The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 37

THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Tuei Jane 23, 1970 PIT TO POST 5C aim-" AIR's 'Hex9 Vo if LoPat wmt'7 is I lp Walker's DeLuxeThe result of 112 years 8 years of patient aging. With bourbon this choice, there's just no second choice. LoPatin needs cash, yet he is dragging his feet over a potential merger with Realty Equities Inc. They want to see his books, and he's been hesitant about showing them. If and whee that merger is made, and it might be with or without LoPatin's approval, we predict that he will no longer be the top man at ARI.

In the meantime, Atlanta should take every possible step to disassociate itself from American Raceways and revert back to its independent status. wii t6S i GEORGIA MILITARY CALE YARBOROUGH Fiasco at Riverside ance, it seems incredible that he would attempt to hinder the move. LoPatin does not like Richter, yet he will guarantee the owners of the cars driven by Yarborough and Lee-Roy Yarbrough money to run Michigan. You figure it out. Add his negotiating for TV rights without the knowledge of Black and Finke for the March race here, plus his firing of Richter and the constant turnover of employees in his system, and you know something's wrong.

WALKER'S i8 quality 1 education 1 1 on J- jT high school TJE" I and college 1 levels. $5. BoxA 1 By PAT ZIER On Dec. 18th, 1968, Atlanta international a a announced that it was merging a corporation which ran Michigan International Speedway in an effort to bolster its sagging finances and put the focal facility on solid footing. AIR received a $1 million loan, which was to be used for tlebt retirement and improvements on the track, and the Arrangement "appeared to be beneficial for all concerned.

Actually AIR officials, led by president Jack Black and general manager Hal Ham-rick, had been seeking a way to make the 1.5 mile oval a more profitable venture for Sometime. It was determined that the best way to do this would be to run more events at the track, and that potentially, the addition of a drag strip offered the Quickest and surest way to get a substantial return on a relatively modest investment. Additional cash would give AIR breathing room, something it had never had with its history of rainouts and other problems, things which had prevented what should have been one of the most successful super-speedway operations in the South from achieving that status. 2 So the merger was made. If the stockholders had been aware of what was going to take place afterwards, it probably never would have been Approved.

The drag strip, which was the principle reason for attempting to obtain cash, was Quickly abandoned by American Raceways Incorporated once the merger was consu-ttiated. Those in control in Detroit, led by Larry LoPatin, refreshing breeze, blowing out the stagnant regionalism fostered by Bill France. He might have been the man to lead stock car racing to national prominence. But like France, he became inmeshed with his own ideas. He was more concerned with Larry LoPatin than racing, and because of this, both were affected.

For the record, he has helped Atlanta. For years we've been hearing about how AIR was going to improve this and build that, and for years nothing was done. Under ARI, the physical plant here has been improved. But the future looks bleak. At a time with AIR needs leadership at least as much and probably more than any time in its past, it has none.

Jack Black is a non-functioning president. Don Finke has quit. The Dixie 500, traditionally a poor second as a money maker to the March Atlanta 500, holds special significance this year because the rainout in March was a staggering blow to the plans and financial structure of AIR. But there is no one here to put forth the extra effort so desperately needed to see that the Dixie is a success. LoPatin has proven that he is every bit as vindictive as France.

Consider this: He called Finke on the carpet basically because Finke was attempting to help Les Richter obtain the services of Cale Yarborough for the June race at Riverside. When you- consider that LoPatin owns 48 per cent of the Riverside facility and when you consider that Yarborough could do nothing but help by making an appear- Boimnou i Georgia Military College Milledgeville, Georgia 31061 r'k MJhi LEEROY YARBROUGII Extra Cash did not think it a wise investment. This disagreement over a fundamental purpose of the original undertaking led finally to the resignation of i a knowledgeable racing man, and was the first of many short-sighted maneuvers on the part of the ARI hierarchy. Plagu: by bad weather at all its tracks, ARI has found itself scratching every possible nook and cranny in an effort to regroup. Its dealings with its member facilities have deteriorated constantly, reaching a point of open rebellion in the case of Riverside and guerilla warfare in the case of Atlanta.

