By Randy Laney
State Sports Writer

Representatives of Blaney Drag Strip in Elgin received the track of the year award at the annual National Hot Rod Association Division II awards banquet in Atlanta last week.

The award is voted each year by NHRA officials, track promoters and drivers who compete in the world championship meets in the eight state Southeast Division.

Last year’s honor went to Gainesville International Dragway in Gainesville, Florida, site of the annual Gator Nationals.

Other honors went to Ronnie Sox from Burlington, North Carolina, as Professional Driver of the year and to Bobby Warren of Clinton, North Carolina, as Sportsman Driver of the Year.

PLANS were recently announced for a $10 million international racing complex near Fort Walton beach in Northwest Florida.

The plant, to be known as Florida International Motor Speedway, has reportedly signed long term agreements with both the U. S. Auto Club and the International Hot Rod Association.

The track’s first USAC 500-mile championship (Indy-type) event is tentatively schedule for October of 1972. Other events planned for the facility each year include a 500-mile USAC late model stock car race and spring and fall three-day national drag racing competition.

The plans call for 60,000 permanent seats, a 2 1/2 mile trioval, a road course and drag strip. Developers of the facility are northwest Florida businessmen.

DAVE Marcis, a hard-working independent on NASCAR’s Grand National Circuit, was honored recently in his home town of Wasau, Wisconsin, by day-long facilities marking “Dave Marcis Day.”

A dinner attended by more than 200 persons kept the observance for the 29-year-old Dodge driver who rose from a 19th place finish and point standings to a ninth-place showing in two years of Grand National competition.

Fellow Dodge driver Bobby Allison of Hueytown, Alabama, took part in the festivities. “To race with factory equipment is one thing.” Allison said. “To race as Dave Marcis dose is something else. Dave works on his car perhaps all night long before a race, then drives just as hard and as well as the rest of us who have had a good nights rest.”

BUNKIE Knudsen, former president of Ford Motor Company and an experienced executive of the automotive industry, has been elected to the board of directors of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States.

ACCUS in the governing body of motorsports in the U. S. Knudsen, elected as a member at large, will aid in formulating policy and rules for the sprot and for member organizations – including Sports Car Club of America, National Hot Rod Association, U. S. Auto Club and National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

DISTINGUISHING Petty Engineering’s two-car team on NASCAR’s Grand National Circuit in 1971 will be much simpler than last season.

Last year it often became quite confusing with both Richard Petty and Pete Hamilton plotting near-identical electric blue Plymouth Superbird’s.

This season, however, Hamilton has joined Cotton Owens with Bonny Baker competing the Petty Engineering lineup. Petty will still chauffeur his familiar blue No. 43 while Baker will be at the wheel of a white Dodge emblazoned with a big red No. 11.