2 Donnie Wilson 2h Brett Holmes 4 Kason Plott 5 Dalton Armstrong 7 Casey Roderick 9 Jeff Choquette 11 David Rogers 11 Logan Boyett 14 Conner Okrzesik 15 Christian Eckes 19 Kyle Plott 26 Chandler Smith 26 Bubba Pollard 26 Travis Braden 30 Bobby Knox 43 Dennis Schoenfeld 47 Allen Karnes 51 Cole Rouse 51 Stephen Nasse 55 Cole Anderson 58 Tyler Ankrum 79 Kyle Bryant 88 Garrett Jones 92 Ron McDonald 95 Derrick Griffin 98 Paul Kelley 99 Casey Smith 99 Chase Purdy 112 Augie Grill
00 Brannon Fowler 1 Howard Langham M7 Raymond Dormer 9 Logan Boyett 11 Raymond Dormer 12 Brandon Burks 15 Colt James 15 Mark Lindley 18 Jessie Reid 21 Jason Welch 29 Shanna Ard 38 Chopper Stagner 38 Curt Britt 40 Brian Weimer 46 Jarrett Parker 48 Tovia Grynowicz 51 Trevor Bowen 55 Ralph Wheeler 56 Darryl Rudd By Chuck Corder 58 Jake Moore Five Flags Speedway officially 66 Andrew Johnson kicked off its short-track racing 67 Daniel Bradford season on March 4. But the road 68 Lori Lindley to the 51st running of the Snow- 95 Chris Comalander ball Derby begins this week at 96 Rick Pollaro Pensacola’s high banks. (con’t 98 Jay Jay Day on next page.)
Fresh Off a Win, Defending Blizzard Series Champion Pollard Returns
National Anthem Angela Adair
The Super Late Models of the Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series open their year Friday night as the Southern Super Series makes its first stop of the year here. Defending and three-time track champion Bubba Pollard — the only Blizzard Series driver to accomplish the hat trick — leads a talented field that will descend upon Five Flags for the Rubber & Specialties, Inc., 125. Pollard has endured an unpredictable start to his year. He’s experienced a handful of lows, including a pair of DNFs, and some highs thanks to a pair of victories. After enduring a drought that dated back to January, Pollard regained his winning ways last weekend at Orange County (NC) Speedway, capturing the CARS Tour Mid-Atlantic Classic. “It feels good. We’ve had fast racecars,” Pollard told Speed51.com. “We’ve got good people behind us. We just couldn’t get the finishes we needed to show for it.” He looks for a return trip to Victory Lane . There are few drivers who have dominated at Five Flags like Pollard. He won three of the four SLM races last year in Pensacola, extending his all-time mark for Blizzard Series victories to 16. (con’t on next page).
May 11 Mods, OS, SP, PS May 25 OS, PT, SP, PS Jun 8 Kids Bikes, OS, SP, PS Jun 22 Bliz 2, PT, PS Jul 6 PLM 100,OS, OS, PS Jul 20 Bliz 3, OS, PS Aug 3 Demo Derby, Mods, SP, PS Aug 17 PLM 100, PT, PS Sep 15 * OS, PT, SP, PS Championships Sep 22 Nite of Championships, Blizzard & PLM
Schedule
Friday April 27 1:00pm Pits Open 1:15 Qualifying Draw / Tire Selection 3:00 SSS Driver’s Meeting (tech station) 4:00-5:00 SSS Practice 5:30 PT, PS Practice (round 1) SSS Cars to Pre-Qualifying Tech (by group) 6:00 PT, PS Driver’s Meeting (Victory Lane) 6:20 PT, PS (round 2 / qualifying) 7:00 SSS Qualifying 7:50 Pre Race Festivities 8:00 Pro Truck, Pure Stock Heats Blizzard Cars to grid (Autograph Session) Rubber & Specialties 125 PT Feature (30 Laps) PS Feature (20 Laps)
Car Photos
Video Ted Baber Eddie Richie 251-232-8836 850-458-2501
2 11 11 16 16 17 19 25 21 22 24 27 29 30 34 42 44 49 52 71
80 86 91 95 97
Tony Boyd, Pensascola, Johnathan Day, Mobile Cameron Leytham, Mobile Brad Mosley; 8 Mile Rocky Boyd; Pensacola Lee Williams, Theadore, Daryl McDonald III, Theadore, Robert Loper, Theadore, AL Butch Harvell, Pensacola John K Merritt, Pensacola Caleb Burkett, Pensacola Jimmy Hollingsworth, Mobile Matt Thompson, Wilmer, AL Bobby Suarez, Pensacola Cory Pittman, Cantonment Brandin Sidner, Pensacola Bobby Jones, Mobile Jay Whalen, Pensacola Robert Balkum, Pensacola Tommie Blocker, Mobile Zack Jordan, Pensacola Jonathan Smith, Theadore Sarah Dority, Pensacola Robert Riley, Gulfbreeze Charles Barber, Irvington, AL
No other driver has as glowing of a resume than the Senoia, Ga., hotshoe.
The only other driver who stacks up anywhere near Pollard’s tower of accomplishments is Casey Roderick, of Lawrenceville, Ga, who won all four 100-lap Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Model races last season en route to the track title. Also a two-time Blizzard Series champion, Roderick once again
found his way to Victory Lane during the PLM season opener last month at Five Flags. The last time the SSS raced on April 7 at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, it was Roderick scoring his second straight victory in the North/South SLM Challenge. Corey Heim, yet another driver hailing from the Peach State, comes into Friday’s race atop the SSS points standings. The teenage driver dazzled in his first SLM start back in March at the Rattler 250, finishing an impressive fifth among the sport’s finest wheelmen who gathered at the legendary South Alabama Speedway.
“It was almost surreal,” Heim told Speed51.com. “I think about 75 laps in I was behind (Canadian teen Raphaël) Lessard, Pollard, (eventual race winner Harris) Burton and all those guys. I was running right with them, we were conserving tires and I felt like I was almost better than them at that time. It’s cool to be around those guys I’ve looked up to and studied. I’ve watched them win tons of races, just surreal to be next to them the entire race.” Heim gets another crack among elite company Friday night.
52
Robert Balkum
3
Mark Barnhill
26
Bubba Pollard
24
Caleb Burkett
55
Jimbo Walker
7
Casey Roderick
22
John K Merritt
28
Dayton Sidner
2
Donnie Wilson
91
Sarah Dority
97
Hunter Lambert
51
Stephen Nasse
97
Charles Barber
07
Jim Pokrant
26
Chandler Smith
3t
Logan Boyett
7
Kody Brusso
18
Casey Roderick
95 Chris Comalander
92
Bubba WInslow
33
Dustin Smith
00 Brannon Fowler
4
Todd Jones
14
Chris Davidson
56 Darryl Rudd
84
Joe Mahuron
66
Korey Ruble
21 Jason Welch
1
Donald Crocke r
81
Giovanni Bromante
9
Pro Trucks are competitive!