, new track management was announced as Speedway Associates, which formerly operated Metrolina and Hickory under the directorship of former Grand National driving champion Ned Jarrett, revealed it was returning its lease onMetrolina.The promotional lease for Metrolina Speedway is being assumed by a Charlotte-based firm, Metrolina Productions, Inc. Sandy Humphrey, Charlotte advertising and promotion executive, is president of the company, with Horace Wells, Charlotte businessman, as vice president.Sam Keller, a veteran official associated with NASCAR and with an extensive background in all phases of racing, will be the new track manager and Dorothy Bowden, former director of advertising and publicity for the Pineville Dinner Theater and LaMariek beauty systems, is the public relations director.The first race at Metrolina Speedway under the new management will be the Randy Owens Memorial 202, a national championship race this Friday night, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Randy Owens Foundation which was originated by the Richard Petty Fan Club.Owens, a brother-in-law of Petty, was a member of the Petty pit crew who lost his life in a tragic accident at the Talladega Speedway on May 5.Petty, the Grand National racing star with 170 victories and winner of the World 600 in Charlotte last Sunday; H.E. Carrigg, promotional manager, and Bob Preddy, public relations man for Petty Enterprises, are expected to attend the race this Friday night, according to the new speedway management.Some of the top NASCAR late model sportsmen drivers expected to participate in the 150-lap national championship race are Butch Lindley, Tiny Lund, Harry Gant, Dale Earnhardt, L.D. Ottinger, Morgan Shepherd and Ron Grana, along with Grand National star Benny Parsons and Darel Dieringer, who initiated a comeback to racing during the World 600 on Sunday.The new Metrolina Speedway management will honor all season passes previously purchased by fans of the Metrolina track and all rain checks for previously-scheduled events will be honored for full admission price for Friday night’s race, it was revealed.Jarrett and Speedway Associates have held the lease on the Metrolina and Hickory speedways.“Hickory is definitely going to continue to operate under my management,” Jarrett said last night, saying that only the lease on Metrolina was being returned by Speedway Associates.Jarrett said he honestly didn’t know what the future plans of Speedway Associates would be, citing heavy indebtedness on the company through sponsorship at Metrolina.“There are some people in Hickory interested in leasing the track and hiring me to operate it,” Jarrett said. Speedway Associates has a lease through1978.Speedway Associates acquired the Metrolina Speedway lease on Jan. 1, 1974 and immediately plunged into a rebuilding and modernization program, spending some $75,000 on improvements. The first race was held in April 1974 on the paved track.“We really did get off to a bad start financially,” Jarrett related. The changeover came right in the middle of the energy crisis and fuel shortage and the paving bid jumped from a first figure of $50,000 to $83,000. Cuts were made in plans to reduce the total cost.Jarrett said 34 races had been scheduled at the facility, including a rainout last Friday and the rescheduled date on Monday, which also was rained out.Of that 34 race total, 10 wererained out, including five of the last seven, and another 16 race dates were hit with weather-related factors.Funds from the Hickory operation were pumped into the Metrolina track by Speedway Associates, resulting in the major indebtedness.Sam Keller, who has served as assistant Metrolina manager under Jarrett and as the flagman for both tracks, will be the new manager. He was with Jarrett two years in full-time operations and part-time for six years. He said he would continue as the starter at the Hickory track but not at Metrolina. “It's kinda awkward trying to flag your own race,” Keller related.Keller has some 15 years ofracing experience in various capacities, also working at several of the superspeedwayevents.One change Keller envisions will be the halt of the inverted starts (putting the fast cars at the rear of the field) and increasing the purse for top finishers.Metrolina will continue its weekly Friday night schedule with Hickory running its races on Saturday as normal.This Friday night’s program calls for 202 laps of racing with the 150-lap national championship event, two 10-lap heats and a 20-lap main event for the limited sportsman division, and a 12-lap main event for the street division.Entry List Is Growing For Kemper Open EventCHARLOTTE - Three morePGA powerhouses, Dave Hill, Hale Irwin, and Tom Watson, will be taking on the renovated Quail Hollow Country Club golf course here, for the eighth annual $250,000 Kemper Open Tournament, June 