00 Brandon Curren McCalla, AL 5 Donald Crocker Citronelle, AL 07 Blake Ferguson Jasper, AL 7 Ryan Worsham, Niceville 8 Donnie Hamrac Semmes, AL 10 Nathan Ingersol Robertdale, AL 14 Mike Maddox Meridian, MS 17 Chris Cotto Milton, FL 18 Gary Sanford Seminary, MS 31 Parker Pugh Madison, AL 33 Jason Mormon Seabrook, TX 36 Lance Blacker Marianna, FL 41 Rocky Rogers Jasper, AL 46 Doug Moff Naples, FL 51 Zach Knowles Houston, TX 64 Adam Crawford Mobile, AL 66 Korey Ruble, Dothan, AL 66 Ryan Redmon Headland, AL 72 Johnny Walker Pasadena, TX 79 Joe Aramendia N Braunfels, TX 81 Dillon Spreen Converse, TX 88 Larry Hughes Houston, TX 99 Brandon Howell Lucedale, MS 112 Augie Grill Hayden, AL 131 Jeff Letson Madison, AL 145 Billy Melvin Trussville, AL
Barnhill Leads a Steady Field of Contenders in Sportsmen Spectacular on Demo Derby Night Mark Barnhill was walking into Bible study Monday night for his daily dose of grace. The Theodore, Ala., driver has needed little divine intervention this season at Five Flags Speedway. Barnhill, the reigning Sportsmen Snowball Derby champion, currently sits atop The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen division with a 59-point lead thanks to four wins and two runnerup finishes in six Sportsmen races this season at Pensacola’s high banks. The owner of three straight feature victories, Barnhill will look to extend his streak to four at the 35-lap Sportsmen Spectacular on Friday at the famed half-mile asphalt oval. “It has been a great year, the way we’ve been running in Pensacola,” Barnhill said. “Sometimes, we haven’t even been the
fastest car out there. There’s probably four cars on any given night that can win. It just depends on where you start or who you get hung up behind.” With an increased purse of $750 going to the winner, Barnhill expects a packed field for the last Sportsmen feature before the division’s Night of Champions race in September. The stands are sure to be packed Friday night, as Five Flags hosts its annual Demolition Derby. In addition to the Sportsmen Spectacular, the Modifieds of Mayhem make their second trip to Pensacola and the Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks continue their season. Barnhill, who will turn 50 in December, has had his black No. 3 dialed in at Five Flags this season and isn’t much concerned that Friday’s 35 lapper will be the longest race the Sportsmen will run this season before their 50-lap feature at the 51st annual Snowball Derby in December. “We’ve run 30 laps this season, so 35 ain’t much to worry about,” Barnhill said. “The car is OK right now. Hopefully, it stays like that for another couple races.” He’ll certainly have some contenders to deal with. Milton driver Shanna Ard, who won back-to-back Sportsmen track championships in 2014-2015, hopes he can play spoiler to Barnhill’s nearly perfect season.
Car Photos Eddie Richie 251-232-8836
Video Ted Baber 850-458-2501
National Anthem Tiffany Harvey Teacher in Gulf Breeze
Aug 17 PLM 100, PT, PS Sept 15 Championships for OS, PT, SP, PS Sept 22 Championships for Blizzard & PLM
Schedule
Friday, Aug 3rd
2:00PM Pits Open 3:00PM Modified Driver’s Meeting (tech Station) 4 – 5:30PM MoM Practice 5:45PM Sportsman, Pure Stock Practice (2 Rounds) 6:30PM Modifieds to Pre- Qualifying Tech SP, PS Driver’s Meeting Victory Lane 7:00PM Sortsmen Qualifying (single car) Modifieds Qualifying
7:55PM Pre-Race Festivities 8:00PM Pure Stock Heats Dock of Pensacola Beach Sportsman Spectacular(35 Laps) Modified of Mayhem (50 Laps) Pure Stock Feature (20 Laps) Michles & Booth Demolition Derby
1 Johnathan Langham, Mobile 3 Mark Barnhill, Mobile, AL 07 Jim Pokrant, Pensacola 07 Johnny McNair, Pensacola 8 B J Leytham, Mobile 09 Hunter McNair, Cantonment 13 Paul Mathis, Pensacola 28 Dayton Sidner, Cantonment 29 Shanna Ard, Milton, FL 31 Johnny Greene, Daphne, AL 32 Red Dog Reynolds, Mobile 54 Donald Hardy, Cantonment 55 Jimbo Walker, Mobile, AL 60 Jimmy Goodwin, Pensacola 71 Tommie Blocker, Mobile 97 Hunter Lambert, Pensacola 357 Jason Huffmaster, Mobile
2 11 11 12 16 16 17 19 25 21 22 24 27 29 30 34 42 49 52 80 86 91 95 97 97
Tony Boyd, Pensascola, Johnathan Day, Mobile Cameron Leytham, Mobile T J Thonpson, 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 Jay Whalen, Pensacola Robert Balkum, Pensacola Zack Jordan, Pensacola Jonathan Smith, Theadore Sarah Dority, Pensacola Robert Riley, Gulfbreeze David Johnson, Irvington, Charles Barber, Mobile
The 37-year-old Ard didn’t have plans to run a full The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen schedule this year, but he has shifted plans after three podium finishes in the last three races. “My sponsors want to see me race some more, and I don’t want to tell them no,” Ard said. “If it wasn’t for Justin Smith at The Dock on Pensacola Beach, I probably wouldn’t be racing this year. He has been very good to me, and I wanted to return the favor to him.” Ard has been dealing with a lingering pain in his back that was only worsened when he was involved in a collision during his debut in the Faith Chapel Outlaw Stocks class last month. While Ard eyes a potential move up to the Outlaw Stocks next year, his focus is squarely on Barnhill this week. “Barnhill has been pretty darn good this season, and he’s the one to beat,” Ard said. “Hopefully, we can start up front. Since I’ve been back in the Sportsmen car, we’ve started in the back almost every race. You tend to have a lotta bad luck when you’re racing in the back of the pack. “I had one chance to get up and race (Barnhill), and I messed up on a restart.”
52
Robert Balkum
3
Mark Barnhill
18
Casey Roderick
24
Caleb Burkett
55
Jimbo Walker
26
Bubba Pollard
91
Sarah Dority
28
Dayton Sidner
88
Garrett Jones
42
Brandin SIdner
29
Shanna Ard
14
Connor Okrzesik
22
John K Merritt
07
Jim Pokrant
30
Jesse Dutilly
3t
Logan Boyett
7
Kody Brusso
18
Casey Roderick
95 Chris Comalander
4
Todd Jones
81
Giovanni Bromante
00 Brannon Fowler
1
Donald Crocker
14
Chris Davidson
21 Jason Welch
92
Bubba WInslow
97
Cole Anderson
56 Darryl Rudd
54
Conner Sutton
95
Derrick Griffin
9
Photo by Eddie RIchie Adam Crawford won the Modifieds of Mayhem when last here on May 11th.