Pollard Strikes for First Rattler Win

By Mark Chisum

Bubba Pollard has dominated Late Model racing at South Alabama Speedway, winning many races and a few championships over the last few years. However, the track’s biggest prize, the Hardee’s Rattler 250, has eluded the Senoia, Georgia driver. Sunday, Pollard finally captured his first win in the early season tussle at the Kinston speedway, taking the lead on lap 224 and speeding away from his competition to win the 36^th annual event.

Logan Boyett bested the 25 car field in qualifying, turning the 4/10^th mile oval in a record 15.056 seconds. Boyett started inside of Kyle Benjamin, who qualified at 15.080, also beating Pollard’s old record of 15.092. On the start, Benjamin got the jump and outraced Boyett to turn one to grab the lead. The yellow waved often in the first 25 laps before the field settled in and had a twelve lap green period from lap 25-36. Pollard moved past Boyett on lap 30 to take second. Benjamin, a 14-year old from Easley, S.C., continued to lead Pollard while Casey Smith took over third from Boyett. T.J. Reaid followed in fifth.

Mike Garvey began to move up through the field from his 12^th starting spot. Garvey replaced Reaid in the top on lap 83. On lap 92, he moved past Boyett into fourth. As the field slowed for a lap 100 Competition Yellow, Benjamin led Pollard, Smith, Garvey, and Boyett.

When racing resumed, Pollard turned the pressure up a notch on Benjamin. On lap 108, Pollard got under Benjamin in turn three to take the lead. While the running order in the top five stayed the same, the second five was changing. Clay Rogers and Johanna Long, starting 22^nd and 25^th, were making their way forward. By lap 25, they were running eighth and tenth.

Benjamin remained on Pollard’s bumper until lap 176. When the two leaders came up on a group of lapped cars, Pollard got held up long enough for Benjamin to grab the lead. When the caution flew on lap 189, most of the leaders pitted for fresh Hoosier’s. Smith, running third, stayed on the track and inherited the lead, followed by Garvey, Reaid, and Long.

On lap 194, while battling for fourth place, Benjamin and DJ Vanderley got together coming out of turn four. They headed into the outside wall together. After hard contact with the wall, Benjamin’s car rolled over 1½ times, ending up on its roof. Both drivers were uninjured.

Once the green flew again, Smith did also. Garvey and Reaid were able to keep Smith close, but under a long green period from lap 194 to 224, Smith stretched his lead over the field. Behind him, the field was constantly changing positions. Pollard was quickly coming back through the field, moving to sixth by lap 200. With 50 laps to go, Smith led Garvey, Reaid, Boyett, and Stephen Nasse.

With Garvey and Reaid battling for the second spot, Smith stretched his lead. Reaid finally worked his way under Garvey heading down the backstretch on lap 219. Pollard was running fourth and closing. Smith liked what he saw in his rear view mirror. As his competitors were fighting for positions behind him, Smith was easing away. That lead was erased when Augie Grill came to a stop on the front stretch on lap 224.

The lead changed twice in a lap as the green flew. Reaid muscled his way past Smith in turn two, and then Pollard cruised past Reaid as they entered turn three. With the race going green the rest of the way, Pollard eased away from Reaid to take the win. Pollard crossed the line almost two seconds ahead of Reiad. Smith held on to third, followed by Long, and Nasse. Rogers was sixth, followed by Fort Kent, Maine’s Austin Theriault. Garvey made a late race pit stop and came back to finish tenth, followed by Oklahoma driver Donnie Wilson and Boyett.

In the 7^th Annual Grasshopper Pro Late Model 125, Presented by JR’s Lawnmower Shop, Augie Grill took advantage of a late race tangle between Kyle Benjamin and Mike Garvey to collect the win. Originally scheduled for Saturday night, but rained out for the second straight year, the race was added to Sunday’s schedule, but again shortened to 100 laps. Rheem Air Conditioning stepped up and helped sponsor the race to make it possible to run the race on Sunday instead of rescheduling to another date.

RS Senter set fast time in qualifying with a time of 15.237 seconds, but Grill got the jump and headed the field into turn one. Senter began to slide back through the pack as Bubba Pollard, Benjamin, and Garvey all made their way past the pole sitter in the first ten laps of the race. However, Grill was checking out on the field, stretching his lead to nearly a full straight away before a caution erased his lead.

