Gnat Country High School Football Report

 🦟 GNAT COUNTRY FOOTBALL REPORT

The Contenders Are Starting to Separate Themselves

We’re far enough into the 2026 high school football season now that we’re beginning to learn who is for real.

And if you’re talking about football in Gnat Country, you’d better make room for Lowndes, Valdosta and Colquitt County along with Tift County, Fitzgerald, Worth County, Cook, Berrien, Irwin County and Turner County.

So let’s take a ride around Gnat Country and see where everybody stands.

🟣 LOWNDES — 5-0 AND FLAT-OUT DOMINANT

You want a team that has our attention?

Start with the Vikings.

Lowndes is 5-0 and has outscored its opponents 186-14. The Vikings have beaten Jenkins 31-6, Harris County 38-0, Lithonia 22-8, Blanche Ely 42-0 and Long County 53-0. (MaxPreps.com)

Do the math on that defense.

Fourteen points allowed in five games.

Lowndes has recorded three shutouts and hasn’t allowed more than eight points in a game.

Region 1-7A hasn’t even started yet, which means the biggest tests are still ahead: Camden County, Richmond Hill, Valdosta and Colquitt County are waiting down the road. (MaxPreps.com)

But right now, the Vikings are making a mighty loud statement.

BillyBob Goodman

Just How My Life Turned Upside Down 

Billy “BillyBob” Goodman Tells His Story

For nearly two decades, race fans at Cordele Motor Speedway knew the voice coming across the PA system. Today, longtime track announcer Billy “BillyBob” Goodman is facing a much different challenge. Deep Dixie Racing asked our longtime friend to tell his story in his own words.

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I’ve known Billy Goodman for a long time.

Most race fans around South Georgia know him as BillyBob. That's how I came to know him, too — through stock car racing.

Billy was working for Marvin Ragan when he got the opportunity in 2006 to live out something he'd dreamed about since he was a kid: becoming a racetrack announcer. For the next 18 years, BillyBob was the voice of Cordele Motor Speedway.

And when I say “the voice,” I mean it. If you spent much time at Cordele during those years, you heard Billy.

Our friendship wasn't limited to racing, though. Billy knew I followed high school football about as closely as I followed race cars, and through the years he'd send me scores, information and updates about what was happening on Friday nights.

He also introduced me to something else that I probably ought to either thank him for or blame him for:

Who Rules the Dirt? Ranking America’s Top Super Late Model Series in 2026

Lucas Oil takes our top spot, but the World of Outlaws is close enough to turn this ranking into a Saturday-night argument.

Ask ten dirt-racing fans to rank America’s leading Super Late Model series and you may get twelve different answers, along with at least one argument about tires.

That is part of what makes the sport so much fun. Unlike racing divisions built around one national sanctioning body, dirt Super Late Model racing is spread across national tours, regional championships and shorter miniseries. They do not all race the same number of events, visit the same territory or pursue the same kind of championship.

Deep Dixie Racing ranked the current series using five primary considerations:

• Strength and depth of competition
• Feature purses and championship money
• Quality and geographic reach of the schedule
• History and prestige
• Media coverage and accessibility to fans

This is a ranking of the series as they stand in 202 not an all-time history lesson and not a ranking of individual crown-jewel races. The World 100, Dirt Late Model Dream and other major events carry enormous prestige, but they are races rather than touring series.

With that understood, let the arguing begin.

1. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series earns the top position by bringing together the best overall combination of elite competition, championship money and crown-jewel events.

Its 2026 calendar contains 58 events at 26 tracks across 15 states. Twelve premier races offer at least $50,000 to win, culminating with the $100,000-to-win Dirt Track World Championship. The season-long points fund totals approximately $1.265 million, with $250,000 reserved for the national champion.

The regular field is loaded with drivers capable of winning anywhere in the country. Add the national stars who appear at the larger events, and very few races on the schedule offer an easy path to victory.

Lucas Oil gets the top spot, but this is no runaway. Its advantage over the World of Outlaws is measured in inches, not straightaways.

Kyle Busch Invitational

𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 🚨 Friday's Kyle Busch Invitational at @BGSRacing will be available to stream FREE on FloRacing and the #NASCAR Channel. 📺

Fans watching from home are encouraged to contribute directly to the Samantha and Kyle Busch's @bundleofjoyfund. pic.twitter.com/DcWCNe6Tyb

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) August 19, 2026

Another Big Wreck

🚨 WHAT JUST HAPPENED!? Total chaos on the restart at @FlorenceSpdwy with 90 laps remaining in the @lucasdirt North/South 100!#LucasDirt pic.twitter.com/M7FXPuBEX5

— FloRacing (@FloRacing) August 9, 2026

Strange Wreck, This One

Holy moly pic.twitter.com/yVWffOQIG5

— 🏁Jamie45🏁 (@FortyFiveJamie) August 9, 2026

Huge Pileup At Ultimate Motorsports Park

Click here to view another angle.

8th Annual Borderline Brawl Feature by DirtDobber Video

DirtDobber Video @ All-Tech Raceway 4/20/2024

  

604 Late Model Feature

602 Late Model Feature

Get Ready for the 8th Annual Borderline Brawl at All-Tech Raceway!

 

Lake City, Florida is about to become the epicenter of high-octane excitement as the much-anticipated 8th Annual Borderline Brawl gears up to take over the All-Tech Raceway on April 26th and 27th. This event promises to be a thrilling spectacle of speed, skill, and adrenaline, and it’s one you definitely won’t want to miss!

A Weekend of Thrills

The Borderline Brawl is more than just a race; it’s a celebration of the spirit of competition and camaraderie. Racers from all over the region will converge on the All-Tech Raceway, each aiming to claim the coveted title. But it’s not just about the glory; it’s about the love of the sport, the roar of the engines, and the shared excitement that only an event like this can bring.

The Rise of the Crown Vic Stock Car Racing Class

Crown Vics At All-Tech Raceway 4/20/2024

 

The Crown Vic stock car racing class is a testament to the ingenuity and passion of grassroots motorsport enthusiasts. This racing division, which has gained popularity in recent years, offers an affordable entry into the world of stock car racing. Here’s an overview of how it began, the costs involved, and the sheer excitement it brings to drivers and fans alike.

Origins of the Crown Vic Racing Class

The Crown Vic racing class emerged as an affordable, entry-level way to enter stock car oval racing¹. It was designed to keep the cars very stock, emphasizing the driver’s skill over the car’s modifications. This class typically includes the Ford Crown Vic, Mercury Grand Marquis, Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, or Lincoln Town Car models from 1995 and newer¹.

Chase Elliot Wins!

This one means so much. pic.twitter.com/4edtlh1VCf

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 14, 2024