PENSACOLA, FL – Bubba Pollard had some unfinished business. The Senoia, Georgia superstar Super Late Model driver wanted so desperately to win the first half of the Rowdy Energy Twin 100s this weekend at Five Flags Speedway. As Pollard piloted David Rogers’ legendary No. 11 Super Late Model on Friday night in the #Forever11 100, the race named in honor for the late Rogers who died in March from cancer.
Pollard and Rogers were as close off the track as they were on it.
“It was always cool to hear stories about how (Rogers) raced back in the day,” Pollard said earlier this week of his dear friend. “He had all this knowledge. When David spoke, you listened. I’d take in everything he was saying – whether it was life or anything.”
When Pollard settled for third against a 36-car field Friday, his SLM rivals and fans alike knew the all-time leader in Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series wins would be a man on a mission in the second half of the Rowdy doubleheader weekend.
Pollard wasn’t about to leave Pensacola without penning another chapter to his storied history at his beloved home away from his native Georgia.
True to form, Pollard was determined and methodical in capturing the Universal Fabricators 100 for his 27th career Blizzard Series victory. The 33-year-old passed 15-year-old Jake Garcia on Lap 74 and cashed a $15,000 payday.
“This is special. This is for David Rogers and TM Ranch,” said Pollard, who started eighth. “It has been a long, hot weekend, and it’s just awesome to see all the fans. We a’int gotten to race much, so racing in front of crowds this size is incredible.”
Garcia led nearly 30 laps on Saturday and kept Pollard honest for a while in the final 26 laps, but ultimately the teenager finished a more-than-respectable runner-up to short-track racing’s king. A night after coming home fourth, Pensacola’s Jeremy Pate capped a magical couple days by finishing third Saturday.
#Forever11 100 winner Stephen Nasse ran in the top-10 all night but could do no better than sixth in his attempt to sweep the weekend.
Casey Roderick finished fifth on Saturday after a roller-coaster ride in the maiden voyage of his self-owned No. 25 SLM on Friday. The three-time Blizzard Series champ led Friday’s race at one point and had the car to beat before a leak forced him to park it.
Kyle Plott started on the pole Saturday night and led the first 47 laps before mechanical troubles sent him behind the wall. That’s when Garcia took his turn in clean air and showed off his repertoire of skills befitting of one of the top young hotshoes in short-track racing.
Pollard, meanwhile, avoided trouble all around him and gradually chewed his way through a cluster of cars that separated him from Garcia’s bumper.
“We just got behind there for a minute,” Pollard said. “I didn’t know if we would make our way up through there. But the car was really good. Jake’s a good racecar driver. He didn’t make any mistakes and my hat’s off to him for the way he drove.”
Pollard now has 135 career Late Model wins (69 SLM, 66 PLM) and 25 victories in the Southern Super Series, 14 of which have come at Five Flags.
5Flags Speedway Press Release – Story by Chuck Corder
Deep South Crane – Blizzard Series – Race Two
Rowdy Energy Twin 100’s – Race One
#Forever11 100 – Qualifying Results
1) 4 Kyle Plott 16.637
2) 54 Preston Peltier 16.653
3) 30 Jesse Dutilly 16.666
4) 51n Stephen Nasse 16.695
5) 26a Willie Allen 16.704
6) 25 Casey Roderick 16.715
7) 18 Hunter Robbins 16.725
8) 51a Michael Atwell 16.746
9) 11 Bubba Pollard 16.751
10) 36 Terry Senneker 16.764
11) 17 Nick Nerri 16.766
12) 10 Kayden Honeycut 16.774
13) 7b Jackson Boone 16.777
14) 14h Carson Hocevar 16.789
15) 88 Perry Patino 16.791
16) 21 Jeremy Pate 16.792
17) 66 Logan Bearden 16.792
18) 14n Austin Nason 16.807
19) 03 George Gorham Jr. 16.813
20) 45 Kodie Conner 16.814
21) 35 Jake Garcia 16.816
22) 14c Connor Okrzesik 16.819
23) 53b Boris Jurkovic 16.826
24) 20d Jack Dossey III 16.829
25) 7d John DeAngelis16.832
26) 2 Donnie Wilson 16.836
27) 14d Chris Davidson 16.864
28) 39 Kyle Sieg 16.899
29) 9 Hudson Halder 16.905
30) 43 Daniel Dye 16.928
31) 53i Kyle Ivey 17.070
32) 15 Sheflon Clay 17.092
33) 8 Colton Nelson 17.227
34) 44 Bob Lyon 17.485
35) 15h Friday Hassler Jr. 17.685
#Forever11 100 – Feature Results
1) 51n Stephen Nasse
2) 18 Hunter Robbins
3) 11 Bubba Pollard
4) 21 Jeremy Pate
5) 14h Carson Hocevar
6) 26a Willie Allen
7) 14c Connor Okrzesik
8) 35 Jake Garcia
9) 7d John DeAngelis
10) 66 Logan Bearden
11) 7b Jackson Boone
12) 4 Kyle Plott
13) 88 Perry Patino
14) 43 Daniel Dye
15) 45 Kodie Conner
16) 53b Boris Jurkovic
17) 14n Austin Nason
18) 44 Bob Lyon
19) 8 Colton Nelson
20) 14d Chris Davidson
21) 30 Jesse Dutilly
22) 51a Michael Atwell
23) 25 Casey Roderick
24) 17 Nick Nerri
25) 53i Kyle Ivey
26) 10 Kayden Honeycut
27) 15h Friday Hassler Jr
28) 36 Terry Senneker
29) 54 Preston Peltier
30) 03 George Gorham Jr.
31) 9 Hudson Halder
32) 39 Kyle Sieg
33) 20d Jack Dossey III
34) 2 Donnie Wilson
35) 15 Sheflon Clay
Deep South Crane – Blizzard Series – Race Three
Rowdy Energy Twin 100’s – Race Two
Feature Results
1) 26p Bubba Pollard
2) 35 Jake Garcia
3) 21 Jeremy Pate
4) 14c Connor Okrzesik
5) 25 Casey Roderick
6) 51n Stephen Nasse
7) 53b Boris Jurkovic
8) 14d Chris Davidson
9) 26a Willie Allen
10) 66 Logan Bearden
11) 18 Hunter Robbins
12) 45 Kodie Conner
13) 7d John DeAngelis
14) 9 Hudson Halder
15) 51a Michael Atwell
16) 10 Kayden Honeycut
17) 03 George Gorham Jr.
18) 43 Daniel Dye
19) 30 Jesse Dutilly
20) 88 Perry Patino
21) 7b Jackson Boone
22) 20d Jack Dossey III
23) 8 Colton Nelson
24) 4 Kyle Plott
25) 15h Friday Hassler Jr.
26) 17 Nick Nerri
27) 22 Donnie Wilson
28) 14n Austin Nason
29) 36 Terry Senneker
30) 44 Bob Lyon
For more information on the Southern Super Series visit southernsuperseries.com
