The Atlanta Journal from Atlanta, Georgia • 27

WED OCTOBER 24 1 990 She Atlanta Snnmal AND CONSTITUTION 3 AUTO RACING New owner of AIR plans $75 million in improvements By Bill Robinson Staff writer HAMPTON Ga Bruton Smith the new owner of Atlanta International Raceway (AIR) said he plans at least $75 million in improvements at the 30 year old 15 mile stock car track The purchase of AIR by Smith who also owns Charlotte Motor Speedway was completed Tuesday Smith who paid $198 million for the 500 acre proper ty replaces Walter Nix and the late LG DeWitt as the owner unveil our building plans pretty Smith said within five years we plan on having between 150000 and 200000 attending this upcoming November The Atlanta Journal 500 which ends Winston Cup season Nov 18 drew 83000 in November 1989 That was a record crowd for the track which opened in July 1960 Smith said his experience as owner of the Charlotte track makes him confident that the same kind of attendance can be achieved at the Atlanta facility Atlanta metro market has three million Smith said has one million Why not? can and will be done in At lanta already been at work the past three months at this Smith also announced that Bob Marcum former University of South Carolina athletics direc tor will become general man anger at AIR deal to buy AIR in late ebruary fell through inal ly on July 13 he signed a letter of intent to purchase the track closing followed a meeting of stockholders and the board of directors the 1119725 outstanding shares only 435 were against the said Lee McClurkin of Robinson Humphrey the Atlan ta brokerage firm that handled the sale Marlin clocks 100 mph before race The Associated Press ROCKINGHAM NC NASCAR driver Sterling Marlin was stopped by a highway patrolmen for going 100 mph in a 55 mph zone last weekend the day before his sixth place finish in the AC Delco 500 Trooper RP Norton presented the New London NC na tive with a citation Saturday morning and instructions to appear in the Richmond County courthouse on Nov 14 officials said Norton clocked Marlin by radar on a Richmond County highway en route to Winston Cup race at the North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham Steve Hummer Douglas: or real? LAS VEGAS This is not a pretty job but if we are to get any kind of read on what manner of Buster Douglas will come to the ring Thursday sombody has to do it Thus we entered a gold tinted Gomor rah evaded the regularly erupting volcano out front passed the white tigers on un natural display hacked our way through an indoor tropi cal rain forest in the middle of a desert bobbed and weaved past a thousand Instamatic toting tourists from various midwestern state capitals All to complete an important mis sion To judge the jiggle That is to locate the love handles To search for suet Those are the keys to Evander kingdom There Douglas was during his final public workout Mon day bouncing about in a ball room of The Mirage that was converted into a gymnasium He was wearing a shirt calo rie camouflage It did not hang loosely and it showed the lit tle tremors that break out along his torso during ex ercise The theory goes that Holy greatest chance against Mr Surprise Champion Doug las is to catch him with his preparation down and his weight up Douglas has been known to be a bit of a slug be tween main events where Ho lyfield keeps finding new places to store muscle my own worst ene Douglas says of his habits What is it Douglas is asked that he eats that creates the kind of weight gain he ex perienced after overwhelming Mike Tyson (up to 255 pounds)? and he says stepping on George shtick So how did Douglas look? On the quiver scale one being pig iron and 10 being Miss Piggy Douglas was about a six If there was a real clue as to his fitness for his first title defense it was not evident in this one breezy workout The Holyfield camp pre pares for the best possible Buster always look for the toughest said Ho lyfield trainer George Benton What is so maddening and dangerous about Douglas is that there can be no accurate reckoning of him before fight night He will never be a Holy field kind of hard And he sel dom looks good in training He quit in the middle of one spar ring session disgusted and ex hausted just before making Tyson human