Demo Derby 08/08/2014

#10 Aug 8, 2014

$1,500 to win Crash Fest, plus Faster Pastor his is one of the hen it is all said ome fans will not S admit it, but their Tmost popular events Wand done and number one reason for at Five Flags Speed- you’re on your way out attending a race is to see the big wrecks. On the other hand, some fans feel the need for good ole down home side by side racing and may the best man win.

I agree with the latter group who like to watch a good race, instead of a good wreck. Why? You might ask. I have been there done that and I know the expense and long late night hours involved to put a torn up race car back together.

To all you fans who like the wrecks, well this night is all about you. ur annual “Demo O Derby” will be the featured event tonight

and a good field of cars is expected to enter.

Most of them will be hauled away on the Fletchers Towing rollback, but hopefully one will be able to drive away from the Massive Malay on the front straight at “America’s Favorite Hometrack”

way year after year plus it’s $5.00 night. Question is, can anyone put a stop to rough & rowdy Ronnie Smith’s winning streak?

He has claimed t h e $1,500.00 first place money for the last three consecutive crash fests, or will he make it four straight?

A

lso tonight is another annual event, the Faster Pastor race, which also attracts a large fan base.(Story on our web site). But wait, we’ve got more! We added the Modifieds, the Beef O Brady’s Sportsman (Story page 3), and Butler U Pull It Bombers.

tonight, you will probably be looking for a large Tip Jar. But you won’t see one because the Bryant family says that their fans are worth this much entertainment for just a few bucks.

B

efore I close this newsletter out the entire Five Flags Speedway staff want to send our condolences to the family of Steve Duffy. Duffy was a wellknown engine builder from Pensacola and the backbone of racers in the past few years, such as Ronnie Couture. We lost him last week, but he will be remembered always. Rest in Peace my friend.

S

ee ya in the pits!

-Steve Stokes

National Anthem Matt Mills Liberty Church 2014

schedule

WXBM-FM

Aug 22, PLM 20/30, SP, B, Vintage Sept 5, Pro Trucks, SS, SP, B Sept 19, Blizzard #4, SS, SP, B Sept 27 Whataburger Nite of Champions, Pro Late 100, Modifieds, Pro Trucks, Sportsmen and Bombers Nov 22 Snowball Derby (c) Preview Dec 3-7 Snowball Derby 300

By Chuck Corder

Since the Demolition Derby returned to Five Flags Speedway four years ago, one man has demolished them all.

Ronnie Smith’s car was the last one standing at each of the previous three editions. Each year, his 1979 Crown Victoria LTD drove through the competition and collected the winnertake-all monetary prize.

The poor Crown Vic, though, sustained a folded-up rear end, a broke seat, a mangled steering wheel — well, you get the point — that it had to be put to pasture.

Never fear, though, Demo Derby fans because Smith will tonight turn to ol’ reliable, another ’79 Crown Vic LTD, to go after the $1,500 and a stacked field of drivers, who boast Demo Derby wins already under their torn seat belt and traveling from states away.

But the real money tonight will be on what feature tonight causes the most debris: The Demo Derby or the Faster Pastor, which will feature four ministers pictured above racing six laps for a checkered flag. They are: Wes Alverez from My Father’s Vineyard in Ensley. C J McBride from Abiding Love Fellowship in Foley AL, Matt Mills of Liberty Church on Blue Angel Pkwy, and Tim Payne of Momentum Church in Gulf Breeze.The Home Depot Modifieds (25 laps), Beef “O” Brady’s Sportsman (25) and Butler U-Pull-It Bombers (20) continue their tightly-contested points battles, which also includes heat races for all three local classes.

The car might be faceless, but the man who drives it is far from anonymous.On Friday nights when racing envelopes Five Flags Speedway, Shanna Ard shows up in his silver Sportsman trimmed in dayglo green. A quick inspection around his No. 29 is an empty endeavor if you’re trying to tally sponsor stickers.