2-8.Dave Hill finished 11th in the money standings last year. He has broken par in every single round of the last three Kemper Open’s, and walked away with a total of $34,000 for his efforts.He has improved his ranking at the Kemper every year, tyingOpeningsLimitedThree of the six classes of tennis lessons scheduled for the two-week period of June 2-6 and June 9-13 are already full but registration is being held for the second session of June 16-20 and 23-27.The 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. class for women is full for the first session with 20 openings remaining fur the second session. The 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. class for beginning children is also full with only seven openings remaining in the second session.A total of 16 openings remain for the first session in the 11 a.m. to 12 noon class for intermediate children and 15 openings are left for Advanced Young People in the 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. class.The night class for women, scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the first session is full with 15 openings remaining in the second session. The first session of men’s classes, set from 8 p.m. until 9 p.m., has 14 openings remaining.The tennis instruction is sponsored by the Statesville Recreation Department at Caldwell Park and all persons interested in participating in the first session in the classes still available are urged to register before Friday at 5 p.m. at the Grace Park Recreation Center.First Place Up For GrabsRecord Laudmark BureauMOORESVILLE - Firstplace will be on the line here tonight when Mooresville Post 66\s American Legion baseball team hosts Rowan County.Steve Lee of South Rowan will be making his initial start of the campaign for Mooresville in tonight’s game. Either Steve Cruse or Eddie Hinson will pitch for Rowan County.Rowan County currently leads the league with a 2-0 record while Mooresville is at 1-for seventh in 1972, tying for third in 1973, and placing third in 1974 after two blistering final rounds of 66-65.With career earnings to date of well over $870,000, his pocket-book could be considerably enlarged when he plays in the Kemper Open.Dave posted nine top 10 finishes in 1974, winning the Houston Open.Hale Irwin will be playing in the Kemper Open before he defends his title at the U. S. Open later in June. With earnings of well over $70,000 for this year, Hale is on his way to securing his fifth consecutive top 15 finishing mark.I«asL year, he missed only one cut in 23 starts and finished in the top 10 eight times. In addition to his U. S. Open Championship, he was second in both the Jackie Gleason Inverrary and the I VB-Philadelphia Tournaments. He placed fourth in the Western Open while tying for fourth in both the Masters and the Hawaiian Open. Hale also beat Gary Player last year to win the 1974 World Picadilly Match Play Championship.Tom Watson, the first round leader in last year’s Kemper with a 65, has improved his position on the money list in each of the three years he has been on the tour.The 1975 Western Open Champion was 79th in his rookie year on the tour but cut that mark to 35th his sophomore year. Ixist year, with $135,474 inwinnings, Tom was 12th in the standings.He is flirting with top 10 status again this year as his winnings edge toward the $100,000 mark, aided considerably by his recent victory in the Byron Nelson Classic.last year, in addition to winning the Western Open, Torn placed second at the Bryon Nelson (’lassie and fourth at the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open. The four time Missouri State Amateur Champion tied for fourth in both the AndyWilliams-San Diego Open and the Danny Thomas Memphis Open.In all. he had 10 top 10 finishes during 1974.Women Top Elkin UnitThe Statesville women’s tennis team defeated Elkin by 3-1 in a match played at Caldwell Park on Tuesday. All four matches were doubles.The next match for the local team will be played at the Statesville High School Courts next Wednesday at 10 a.m. against Conover.The summary :DOUBLESCaroline* L over Mary Ddlon (S) defeated Roath K irk (El, W. / s. iloKmltH.II.e Hurmence Judy Cherry (5) lust to Swann Myers U ' A i. ? 6. 6 tWinifred Holton Thetis Schunke (S defeated Neaves Dow (F I A 1. 6 IHarriet Andrews Cuimmngs Sherrill IS/ defeated Brown Couth UdA3. A .1/Plylerteams up withPalm Beachby CalvinTo bring you just the right models ... at just the right prices. These suits and sport coats are designed for comfort... quality ... and style. 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Newspaper Details
Statesville Record and Landmark
Statesville, North Carolina, US
Wed, May 28, 1975
Page 11
Full Page
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Anonymous
NC, USA 02 May 2019
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