The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 160

10-H 'CSt Atlanta loutnal and CONSTITUTION SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 1971 ATLANTA 500 NEXT SUNDAY 1 i Atlanta Raceway Faces Its Day of Reckoning ruptcy. He appointed young Neal Batson, an Atlanta attor -I 1 I i 1 5:2 5 I erf- I I i a bad taste in their mouths. Monumental traffic problems getting people to and from the track developed. The late Nelson Weaver, a Birmingham millionaire, kept dipping into his own pockets, hoping to establish the Raceway on sound financial footing. Weaver, until his death in February of 1968, kept trying to no avail.

T. Jack Black, an Atlanta businessman, took over the Raceway presidency following Weaver's death and in 1969, initiated a merger with Lawrence H. LoPatin's American Raceways, Inc. The merger was an effort once again to provide financial stability. Once again, the Raceway failed.

CONTROVERSY AROSE surrounding the Raceway's status with American Raceways and a struggle for management control arose. Debts mounted and went unpaid. The Atlanta track broke away from American Raceways. In January of this year, U.S. District Judge Sydney O.

Smith, acting on a petition presented him by Raceway officials, placed the super speedway under Chapter Ten Bank- By JIM HUNTER The most important Atlanta 500 stock car race in Atlanta International Raceway history is scheduled next Sunday, April 4, at the l-mile super speedway in Henry County. Forty of the nation's best stock car drivers will be running for much more than just a purse of $107,000. The future of the track itself will be at stake. Race fans will pass judgment on the financially-tangled racing facility that needs a crowd of more than 65,000 to survive. There are two distinct ways racing historians will record April 4, Sunday 1971.

It will be remembered as the day Atlanta International Raceway began its climb back up the ladder of financial stability; or, the day Atlanta International Raceway became history. BIZARRE CIRCUMSTANCES surround the 500-mile racing spectacle that finds Georgia's Governor among those desperately trying to save the Raceway. Not since the late, great Glenn (Fireball) Roberts won the track's inaugural event in July of 1960 has the future of ney, to oversee reorganization. Batson, along with appointed general manager Walter Nix and long-time Raceway superintendent Alt Knight, have been busily preparing for next Sunday, hoping it won't be the last in A.I.R.'s colorful history. The finest field ever assembled for an Atlanta 500 will begin practice Wednesday, among them three-time winners Fred Lorenzen and Cale Yarborough, superstar Richard Petty, three-time Indy winner A.

J. Foyt, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Bobby Isaac and defending Atlanta 500 champion Bobby Allison. PETTY, THE FABLED Plymouth driver from Randleman, N.C., will be seeking his first Atlanta 500 victory although he has won two Dixie 500s at the Georgia track. David Pearson A. J.

Fort Richard Petty t- the track loomed so uncertain. Back then, it was a question of whether or not fans could be lured 40 miles south of Atlanta to watch brightly-painted, unmuffled replicas of stock cars compete against each other. A series of postponements, 13 of the track's first 17 events were postponed at least once by rain, left fans with mmm CAN AMATEUR WIN IN GREEN JACKET? Melnyk Eyes Masters Confidently 3137 Piedmont Road laus, has trimmed a comfortable waistline into a leaner, hun 233-8082 By TEAGUE JACKSON What a magnificent stroke of fate it would be if Bob Jones could see a long-cherished dream come true an amateur win "his the Masters. 724 POT DUBLIN Is it within the realm of possibility? There was a time when Jones, now in fading health and confined to his Atlanta home, thought he had his man, a hulking prodigy capable of tearing the golf world apart at the seams with his raw talent. But Jack Nicklaus was a pro before he won his first Masters.

Now another hulking young man is on the horizon, a man who's proved his ability to compete with the pros. And when the imposing field tees off April 8 at Augusta National in the 35th re FREE CATALOG CALL 233-8082 BRING YOUR PIPE-TRY OUR FREE SAMPLES THERES NO TRICK TO ENJOYING A PIPE IT'S A MATTER OF QUALITY 11th. A week ago he was a two-round leader in the Greater Jacksonville Open and wound up fifth. Those are the only two tournaments Melnyk has played in five months. Most guys play two tournaments in five months and they're lucky to break 80.

"Honestly, I played badly last week and still it was a lot closer than the stories indicated," he said. "I was just two shots back with three holes to play and I made a stupid bogey at 16. At 17 1 three-putted for par and I missed a 12-footer for birdie at 18. If I hadn't made the bogey I might have worked a little harder on those other putts." THE CATALYST is confidence. "In high school I didn't pay that much attention to my game and consequently never really felt I could win much.

But, about my last two years in college, I suddenly realized I could play well. That's when I started to win." Win he did, five out of seven tournaments his senior year. And that was when he was working on his game. "I guess I should have been surprised that I played as well as I did at Heritage and Jacksonville," he admitted, "but I'm not. I suppose I'm blessed 'cause I can lay off and play good.