Ard goes it alone. Not by choice..

The Milton native hustles, attempting to drum up sponsorships, but struggles to get any outside support, save for family and friends.

“The only real sponsor I have is Pensacola Racing Fabricators with Greg (Janes),” Ard said of the Detroit Ave. shop that helps set up his and a handful of other rival cars.

“Nobody has helped me. I’ve asked places for $50 a race, $10 a race, but nobody follows through. Maybe, I’m not a good salesman.” But a funny thing has happened to Ard as doors have slammed in his face. Despite steering a ride void of stickers, the 33 year old has matured into one of the most consistent drivers in the Beef “O” Brady’s Sportsman class.

Ard owns a pair of wins in 2014, including driving to Victory Lane at the July 25 show last time out. He currently sits second in the standings, trailing division leader Brannon Fowler by a mere 5 points going into Friday night.

“My focus this year is to win a championship,” he said. “We haven’t won one yet. We’ve been close many times, but we haven’t sealed the deal. We’re trying to be consistent every week, in the top-three every Friday night.” With tonite’s admission of only $5, it’s a ticket price Ard is happy to slap down in order for his growing family to come see him race.

Married to his wife Shelly for more than five years, the couple has two daughters Triniti (10 years old) and Destini (9) and a 3-year-old son River.

Because Ard races out of his own pocket, Triniti and Destini only get to see him race about half the time. (Read the rest of Chuck’s story on our web site).

Video Ted Baber Tom Wilsey 850-458-2501 251-597-4747 Car Photos

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The Locksmith Leader

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

52 03 1 22 27 11 7 83 15

Robert Balkum Michael Nelson Hunter Ward John K Merritt Tommy Lowery Courtney Rodrigues Ryan Worsham Tim Wilmot Preston Prevatte

10 99 Jarrett Beal

989 968 928 906 867 827 656 655

577 522

1 10 Okie Mason 2 13 David Beale 3 17 Chris Cotto 4 8 Donnie Hamrac 5 66 Heath Mills 6 117 Mike Swilley 7 88 Joe Thornton 8 99 Brandon Howell 9 131 Jeff Letson 10 131 Parker Pugh

412 362 287 209 182 173 170 127 123 112

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

00 29 77 33 07 12 17 42 83 10 33

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Brannon Fowler Shanna Ard Shawn Laws Steve Buttrick Jim Pokrant Thomas Faddis Kris Pierce Randy Thompson Bo Resmondo Kenny Williams

9 12 42 9 57 33 5 8 84 14

1022 1017 890 730 704 679 634 602 595 543

Todd Jones

415

Dave Nolan Charles Skipper Dave Mader III Kevin Chase Dustin Knowles Jeremy Tassin Joey Moxley

355 347 325 263 93 91 89

Bubba Winslow 405 Randy Thompson 399

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

337 305 Donnie Wilson 299 Daniel Hemric 297 Hunter Robbins 274 Anderson Bowen 264 Mike Garvey 248 David Rogers 233 Kyle Grissom 216 John H Nemechek 196

26 Bubba Pollard 29 Augie Grill 2

98 18 29

1 11 3

12

11 88 99 22 14 21 17 30 33 55

Johanna Long Garrett Jones Jr. Niedecken Bryce Dulabhan Ryan Luza Larry Blount Kurt Guillot Rusty Sanford Dustin Smith Ronnie Osmer

Last Year at the Demo Derby...

It was a “Hot Nite.”

1 2 3 4 5 6t 6t 8 9 10

463 451 436 217 112 105 105 56 Ray Hoey 103 50 Darryl Rudd 102 72 Greg Leachman 100 Okie Mason Jay Jay Day Teras Hodivsky Ty Roberts Rick Pollaro 1 Howard Langham 26 Chris Wagner

6 98 99 50 96

482 471 464 431 381 377 359 358 337 336