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Racing Patriots, Leesville 171 Speedway
Leesville, Louisiana On Saturday, September 15th, 2001, the motorcycle and four-wheeler racers at Leesville's 171 Speedway saluted the indomitable American spirit with a massed Parade Lap. These racers are proud to revere their Star Spangled Banner, while striving for a checkered flag. The salute is especially meaningful as the Speedway is only one mile away from the entrance to one of the arsenals of American combat power, Fort Polk, Louisiana. Mechanized Infantry and Ranger units residing at this major installation may be called upon to project our sense of justice and outrage to a foreign shore. The Leesville 171 Speedway was initially constructed in 1969, and hosted its first racing competition in the 1970 season. The facility was built adjacent to U.S. Highway 171. Since its birth, the facility has changed hands many times, having even been used as a junkyard and a mechanic's shop at one point. Mike Hines of Sulphur, LA purchased the track in December of 1999 and invested time and treasure in modifying the facility to meet his vision of what a modern racing facility should be. He has enlisted his daughter, Malena Browning as the Promoter and General Manager of the facility. Mike and Malena, both racers themselves have created a modern, well-lit racing venue used for a variety of motorsports events, including motorcycle racing. The night's motorcycle racing included classes for 60cc, 80cc, Open Pro, and Vintage Pro. Four wheelers competed in 4-stroke and 2-stroke classes. Heat races were notable due to a number of spills on the 1/4 mile track because the track was so sticky. Car racing the night before had left a thick film of Hoosier racing rubber on the packed clay track. The warm September night made the rubber tacky. A delicate touch, smooth corner entry and exit, and just the right air pressure proved to be the winning combinations. Frank Bartran, #84, who races in Pro Vintage competition was one of the racers who proved smooth was fast. Frank makes the 12-hour roundtrip from Laurel, MS each time that Malena, and co-promoter Wayne Jones, invite him to come and race. His Yamaha TT 500 is still lightning-quick and the local riders target him as the guy to beat in Vintage Pro. This is not to say that the local riders weren't able to dominate in other classes on this Saturday night. Racing results: 4-wheeler, 4-stroke: 1st- #2 David McCann, Lake Charles, Honda; 2nd- #3 Steven Anderson; 3rd- #48 Chase Allen, Medlothian, TX; 4th - #69 Pat Sanders; 5th - #69X, Corey Hamilton, Lake Charles, Honda 4-wheeler, 2-stroke: 1st - #5 Shawn DeTavernier, Medlothian, TX; 2nd - #21 Bret Detavernier, Medlothian, TX; 3rd- #6 Vernon Tyson, Leesville, Yamaha; 4th - #2 Stephen Henderson; 5th - #757 Ed DeTavernier, Medlothian, TX 60cc/80cc Motorcycle: 1st - #58 Doogie Trahan, Moss Bluff, LA; 2nd - #03 Kameron Richard, Moss Bluff, LA; 3rd - #3 (60cc) Quenton Richard, Moss Bluff, LA Open Pro: 1st - #66N Toot Reeves, Topsy, LA; 2nd - #15 Shannon Wix, Westlake, LA Vintage Pro: 1st - #84 Frank Bartran, Laurel MS, Yamaha; 2nd - #108 Ryan Yokum; 3rd - #90 James Henry, Damon, TX
Article and photos by
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| Photos and captions are by Steve Turner and Stargazer Photos. For copies of any of the photos you can email Steve at stargazerphoto@hotmail.com. |
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