Douglas apparently was put here to confuse and as tound Before the Tyson fight his was a history committed to underachievement His fa ther Bill Douglas was a middleweight contender of sizeable heart and fierce ness and Buster went about much of his career as if trying to prove those qualities could not be inherited Such a ham and egger was he that on eb 14 1982 he won a decision in Erie Pa and on eb 15 he recorded a knockout in Kalamazoo Mich He worked his way up to a 1987 IB championship fight with Tony Tucker during which he led on all scorecards and then melted in the 10th round rom this is fashioned one of the great sporting upsets played out in Tokyo because that was the only audience that would buy the possibility Is it any wonder that so many people feel that Douglas is the real mirage here know why you keep asking me about Douglas said after one more inquisitor wondered if beating Tyson some great fluke case scenario is the heavyweight champi on of the world done what they said I do and do and they still doubt to get people to believe in Buster is like what it must have been when Noah went around telling people about the said manager JD McCauley Douglas can keep saying he will enter this fight at near the weight he was for Tyson He will insist that he has trained harder as a champion than he ever did as a contend er that he can punch all night if need be And we will keep looking for the fold or ripple that will betray him once a fight becomes a matter of wind and will EXCLUSIVE CLOSED CIRCUIT GIANT COLOR SCREEN THURSDAY OCT 25TH 9 PM XKa RESERVED Hl OMNI Bldg Surcharge SPORTING CLUB WINDY $3500 A GAINESVILLE GA MOUNTAIN CENTER $2500 AT TURTUK SOUND WAREHOUSE COCONUTS AND SELECT ECKERD LOCATIONS CALX OR TIX (404) 2496400 THE MOMENT TRUTH Create a decorative dinner with 77 1 recipes in ood NeW BEEPER Atlanta Jtoirmal 45 $99 purchase THE ATLANTA CONSlITl'IION pe nth No ee 6 Memory billed Motorola Bravo quarterly PageMart 416 8300 DOUGLASvs HOLYIELD WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BASEBALL Presley joins free agent market By Joe Strauss Staff writer Jim Presley the Atlanta most productive third baseman since Bob Horner filed for free agency Tuesday Presley Los Angeles Dodg ers second baseman Juan Samu el St Louis Cardinals third base man Terry Pendleton and Boston Red Sox right fielder Tom Brun ansky were among 10 players who filed Tuesday bringing the total so far to 31 Presley is the only el igible free agent pending a ruling next month by arbitrator George Nicolau that could also grant starting pitcher Charlie Lei brandt free agen cy because of collusion by own ers following the 1987 season Braves president Stan Kasten has conducted preliminary nego tiations with agent Jim Krivacs since early September After expressing early optimism of a deal being reached before the filing period Presley ac knowledged he would likely ex plore the market first The Braves are the only club that can sign Presley until Nov 5 Kasten said Tuesday that ne gotiations will be handled by general manager John Schuer holz who will remain in West Palm Beach la attending the organizational meetings through the end of the week still going through a lot of said Kasten who returned Tuesday from the meetings very very ac tive with going over things with Jim By the end of the week be done with that The Braves obtained Presley from the Seattle Mariners last January for minor league pitch er Gary Eave and third baseman Ken Pennington The team avoided arbitration by signing Presley to a one year contract that paid him $720000 including $80000 in incentives for 1990 Presley batted 242 with 19 home runs and 72 RBIs this sea son His home run total was the highest for a Braves third base man since 20 in 1983 His RBIs were the most at the po sition since 97 in 1982 Presley who turned 29 Tues day has indicated he would pre fer to remain in Atlanta because elder Sandberg all star team gillie I )l Henderson 'VjM I I I The Associated Press all star baseball team which was announced Tuesday: irst baseman Cecil ielder Detroit Second baseman Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Third baseman Matt Williams San rancisco Shortstop Barry Larkin Cincinnati Catcher Carlton isk Chicago White Sox Outfielders Rickey Henderson