The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • D6

Filename: D6-SPORTS-AJCD0708-AJCD created: Jul 7 2006 Username: SPEED4 AJCD0708 Saturday, Jul 08, 2006 SPORTS 6 AJCD 6 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black D6 Saturday, July 8, 2006 4 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ajc.com 6 Cyan Magenta Yellow Black AJCD Filename: D6-SPORTS-AJCD0708-AJCD created: Jul 7 2006 Username: SPEED4 NHL REPORT No. 1 pick will play in college rst FROM NEWS SERVICES Erik Johnson the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft, will go to the University of Minnesota this fall rather than join the St. Louis Blues. The Blues retain the rights to the defenseman, and the team was part of his decision.

feel this is a win-win situation for Erik to be going to an excellent hockey program to continue his Blues president John Davidson said Friday on the Web site. is for his career, short term and long term, to play for the Gophers. He will have an opportunity to compete for an NCAA national championship, play in the world junior championships and enjoy university Johnson was selected by the Blues last month, the American chosen overall in the draft. The 18-year-old Bloomington, player has spent the past two seasons with USA National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. Johnson, 6 feet 4 and 222 pounds, had 16 goals and 33 assists with the U.S.

under-18 team this past year. His team won a gold medal at the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championships for the second consecutive year. Thrashers farmhand signs with The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Patrick Dwyer to a two-year contract. Dwyer, 23, had 16 goals and 29 assists in his full professional season with Chicago of the AHL. He had 45 goals and 56 assists in 142 career games with Western Michigan.

He was drafted by the Thrashers in the fourth round of the 2002 draft (116th overall). SPORTS AMS: Bankrupt speedway was rich in potential host NASCAR races was for the original backers to take out personal loans to pay the purse. Things have changed. As he stood at Atlanta Motor Speedway last week, Cotton saw that the Weaver Grandstands that he and his team once worked so hard to are gone. The seats and the suites that once were the mainstay have been razed to make way for trackside motorhome parking.

The seating is being moved to a new in Turn One, which will be topped by the suites, where fans can purchase food and drinks from the menu and watch the race from enclosed theater seats or from a and observation deck. Rather than being sad to see his old stomping grounds pushed aside, Cotton seemed proud to see how the track had blossomed since 1976, his last year at the helm. is delighted to see that the track has grown he said, explaining that while the original investors likely could never have imagined their track surrounded by luxurious condominiums and suites, they did want the facility to be class. wanted it to be a compliment to the city of he said. had the right experiences turned out to be far more than just Soon he was rubbing elbows with legendary drivers, including Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Allison.

Not being a NASCAR fan at the time, Cotton quickly absorbed the sport. What amazed him most in the beginning, he said, was how a race weekend transformed the otherwise sleepy facility. the cars started coming in, it was he recalled as he and AMS president Ed Clark sat in swapping racing stories. As trustee, Cotton spent most of his time trying to ways to keep the track in the nancial black, pay the creditors and locate an owner who could ensure long-term success. Between sensible management, the hard work of track promoter Hal Hamrick and the tireless effort of the late Alf and Madaline Knight, who did everything from maintaining the track to selling tickets, the track began to prosper.

Mercifully, during tenure, there were no rainouts. Despite the occasional threat of rain, the races were successes, particularly the spring events of 1972 and 1973. The track paid all its debts; the original owners got some return of their investment, and a new ownership team was put in place. The late L.G. DeWitt and Walt Nix took over the track, which was eventually sold to current owner Bruton Smith.

Smith renamed the facility Atlanta Motor Speedway and transformed it into a racing palace. Clark said he was impressed by how quickly Cotton caught on to the sport and by how he successfully steered the track despite his lack of racing experience. obvious a pretty intelligent Clark said. certainly as complicated as it is now, but it was a big deal for him to come in and do what he Clark laughed as Cotton recounted how he worried over the weather before races, calling hourly for forecasts. all sounds so Clark said.

And Clark was amazed at how quickly and accurately Cotton grasped the ways of NASCAR, particularly the power of the ruling France family. had a vise grip on the Cotton said. were going to call the Said Clark: much has Clark and Cotton also swapped tornado tales. A twister hit the track in 1974, four days before a race that was vital to keeping the track in operation. Another tornado hit the track last July causing an estimated $40 million in damage.

Neither Clark nor Cotton ever considered canceling a race because of the tornadoes. Cotton said that in the hours after the tornado, volunteers from across the South came pouring in to help. came in here by the he said. vast majority of them worked 24 hours a By Sunday the track was ready to race. was the most race we had in the time I was he said.

Clark understood better than anyone how Cotton felt. a good feeling overcoming something like he said. Continued from 1 Tr ackside Terrace site Winners Grandstand site BEFORE JULY 5 JULY 5 1 2 3 4 Weav er Grandstand site Turns A tlanta Motor Speedw a tr ack Atlanta Motor Speedway track Ne gr ands tand ons truction New grandstand construction ATLANT A MOTOR SPEEDWAY ADDING FEATURE Weaver before JOHNNY CRAWFORD Staff AMS general manager Ed Clark (left) and Stacey Cotton had a chance to compare tornado tales. ,7 0 0 0(' 8.