Night of Champions

This Saturday night will bring a close to the 2016 regular season at Five Flags Speedway. After this week’s racing events, we will know who the track champions are in the classes that race with us on a regular basis. The Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Model and Pro Truck divisions were decided last week. Very special CONGRATULATIONS go out to Brett Holmes (Pro Late Model) and Taylor Jorgensen (Pro Truck) for securing a championship at America’s Favorite Home Track.

Jorgensen is only the second female to ever win a championship at Five Flags Speedway. The other was Johanna Long.

Back to this Saturday, and what a night of excitement it should be. It’s the final Blizzard race for the Deep South Crane Rentals Super Late Models and can you believe that Zane Smith and last year’s champion, Casey Roderick are tied going in to the finale? Keep in mind these drivers will not only have to contend with each other, but also all the other drivers, as we do expect a stacked field of Supers to be on hand. (List on next page).

This week they will run 150 We’ll give a box of laps, so I promise we will close out season with a bang!! The Super Really Good Steaks the Stocks, Sportsman and Bombers to the Five Flags will not disappoint any of our fans as they will also be deciding cham50/50 winner beginning on May 28th pions in their respective classes.

Watch for some exciting racing to end the season.

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After three races, the two enter Saturday tied with 139 points apiece. First and foremost, though, both seem primarily concerned with snatching the final checkered flag that will be handed out before the 49th annual Snowball Derby arrives in December.

Roderick, Smith Battle to Finish to Settle Blizzard Series Crown

The life of a racecar driver is inherently demanding.Even if, sometimes, the drivers don’t always know many details of their busy schedules.

Zane Smith is no exception.

The 17 year old is keenly aware he’ll spend much of this week flying between Sparta, Ky., and Pensacola. As far as an estimated time of arrival in Pensacola? Meh.

“To be honest, I’m not sure if I fly out (Tuesday night) or (Wednesday),” Smith said. “I didn’t pack my bag this morning. I don’t know if it’s because I missed my alarm clock or what. I do know we’ll test (in Pensacola) all day Wednesday.”

Smith, in fact, will test in both towns throughout this week, as final preparations and adjustments are made for a weekend journey that would make most young hotshoes jealous.

He will compete in his second career ARCA Racing Series event Friday night at Kentucky Speedway before boarding another flight and arriving here for Saturday’s Night of Champions.

Smith will guide the No. 77 Crooks Racing Super Late Model in the Deep South Cranes 150, the Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series and Southern Super Series season finale, Smith, who finished second to current Sprint Cup Series star rookie Chase Elliott at last December’s Snowball Derby, is in a dead heat with defending Blizzard Series champion Casey Roderick for this year’s track championship.

“Honestly, I’m not thinking about the championship. I’m bummed we haven’t won down there,” said Smith, who seemingly won nearly every race or series he entered in 2015. “Getting the championship, it definitely would be sweet to have my face on that billboard when you pull in there. But it bothers me that we’ve had shots to win, and luck hasn’t really fallen our way.”

The 24-year-old Roderick, who boasts two Blizzard Series wins already this season, is adamant about finishing strong with another victory in his Graham Trucking No. 7.

1 Derek Scott, Jr 2 Donnie Wilson 5 Garrett Archer 5 Quinton Bear 7 Casey Roderick 9 William Byron 9 Jeff Choquette 9 Derek Kraus 10 Ryan Crane 11 David Rogers 11 Logan Boyett 12 Harrison Burton 14 Ryan Luza 14 Chris Davidson 16 Jacob Gomes 17 Quin Houff 19 Riley Herbst 26 Bubba Pollard 43 Dennis Schoenfeld 47 Allen Karnes 51 Todd Gilliland 58 Tyler Ankrum 77 Zane Smith 79 Kyle Bryant 97 Cole Anderson 98 Kenzie Ruston 99 Casey Smith 99 Jr. Niedecken 99 Raphael Lessard - Logan Bearden - Christain Eckes - Corey LaJoie

“Points racing can distract you from what you’re trying to accomplish, really, and that’s to win races,” Roderick said. “That’s what gets people’s attention. This weekend, I’m not worried about the points. I’ll run my race, and not worry about where (Smith is) at, on the racetrack.

“We’ll focus on us and not everybody else, and do our thing like we’ve been doing all year. And the outcome is what it is. it would be great to get another championship there.”

A season ago, Smith gained national acclaim by winning the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing title, notching 3 wins on the PASS South circuit and a CARS SLM win.

It, mostly, has been the opposite for Roderick. Since rededicating himself to short-track racing a few years ago, the former NASCAR XFINITY Series driver has been a perennial favorite here. He owns 3 Blizzard Series wins and finished this season’s PLM series on a current with 5 consecutive runner-up finishes.

(Read the rest of the story on our web site.)