Oak land Barry Bonds Pittsburgh Bobby Bon as chosen by sports writers and broadcasters ilia Pittsburgh Designated hitter Dave Parker Mil waukee Right handed pitcher Bob Welch Oakland 103 Left handed pitcher rank Viola New York Mets a Relief Bobby Thigpen Chica go White Sox Complete voting C7 of its grass field and its proximi ty to his Pensacola la home Others filing Tuesday were pitchers Ted Higuera of the Mil waukee Brewers Steve arr of the Kansas City Royals John Tu dor of the St Louis Cardinals and Dan Petry of the California An gels along with Pittsburgh Pi rates outfielder RJ Reynolds and Minnesota Twins outfielder John Moses nList of free agents C7 OUTDOORS Ducks Unlimited auction fight boxing card By Kent Mitchell Staff writer The Atlanta Chapter of Ducks Unlimited realizes that some thing else is going on Thursday night that will compete with the annual banquet So to minimize competition with the Evander Holyfield Buster Douglas heavyweight championship fight which is un likely to begin before 10:30 pm Eastern time banquet planners are aiming at a 10 pm finish ac cording to senior regional direc tor Dan Denton The banquet will start at 5:30 pm that they can come right in from Denton said The affair an old fashioned with two roast pigs and side dishes of barbecue and catfish fingers will be held at the New Georgia Railroad Depot ad jacent to Underground Atlanta Ducks Unlimited annual banquet Where: New Georgia Railroad Depot adjacent to Underground Atlanta When: Thursday 5:30 10 pm Tickets: $65 includes membership in Ducks Unlimited Information: Call John Ring (982 8711) or Ray MosesLisa Kirk (441 0694) Auction items include: A two day quail hunt on Rankin Seminole Planta tion This item has gone for as much as $10000 in past auctions A pair of Beretta shotguns valued at $10000 A $7000 two day fishing trip to St Thomas on a 73 foot yacht so plush it even has a wine cellar A block of 20 tickets for the Dec 30 Atlanta alcons Dallas Cowboys game TENNIS BRACELETS DIAMOND EARRINGS DIAMOND SOLITAIRE INCL 14K MOUNTING EDERAL WHOLESALE DIAMONDS INC PEARLS RUBIES GOLD SAPPHIRES EMERALDS CT 4 149 16 189 'z 349 595 1 795 15 1095 395 2 Ct 895 3 Ct 1295 4 Ct 1695 CT tw 4 119 3 159 2 295 y4 459 1 595 15 995 LAYAWAY ALLSIZES AND STYLES AVAIL INANCING AVAILABLE 5084 LA VISTA RD 938 7936 LOCATED 2 Mlles TtICKER GA300S4 CALI COLLECT (404) Outside 285 LaVlsla Road Exit 2 Rates are per person: 2 night minimum space avail basis Reservations by deposit only INCLUDES: BUS TO GAME BOX LUNCH SET UPS PLUS SEAOOD DINNER SATURDAY NIGHT! conponiniun (800) 342 6872 (GA) Jekyll Island GA 31520 BALA WEEKEND PACKAGES DAWG DAYS! 3 DAYS2 NIGHTS SfflR 3BRVKU (6 person occupancy) eME 10R2BRWLU (1 BR 2 person occ 2BR4 person occ) MMMaksoat 222 2727 Etas Your call! SCORE BIG THIS SEASON WITH OOTBALL ORTUNE a new contest from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution You can win up to $500 every week just by picking the winners of 1 1 college football games EASY TO PLAY Using a TouchTone phone you can cfctll 222 2727 anytime between 9 am Sunday and midnight riday prior to each week's games Call 24 hours a day And each call is free within the Atlanta calling area! EASY TO WIN! When you call 222 2727 you'll be asked to enter your home telephone number and social security number for identification purposes Then make your picks for this week's games Every player who picks 1 1 games correctly will be eligible to win the weekly $500 grand prize If more than one perfect entry is received the winner will be randomly chosen from all correct entries In addition five $50 prizes will be awarded each week at random to those fans who pick 1 1 out of 1 1 games correctly but didn't win the grand prize If there are no 1 1 of 1 1 game winners $50 prizes will be awarded to five players among those with the highest number of correct picks Games Played Saturday Oct 27 Georgia at Kentucky Duke at Georgia Tech Purdue at Michigan State Stanford at Oregon So Carolina at NC State Penn State at Alabama Utah at Air orce Missouri at Okla State Michigan at Indiana Carolina at urman Oklahoma at Colorado JIlIH THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION III 222 2727 THE MOMENT TRUTH WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP IllIH.