Three area racers make Hall of Fame

The votes are in, and three racers from Banks and Habersham County are among the “Elite Eight” to be inducted into the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame.

Buck Simmons, Tommie Irvin and Katron Sosebee will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in October.

Simmons, of Baldwin, is a Georgia dirt track legend. With over 1,000 feature wins, Simmons has set the racing standard for drivers around the state and the nation for short track racing.

Simmons won on dirt and asphalt tracks all across the southeast, and was the 1981 National Dirt Racing Association champ. He also took wins in events for the United Dirt Track Racing Association and the Southern All-Stars. He is also a member of the National Dirt Hall of Fame.

Irvin, also of Baldwin, is a stock car racing pioneer. Racing locally in the 1940s and 1950s, he was among the first drivers to obtain a license from Bill France’s new racing organization, known as NASCAR. Irvin raced at the famed Beach and Road course at Daytona Beach, Fla., and won his biggest career victory in 1955 at the famed Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta.

That same year, Irvin opened Banks County Speedway, which would see the best and fastest in southern racing come to compete. Irvin closed the track after 15 years. He continues to live in Banks County today.

Sosebee was born in Habersham County, and has strong family roots there. He became a force to be reckoned with on dirt tracks across Georgia. He was a frequent winner at the famed Peach Bowl in Atlanta, where he won the 1963 Super Modified winner. After retiring, Sosebee would go on to help his son, Bo, and his nephew Michael in the sport, competing mainly at Lanier National Speedway. Sosebee currently lives in Lilburn.

Other 2009 inductees include Bob Burcham of Rossville, Luther Carter of Acworth, Ronnie Sanders of Fayetteville, Leon Sells of Villa Rica and Herb “Tootle” Estes of Knoxville, Tenn.

The induction ceremony will be held on October 23, at 6 p.m. at the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame at the Dawsonville Municipal Complex in Dawsonville, Ga. Reservations are required to attend the induction ceremony. For more information, call Dawsonville City Hall at 706-265-3256, or go online to www.georgiaracinghof.com.

For more information on the Hall of Fame and its past inductees, go to www.georgiaracinghof.com.