Media members to race at Boyd's Speedway - and more Chattanooga region sports news

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog

Local radio and television personalities will take part in a special race this Saturday night at Boyd's Speedway, with instruction from former Late Model national champion Dale McDowell. The Chattanooga Media Gran Prix is scheduled to include on-air talent from Clear Channel's WUSY US101 and Rock105, Cumulus' WGOW 102.3 FM and WDSI Fox 61 TV in Crate Late Model cars, according to the speedway's website. Three other rounds of media races are planned for the 2014 season. Saturday night also will include the track's regular classes, with racing set to begin at 7. This past Saturday at Boyd's, Dallas Brooks won the B-Hobby midseason championship with Eric Hughes second and Jeff Irvin third. Mike Tinker won the 30-lap Late Model feature with Riley Hickman and Tod Hernandez next in line, and Bryan Pritchard was first with Craig Burrows second in the Crate race. Booger Brooks in A-Hobby and Koty Campbell in Minis were other victors. Boyd's is combining with Fort Payne Motor Speedway and Duck River Raceway Park for a "Labor Day Triple Crown" for Late Models, with Boyd's hosting the first of the 50-lap, $3,000-to-win races on Aug. 29 and Fort Payne following on Aug. 30.

• A list of winners was not made available, but the Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip had more than 100 cars competing in eight classes in great weather this past Saturday night. Many drivers traveled more than 100 miles to compete and all the winners got double the usual prize money, according to a track report.

Swimming

• Former McCallie School star Sean Ryan from Hixson is entered in the 1500-meter freestyle and the 10-kilometer open-water race in the Pan Pacific Championships that start Thursday in Australia. Ryan, who went on to Michigan from McCallie, qualified to race in the 1500 free on Thursday and the 10k on Monday.

Volleyball

• Carson-Newman University senior outside hitter Rachel Harper from Boyd-Buchanan was voted to the 2014 All-South Atlantic Conference volleyball preseason first team, and senior setter Kristen Pickett from Cleveland High School was picked for the second team announced Monday. Harper made the All-SAC second team after last season, when she finished third in the league in points (441) and fourth in kills (381), kills per set (3.59) and service aces (36). Pickett received honorable mention after a 2013 season with third-place league totals of 1,033 assists and 9.48 assists per set. She is second in school history in career assists with 2,641. The Lady Eagles were picked eighth in the coaches' poll, one spot higher than they finished last fall. Wingate was picked to win its seventh consecutive SAC championship.