The problem, however, has not only been the weather. The major problem is LoPatin, a man with several good ideas but no practical experience in racing. No one in his organization dares disagree with him. No one dares suggest that anything be done in any way other than the way he deems right. As a result his own tracks, Michigan and Texas, have suffered and so have Atlanta and Riverside.

When he first appeared on the scene, LoPatin was like a HOLDUP OR mmm ......,.4 7 f. 8 years old DUQCLAQY HOW MUCH CAN YOU AFFORD TO LOSE? ARE YOU NEXT ON HIS LIST? INSTALL AUTOMATIC BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS SILENT HOLD UP ALARMS FOR YOUR 1 STOP THE the great bourbon from Hiram Walker himself. THIEF BUSINESS OR HOME Use Journal-Constitution Want Ads For Results 523-3636 w'7 pollard's Indy Car Operation Moving Here; Ruggles Hired 4f 1 M3M? -f'; James Hylton's shop and also employed by White, will become part of Leonard's team. The cars will be assembled in White's racing garage here, which has been leased by Race- Go which owns Pollard's equipment. John F.

Newcomer, GENEilAL By PAT ZIER championship car organization featuring drivers Art Pollard and Greg Weld will move its operation to Atlanta shortly with Jim Ruggles as chief mechanic, it was learned here Monday. Ruggles has been employed bf the Gene White Co. and was chief mechanic on Pete Hamilton's car which dominated GT racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1969. ln addition to Ruggles, J. D.

Roberts, formerly a top man in president of the firm, confirmed that the move from Indianapolis, where the team is now lo TIRE J) cated, will take place. has had much mechanical difficulty in his last 10 championship starts. He was running a strong third in the recent Indy 500 until he lost a piston. Ruggles said current plans call for building several cars powered by Ford, Chevrolet and Offy engines in the White garage. "We're going to try all of them until we find out which is the best one," he remarked.

White, who is also thinking about starting a championship car operation in Atlanta, said the lease with Race-Go was good only for the duration of this year. "They needed a place to go, and this is more or less to help them out," he commented. "It doesn't affect any plans we might have for the future." White currently owns the racer driven by Lloyd Ruby on the championship car circuit. "This was just too good an opportunity for me to turn down," Ruggles said. "Right now, it's just until the end of the year.

"I've got a lot of ideas about A.7A championship cars and I can't ltuu ls vy wuS) wait to get started. A lot of people might laugh at some of them, but I believe I've got some things going that will work." GENERAL-JET 4-PLY NYLON CORD The revised operation came Tough Duragen" rubber Famous dual-tread design about as a result of a split be iCARTY Continued from Page 1-C the National League record, and he has slugged 17 homers, which represent an Atlanta high for the popular left fielder. he ever hit was 22 in 1964 at Milwaukee. Right now, Carty is an odds-on choice to win the National League batting title. If he does tween Pollard and Grant King, his previous crew chief.

Pollard L2JUJJ hg would become the first Braves' player to do so since mm teammate Hank Aaron won the tifle with a .355 average in 1959. iRico smiles and says only it is 6.50-13 COMPACTS INTERMEDIATE CARS 4 for $75.40 7.75-14,7.75-15 STANDARD CARS 4 for $79.80 8.25-14, 8.25-15 BIG CARS 4 for $85.80 8.55-14 top early to talk about such things as batting .400 and winning batting titles. Meanwhile, his advance to second among outifelders in the All-Star balloting represents an advance of one place for the Braves' slugger. Last week's voting ranked him the third outfielder. The huge write-in is some Tubeless Whitewall prices plus $1.78 to $2.53 Federal Excise Tax per tire depending on sizes plus exchange casing.

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