July 29, 2023

Nestled in the hills of northern Alabama, you will find Sayre Speedway, a 1/4-mile long asphalt track with several divisions running on any given week. LRR made the trip on Saturday, July 29th for the 13th annual BJ Parker Memorial Race.

This race is a yearly event which honors BJ Parker, a notable figure in the Birmingham racing community who unfortunately passed away from male breast cancer. All proceeds from the event benefit the American Cancer Society.

The divisions participating in this week’s festivities were the Buzz, Pure Street, Mini Modified, Limited Modified, Late Model, and Road Runner classes. From minivans to open-wheel modifieds to outlaw-style late models, Sayre Speedway showcased a diverse selection of cars.

First up was the Buzz division, which kicked everything off with the biggest incident of the night. In the closing laps, Trey Yarborough would look inside of Chris Hill for the lead, getting Hill sideways in turn 3. The two were side-by-side exiting turn 4 onto the frontstretch, until Hill made contact with the right-rear corner of Yarborough’s machine, sending him into the wall and ending his night. Hill was shown the black flag shortly thereafter. Jimmy Hudson would go on to win the first feature of the night, with Jonathon Eustice finishing 2nd and Matt Smith finishing 3rd.

Next up were the Pure Street cars. Carter Murray and Bo Gray had a fierce battle for the lead, in which Murray would get the better of Gray, moving into the top position and not looking back. Carter Murray took the win, with Bo Gray and Hunter Bobo rounding out the podium in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The third division of the night was the Mini Modified division. This division is made up of 4-cylinder cars, but don’t let the size of these machines fool you. These racers flew around the track, and it would be Jody Garner taking home the victory. Chase Owens finished 2nd, and Adam Gunter would finish 3rd.

The Limited Modifieds took to the track next. These racers can be seen at a few tracks in the region, with some drivers having experience in the well-known Modifieds of Mayhem tour. Points leader Joey Morgan would cruise to another victory. Meanwhile, Jered Moore would finish in the runner-up spot, with Colby Fitzgerald finishing 3rd.

The Late Models were up for the penultimate event of the night. Sayre’s Late Model division features a unique mix of outlaw-style bodies and more traditional-style late model bodies. This 50-lapper would see Charlie Melvin put forth an impressive drive, going from 7th to the lead early on in the race. Melvin would go on to win, with Frankie Martin and John Wilkinson rounding out the podium spots.

“The leaders… one of them drove off in there and knocked one of them out of the way, and I turned to the bottom and there it was. Can’t thank my guys enough. It was a fun little Sayre Saturday night.”

Wrapping the night’s action up was the Road Runner division. This was probably the most diverse field of cars all night, with Ford Mustangs, a minivan, and even a Dodge Challenger all being contenders for the win. It would ultimately be Jered James who crossed the line in first. Frank McClain finished 2nd, and Kenny Hogan would finish in 3rd.

The BJ Parker Memorial Race was a great showcase of speed and racecraft, but the true reason for the night, that being the race against cancer, was not forgotten. A grand total of $5,133 was raised for the American Cancer Society. It was a great testament to the local racing community coming together for an awesome cause.

LRR wants to thank the whole crew at Sayre Speedway for welcoming us and allowing us to cover all the racing action. Our first trip to this particular track was awesome, and we highly recommend that you check out a race at Sayre if you haven’t been already.