But, for the Masters, I'm not taking any chances. I'm working hard now and I'll probably show up in Augusta a week ahead of time." What really impressed Steve at Jacksonville was the fact that experience, the kind the touring professionals have, carried him when technique, rusted by disuse, failed. "My knowledge of the game is far greater now. And I not only have the knowledge, but I'm able to put it together mentally." He also possesses a new attitude, and increased distance, due to a diet which, like his close friend and idol Jack Nick grier look. "Yeah, I am hungry," he laughed.

"But I'm also down about 35 pounds (from 265) and I get the club through the ball so much faster." NICKLAUS IS a close friend and Melnyk has patterned himself after the former "Ohio Fats." "I'd love to follow in Jack's footsteps. Realistically, I think I'm capable of duplicating his record. "I know how boastful that sounds, but I'm not one to hold things inside. I believe that if you think you can do something, you ought to say it." Melynk is not just boosting his confidence when he talks like that. He really believes it.

"I'm going up to Augusta certain that I'm fully capable of competing. I wouldn't go if I honestly thought I couldn't win." Oddly enough, Augusta will also be the scene of Melnyk's great crusade. His particular Holy Grail is the lifting of what he considers unfair United State Golf Association restrictions on amateurs. He's made a lot of noise about the challenge of the amateurs to the tradition-bound foundations of the game. THE MEETING between the amateurs and the USGA will be held, as advertised and is likely to generate as much fireworks as anything in golf in a long while.

But Steve is now soft-peddling the situation. "As far as the impact of the meeting is concerned, "I'm going to have to play it by ear. I'm not backing down, but at the same time I don't want to step on any toes at the Masters. I don't want to detract from the tournament. "After all, it's strictly a convenient place for us to meet and we owe the Masters people a lot of thanks for allowing us to meet there." Steve Melnvk WORLD'S FINEST TOBACCO BLENDS newal of that classic tournament, at least one man in the field will know Steve Melnyk can win.

That man will be Melnyk himself. "If I can just get to playing like I did in college," Melnyk said the other day, "I'd be real confident of winning the Masters." If that sounds awfully precocious for a mere amateur to say, don't worry. It's only the measure of Melnyk's sudden maturity in the game. No longer is he "Fluffy's Melnyk, the Brunswick, Ga. kid who preferred football and other sports to golf.

Now he's Steve Melnyk, world-class golfer. For example, in November he led the Heritage Classic for awhile and eventually finished NOW ENTERTAINMENT IN UNDERGROUND ATLANTA FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY NEW FILM JUST RELEASED DEATH DEFYING "THE GREAT WALLENDA WALK" SEE KARL ALLEN DAS' DARE DEVIL WALK ACROSS TALLULAH FALLS GORGE. Expos Demote ADMISSION WEEKENDS ONLY ADULTS $1.00 CHILDREN .50 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 MOTORSPORTS Lorenzen Races At Southeastern Fred Lorenzen, for once, didn't want to go "too fast." He figures 140 miles an hour is fast ennough in a quarter-mile. CHILDREN UNDER 6 FREE Three Players WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) The Montreal Expos sent three players to their minor league camp at Homestead, Fla.

Assigned to Homestead were pitcher Baylor Moore, shortstop Pepi Frais and catcher Terry Humphrey. NL Adds Two New Umpires SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Umpires Jerry Dale and Bruce Froemming have been added to the National League staff, league president Charles S. Feeney announced Saturday. The two, who worked in the Pacific Coast League last season, will replace re tiring Frank Secory and Frank De-zelan, optioned to a Triple A League. Dale, 36, worked the last seven years in the coast league after starting the Clas3 Pioneer League in 1963.

PRE-EMERGENCE Kiilk. CUSTOM SPRAYING JJ3 For FREE Estimate GALL 261-3040 Lawn Garden Service Continuing the Dependability of Get Pest Control since 1888 Lorenzen will be featured Sunday afternoon at Southeastern Dragway in Dallas in a special match race against veteran drag racing chauffeur Arnie Bestwick. The thre-timme Atlanta 500 winner and one of stock car racing's most popular all-time stars told Southeastern Drag-way manager Don Martin Save "Amusements Guide" For Convenient Use All Week AIR CONDITIONING DISTRICT SALES REPRESENTATIVE A chance of a lifetime for the right person with a background in air conditioning sales. An A-i Atlanta based wholesaler has an opening for district not to get me one of those six-second babies the ones that turn 200 miles an hour in sales representative to cover the quarter in six seconds or so. ARE YOU the Southern half of Georgia LAWN-BOY 21" POWER MOWER battling the high banks at Bristol, in the Southeastern 500.

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