Phil Coltrane – deceased – Free Home, GA

Known to many as the Free Home Flyer, Phil Coltrane loved racing from the very beginning.  At the age of 1, Coltrane attended his first race and was immediately entranced.  By 15, he had his first racecar – a 1968 Chevelle – before he had a personal vehicle.

Coltrane won his first race at Rome Speedway in his #17 Chevy Nova, leading every lap in his B Cadet Class at the age of 17.  He later moved on to Late Models and then Super Late Models. Even in the early ’90s, his participation in the Hav-A-Tampa Series brought him a lot of success – fastest qualifier in the ’91 Shootout and ’92’s Hav-A-Tampa S.A.S. Rookie of the Year.

Coltrane was a successful dirt Late Model race driver and car builder with over 115 career wins.  These wins largely took place across the Southeast, including Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas as well.  Although he raced in several states, he felt more at home at Dixie and Rome Speedways. Coltrane also went on to be a co-promoter at Sugar Creek Raceway from 1997 to 1998.  As a successful fabricator, he developed Raider Chassis and mentored many young drivers.