Racing the old-fashioned way

By Adam Krohn
adamkrohn@daltoncitizen.com

June 30, 2008 10:28 pm

— When shopping for a car, one might envision going to a dealership, scanning the lot for that perfect vehicle, taking it for a test spin, and then driving it off the lot.
That wasn’t how it happened in the case of Rocky Face’s Bobby Hanshaw.
“I found my car in the woods with a tree growing up the center of it,” Hanshaw said of his discovery in 1995. “It was just left there. The car’s roof had a leather top, and the tree grew up through the gear shift and tore through the roof, so there wasn’t any damage to the body frame. So I got the car out and took it to the garage.”
Hanshaw and his friend, Dennis Griffin, had just retrieved a 1934 Chevrolet Coach.
But the two weren’t interested in merely collecting the car.
They wanted to race it.
In fact, both men were members of the National Vintage Racing Association, based out of Warner Robins. Members race all over the southeast, including towns such as Talladega, Ala., Green Valley Ala., and Cordele.
One year of rebuilding the Coach and thousands of dollars later, the car was ready to race on the track. Today, more than a decade later, the car is still going strong and so is Hanshaw.
On June 7 in Talledega, Hanshaw took first place in the Modified Sportsman class with his tree-trunk treasure.
Aside from the adrenaline rush racing brings, Hanshaw enjoys the added nostalgic element the vintage cars provide.
“In the type of racing we’re doing,” said Hanshaw, “we’re getting the word to the public of how racing was back in the day. We’re letting the young people see how NASCAR got started.”
Not only does the NVRA offer fans an opportunity to see what racing was like decades ago, it also gives the drivers the chance to keep their competitive juices flowing.
NVRA cars are divided into five classes: Limited Sportsman, Modified Sportsman, Late Model Modified, Late Model Sportsman and Open Modified.
Twelve to 14 races are held each year with an average of 30 cars competing in each event. Drivers accumulate points throughout the season, culminating with a points champion in each class.
Hanshaw won the association’s Modified Sportsman championship in 2005. He is also a former Hobby Division dirt-track champion at North Georgia Speedway in Murray County.
“It’s great to still race competitively,” said the 59-year-old Hanshaw. “To win a race is great, but it’s even greater just to get to race. Winning is icing on the cake. It’s all about having a good time and racing with friends, and anyone can do it. We have guys in their 60s and 70s still racing.”
Al Smith of Jefferson is still a force in the NVRA at age 74. He drives a 1936 Ford sedan and currently holds third place in points in the Open Modified class. He enjoyed his best season in 2006, winning three races and finishing second in the final standings.
Smith has been racing these cars since 1951, before they were considered vintage.
“These cars run faster now than they did back then,” he said.
“They’re a lot of fun and it’s great going out there and trying to beat these young guys. You get bragging rights when you outrun them.”

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