Southern Super Stocks, Pro Trucks, Bombers & Sportsmen
Get ready for a SUPER night, because the
South Crane Rentals Super Late Models are Deep back for race number three of the four race Blizzard Series.Again it’s a double header here and Mobile on Saturday which always creates a good car count.
By Chuck Corder
It’s at that point of the season where outsiders start making their appearance to try and get some seat time on the tricky half mile as they start preparations for the December Snowball All these drivers realized that only two races remain and its crunch time now as the year is beginning to wind down. The Blizzard Series and the Southern Super Series will be in conjunction with each other as far as points toward a championship. It may be a little confusing but let me try to explain. As far as the Blizzard races, all four races are run at Five Flags. The highest finisher in points in the Blizzards Series will be the track champion for Super Late Models. The Southern Super Series is run at five different tracks, Montgomery Speedway, South Alabama Speedway (Opp), Mobile, Five Flags Speedway and Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordell, Georgia. Donnie Wilson from Oklahoma leads the Blizzard points, while Texan Casey Smith is leading the points in the Southern Super Series. Each of the drivers looks to hold on to their points lead for more than just a championship. Even if they have some sort of miscue in qualifying for the Derby, it’s still possible to get a free ride into the Snowball. This weekend, also look for Bubba Pollard, David Rogers, Casey Roderick (who won the last race), Ross Kenseth, Kyle Grissom and a host of others to be on hand Also on schedule tonight are the Pro Trucks, Sportsman and Bombers.
Have fun, enjoy.
New driver, no problem: Carswell, Kenseth Optimistic about Blizzard It wasn’t that long ago that Jake and Deanna Carswell were like most racing fans. But simply sitting in the grandstands, watching races across the southeast, wasn’t enough for the young couple from Woodstock, Ga., who promote Christian music concerts around the country. “We race for fun; it’s a side business,” Jake Carswell said. “When we’re not busy working with music, we race. It’s a blessed life we live. We try to have fun with it.” In 13 seasons, there has been plenty of fun. Carswell Motorsports has built (Cont. on page 2)
Kenseth Continued an impressive resume of victories and drivers inside the Jody Ridleyinspired No. 98 Super Late Model. From Southern Super Series and Deep South Crane Rental Blizzard Series championships to wins at the south’s most storied short tracks, the Carswells’ late model program has been a perennial contender weekly for more than a dozen years.
Aug 7 Modifieds of Mayhem #7 Super Stock, Sportmen, Bomber PLUS Faster Pastor and Demolition Derby Aug 28 Pro Late Double 20/30 Plus Pro Truck, Sportsmen and Bomber Saturday, Sept 19 Pro Late Model 100 Allen Turner Tune-Up , Super Stock, Sportsmen and Bomber Saturday, Sept 26 Blizzard Pro Truck, Sportsmen and Bomber DSC Night of Champions Friday-Sun Oct. 23 NOPI Nationals Saturday, Nov. 21 Snowball Preview Thursday, December 3 - Sunday Dec 6th 48th Annual Snowball Derby
With a new driver behind the steering wheel, it will once again be one to watch this Friday at Five Flags Speedway when the Blizzard Series resumes with its third of four 100-lap features. “We were friends with Jody Ridley’s family, and when he retired, we decided to give it a shot,” Jake Carswell, 41, said. “We’ve been doing ever since.” Quite well, too, no matter who’s been in the seat. Justin Wakefield, a former World Crown 400 winner, got the program off to a roaring beginning for nine seasons before NASCAR young guns Ryan Blaney and Daniel Hemric continued to routinely carry the torch to Victory Lane. Ross Kenseth, son of Sprint Cup Series superstar Matt Kenseth, is the latest driver to hop behind the steering wheel of the No. 98. Kenseth takes over for Hemric, who left the seat late last month to focus more on his Camping World Trucks Series program with NTS Motorsports.
Car Photos
Video Ted Baber Tom Wilsey 850-458-2501 251-597-4747
“I’m real excited,” Kenseth said. “When Jake called me, it was a no-brainer. I was happy to come onboard. Read the rest of Chuck’s story on our web site: www.5flagsspeedway,com
Weimer’s enthusiasm in the Pro Trucks has renewed dad’s interest back into the sport following a mini retirement. Brian Weimer has been the model of consistency with podium finishes in all three 25-lap features this year. He currently holds a 27-point lead over Texan Andy Wojtaszczyk in the points standings. Not bad for the former Richard Petty Driving School instructor.
By Chuck Corder
Father-Daughter Duo Battling for Pro Trucks Checkereds From the very beginning, Jami Weimer resisted her father’s pleas to get on the track. Typical for any 5-year-old American girl, Weimer gravitated to the sport of gymnastics rather than the sport of racing. Much to her dad’s chagrin, of course. “When I first got into it, I wanted Jami to race,” 52-year-old Brian Weimer said. “She wanted nothing to do with it.” That all changed two years ago when Jami Weimer, 20, got behind a Pro Trucks steering wheel. Now, the Cumming, Ga., native is one of the series’ budding stars at Five Flags Speedway, “Five Flags is second to none,” said Weimer, who sits fourth in the season point standings. “I hate traveling 6 hours each way to race but it’s so worth it to come. It’s my favorite track to run on and I always have a blast coming there.”
“It a lotta fun,” Brian Weimer said. “I’m certainly trying to get (Jami) better because seat time’s big in this sport.” The two first raced against each other at last year’s Pro Trucks Snowball Derby. That came barely a year after Jami Weimer first climbed into a Pro Truck. It seems whatever sport arouses her interest, the younger Weimer takes to it like a duck takes to water. She was a dynamo gymnast as a kid, and continues to nurture that passion by serving as a coach for an elite Georgia team. While Jami collected hardware on the floor, vault and beam during her childhood, Brian did his part on the track by winning a Bandolero track championship his rookie season at Lanier “She was darn good at gymnastics — she’d win every meet,” Brian Weimer said. “We’d have contests to see who could get more trophies. She’d kick my butt. She was kicking his butt again, but for the first time on a race track, With eventual winner Okie Mason well out of reach, Jami and Brian battled down the stretch during the June 26 feature Jami finished second, Brian 3rd..
-Read all of Chuck’s story on our web site. www.5FlagsSpeedway. com
A-1 Lock & Safe 850-455-4358
The Locksmith Leader
Randy Thompson and son Grady keeping cool.