Clay Hill Motorsports Provides a Family Atmosphere for Racing
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In Atwood, the roar of engines at night fall is common place. Clay Hill Motorsports, a 3/8 of a mile clay oval has been running races every Saturday night since 1991. It was the idea of Dale Rimmer and area farmers to come together and build a track right here in West Tennessee. “He got a lot of area farmers together to build the track,” track owner Dale Nelson said. “We all pitched in and built the track to just have a good Saturday night thing to do. And to have good clean, family fun.” Family fun. That is the goal for Nelson and Clay Hill. It is one of the only tracks that does not serve alcohol and with new grandstands and concession stands it offers a comfortable race experience. “It’s a clean, family place,” Nelson said. “You can bring the family and have fun. They come out and see racing and to have fun. And hopefully they will come back and see us again.” Every Saturday night from March to September, dozens of drivers come to Clay Hill to test their skills against the best. Even for local drivers, Clay Hill gives them a chance to perform in front of a home crowd. “When you’re here, 90 percent of the people you see, you know them and are on a first name basis with,” local driver Matt Cooper said. “You see them throughout the week and its really good.” The track has even begun to attract some big named drivers like Austin Dillon, the grandson of Richard Childress. “It’s really cool seeing fans out here supporting a track in the middle of nowhere coming from all different places,” Dillon said. “It’s cool to see all those people come out to the shows.” As for the future of the track, expect even more big names and some very competitive races. “We add to it a little each year to make it better so we can have bigger races,” Nelson said. “In the future we hope to have NASCAR races on dirt where they can come out here. That’s one of the goals to have some big guys come out here to race on dirt.” If you ask Nelson, being at a race, even just one time will be an experience of a lifetime. “Right here your 50 feet from the track,” Nelson said. “You can feel the cars when they drive by. It’s a different experience when your sitting in the middle of it and watching it and its happening in front of you. It’s just an experience. I want them to experience it one time.”