“My goal is to beat him,” Balkum said. “I want to actually pass him, and not just stay in front and block him.”

By Chuck Corder

A 25-lap fight to the finish Saturday will ultimately decide who will be crowned champion. Three James Morris Photo other closely-contested divisions will also determine this season’s class of champions.

Leytham, Balkum Square Off for Bombers Track Title; 3 More Champs to be Crowned

The last months have clearly shown there is little love lost between Pensacola’s Robert Balkum and Mobile’s B.J Leytham.

The top two drivers in the Butler U-Pull-It Bombers division have gone at it on the track at Five Flags Speedway, beating and banging around the famed half-mile oval and even sometimes treating it as their own Demolition Derby playground.

They’ve continued their rivalry off the track, too.

Both in the pits and online through social media, the duo has engaged in a steady stream of trashtalking that would make Floyd Mayweather blush.

Needless to say, the pair won’t be sharing a Coleman stove and camper spot come December at the 49th annual Snowball Derby.

As they come into the Night of Champions on Saturday at Five Flags, Leytham and Balkum are far-and-away the top Butler U-Pull-It Bombers drivers. Leytham leads Balkum by a mere 19 points.

Since these are the final races for all divisions before the Derby arrives, big car counts are expected for all divisions this weekend — meaning no deficit is out of reach; no lead is safe.

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“It’s prestigious,” said current Sportsmen points leader Steve Buttrick, who owns two Sportsmen track titles at Five Flags, not to mention his four Sportsmen Derby crowns. “If I did get it again, it’d be an honor to get it. But, first you gotta get there.

It’s not done yet.”

In fact, it got much more interesting this past Sunday. With Buttrick joining siblings in Alaska for a family reunion, Jim Pokrant took advantage of his friend’s absence.

Pokrant finished fifth and closed to within 21 points of Buttrick, injecting some spice into this Saturday’s finale.

Jason Johnson’s title hopes in the Faith Chapel Super Stocks got a much-needed boost earlier this month when disaster struck Pace driver Todd Jones.

Earlier this season, it seemed destined that Jones would walk away with his second career Super Stocks track crown.

But Jones, the 2014 champion, saw his apparent victory on Sept. 2 wiped out during post-race technical inspection and was dealt a crushing blow to his championship aspirations.

(The story continues on our website.)

National Anthem by Eglin AFB Command Directorate Quartette

Who is at the Wheel?

5 Derek Long; Bay Minette 8 BJ Leytham; Mobile 13 Jimmy Hollingsworth, Mobile 15 Robert Loper, Irvington 16 Brad Mosley; 8 Mile 22 John K Merritt; Pensacola 22 Zack Carpenter, Loxley, AL 24 Caleb Burkett, Pensacola 29 Matt Thompson, Wilmer, AL 34 Cory Pittman, Cantonment 42 Brandon Sidner, Pensacola 44 Bobby Jones, Mobile 49 Jay Whalen, Pensacola 52 Robert Balkum, Pensacola 55 Kenny Bullard, Pensacola 56 Kerner Kafka, Pensacola 71 Tommie Blocker, Invington 78 Tim Wilmot, Cantonment

80 Zack Jordan, Pensacola 86 Jonathan Smith, Theadore 88 Geno Denmark, Dauphin 91 Sarah Dority, Pensacola 95 Robert Riley, Gulf Breeze

00 Brannon Fowler, Molino 1 Jonathan Langham, Mobile 6 Jim Pokrant, Pensacola 09 Hunter McNair, Cantonment 13 Paul Mathis, Pensacola 28 Dayton Sidner, Cantonment 23 Jake Moore. Pensacola 31 Johnny Greene, Daphne, AL 33 Steve Buttrick, Cantonment 51 Albert Pirez, Lillian, AL 60 Jimmy Goodwin, Milton 77 Shawn Laws, Navarre 81 Tina Davidson, Pensacola 97 Hunter Lambert, Pensacola 99 Billy Hoover, Pensacola

Video Ted 850-458-2501

Pictures Tom 251-597-4747 Photo

8

B J Leytham

33 Steve Buttrick

52

Robert Balkum

6

22

John K Merritt

28 Dayton Sidner

6

Kerner Kafka

29 Shanna Ard

71

Tommie Blocker

97 Hunter Lambert

3

Taylor Jorgensen

94

Jason Johnson

1

Howard Langham

9

Todd Jones

46 Jarrett Parker

9

Andrue Nolen

47 Brian Weimer

4

Bill Cooley

36 Rodney Benefield

14

Wesley King

Jim Pokrant

2

Bret Holmes

7

Casey Roderick

9

Jeff Choquette

77

Zane Smith

12

Harrison Burton Chris Davidson Bubba Pollard Donnie Wilson

18 Casey Roderick 7

Cole Daffron

89 Jeremy Pate

14 4t 26 2

See web site for latest total points for all drivers.