After going back green, Pollard was able to stay with Grill, but never was able to make a serious threat to take the lead. Senter was able to work his way back around Benjamin to retake the fourth spot on lap 36. On lap 44, Garvey moved under Pollard going into turn and completed the pass for second heading down the backstretch, just before the red flag came out on lap 45. Kyle Bryant spun in turn four and was collected by Mathew Wragg. Eddie Craig and Rodney Benefield also were involved and the red was brought out while the track was cleared.

Grill led Garvey, Pollard, Senter, and Benjamin to the crossed flags, signaling the halfway point of the race. The race was in the beginning of a long green period. Grill and Garvey began to pull away from the field, leaving Pollard battling with Benjamin for the third spot. Further back in the field, Kyle plot, Chris Davidson, and Mason Massey were battling for the sixth spot. Massey eventually won the battle and continued forward. As the race neared the ¾ mark, Pollard gave up a couple of positions as Benjamin and Senter moved past him. With 25 laps to go, it was Grill out front with Garvey in tow, followed by Benjamin, Senter, and Pollard.

As the race neared the ten to go mark, Grill was beginning to struggle with Garvey. Garvey was nipping at his quarter panel in each turn. On lap 92, Garvey moved to the inside of Grill out of turn two and beat him back to the line to lead the lap. Garvey cleared Grill the next lap, but his work was far from over. Benjamin got under Grill a lap later, and quickly closed to Garvey’s bumper.

With two to go, Garvey slipped just a little in turn two and Benjamin pounced on the opportunity and dove inside. They raced down the back stretch with Benjamin leading into turn three. Garvey got into back of Benjamin, sending him around. Grill eased by on the outside to regain the lead as both Benjamin and Garvey were sent to the rear.

With a Green, White, Checkered finish in store, Grill led Senter and Pollard to the green. Senter was on Grill’s bumper heading into turn one, but had nothing for the Hayden, Alabama veteran. Grill pulled away and beat Senter to the stripe by two thirds of a second. Pollard followed in third with Massey fourth and Davidson fifth. Plott finished sixth in his first start at South Alabama Speedway. Cole Powell, from Mount Brydges, Ontario, Canada was seventh. Brandon Jones, Brandon Odom, and Anderson Bowen rounded out the top ten.

Friday and Saturday night’s activities were rained out. Most of the remaining races were postponed until April 14. South Alabama Speedway will open its 2012 Viper Series that evening with the Sidewinder 100. In addition to the 100-lap Pro Late Model event, local Rattler Features will be scheduled. For more information, contact the track at 565-3539, or visit the track’s web site at www.southalabamaspeedway.com.

Results

36^th Annual Hardee’s Rattler 250

1. Bubba Pollard

2. TJ Reaid

3. Casey Smith

4. Johanna Long

5. Stephen Nasse

6. Clay Rogers

7. Austin Theriault

8. Mike Garvey

9. Donnie Wilson

10. Logan Boyett

11. Johnny Brazier

12. Ricky Brooks

13. Andy Antinoro

14. Allen Karnes

15. Dale Little

16. Augie Grill

17. Kyle Benjamin

18. DJ Vanderley

19. Johnny Henderson

20. Clay Alexander

21. Chris Davidson

22. Jeff Scofield

23. Dwayne Buggay

24. Ross Kenseth

25. Brandon Odom

DNS Cole Powell

7^th Annual Grasshopper Pro Late Model Rattler 125, Presented by JR’s Lawnmower Shop

1. Augie Grill

2. RS Senter

3. Bubba Pollard

4. Mason Massey

5. Chris Davidson

6. Kyle Plott

7. Cole Powell

8. Brandon Jones

9. Brandon Odom

10. Anderson Bowen

11. Mike Garvey

12. Kory Ruble

13. Brady Boswell

14. Sam Smith

15. Zak Hausler

16. Spencer Davis

17. Dwayne Buggay

18. Kyle Benjamin

19. Rodney Benefield

20. Logan Boyett

21. Keith Thorpe

22. Justin Ashburn

23. Kyle Bryant

24. Eddie craig

25. Mathew Wragg

26. TW Fisher

27. Ricky Sanders

DNS Chris Serio