Race Report 24

Florida Trip December 1 – 3, 2011

Wednesday I was right back on the road again as I headed south where the weather was predicted to be very good and the 44^th annual Snowball Derby was under way in Pensacola Florida. I had nothing but clear roads the entire way down as I took my time. Thursday afternoon at 4:30PM I arrived at the Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola Florida to find the “Lot Full” sign already on the road as the spectator parking area was already filled up mostly with campers and reserved parking. There are a few spots along the boulevard shoulders that were going fast so I backed down the ditch carefully and parked. They also have parking at the fairgrounds just 2 miles down the road with a free shuttle bus back to the track. The race tonight was for the bombers (40 cars) and sportsmen (32 cars) with the top 20 qualifiers starting straight up in the feature and the other qualifiers racing 10 laps in a last chance race transferring the top 4 to the feature race. Practice was under way on the banked asphalt half-mile track when I arrived and found a seat in the top row of one of the new sections of aluminum seats. The track has concrete outside and inside walls and the pits were packed with haulers that partially blocked the view of the lower parts of the track in several areas. They have very good lights and fine speakers for the spectators and the crowd was very good for the first night at the 8PM race time. Kenny Williams started fourth and picked up the week’s first win in the bomber consi that was slowed by three yellows. Chris Nielson won the sportsmen consi. The bombers ran 10 laps into the 30-lap feature before a debris yellow slowed the race. Then it took 4 tries to complete another lap. One of the wrecks took out the front row cars of Jay Jay Day and Gary Goodwin who were leading. Curtis Faircloth started 16^th and worked through the field to take the win over Jonathan Day from 9^th and Kenny Bullard who started 14^th as the race went green for 20 laps. The 50-lap sportsmen feature was the last race of the night and took a long time to complete. The evening was getting quite cold and the frequent multi car wrecks (7) plus a couple of yellows for debris and a red for a medical situation in the tower saw most of the crowd gone before the checkers flew at 12:10AM. Pole sitter Steve Buttrick won the race over Bubba Winslow from 3^rd and Shanna Ard from 7^th. Friday was another bright sunny day in Pensacola and after spending some time at the National Naval Aviation Museum and along the waterfront downtown I headed out to the track early. I got back to the track at 3PM but the lot was full already and I had to park several blocks away along the boulevard. Qualifying for the two classes that would race tonight (34 modifieds and 24 super stocks) started at 4PM and many people were in the stands early. The big hype for tonight was the qualifying for Sunday’s super late model race that started at 6PM for 53 cars. The announcing was not up to last night’s standards as duplicate numbers threw off the announcer and he was so busy reading off the driver’s many accomplishments the name didn’t come out until the car was going by at speed and you couldn’t hear the name. The top 30 in qualifying were locked into the Snowball feature on Sunday and the 47^th car to qualify was Bubba Pollard who took fast time with a new track record of 16.290 seconds. The racing tonight again started at 8PM with just the two 50-lap features. The super stocks were first and went green for 10 laps until the yellow flew for an unknown reason. The visibility was poor because of the haulers in the infield (they would be removed for the big race on Sunday) and the announcer often just said he did not see why the yellow was out. There were only 4 yellows in the race although one turned into an extended red after a car caught fire under the yellow and then the ambulance was called to assist someone in the infield. There were several different leaders during the 50 laps but pole sitter Regan Baker (new track record at 18.733 seconds) charged back to the front during the last 10 laps and took the checkers holding off a charging Bubba Winslow and Paul Jean. The modifieds had 4 yellows but two big multi car wrecks that blocked the track with the red appearing on the 14^th lap for a 6-car wreck and then the 15^th lap when 12 cars were caught up together on the straightaway. Brian Nester started in front and led through all the restarts to score the win over Mark Chrudimsky from 16^th and Augie Grill from 10^th. The races were done at 10:30PM and I drove into Alabama before resting for the night. Saturday I continued west to Mississippi for a look at a new track in Poplarville. The Sandy Ridge Speedway opened this spring and was racing this afternoon with a special money race to wrap up the day. I arrived at the track at noon and practice was underway and I saw a couple of champ karts so I decided to stay and see what was going on. The track is a 1/5-mile red clay oval with long straight-aways and high banked turns surrounded by heavy chain link fencing on what looked like railroad ties. There is a dirt berm along the outside fence and a dirt berm also marks the inside of the track. There is one small 3-row wooden bleacher and some good viewing from the first turn on the banking and they have some good lights. The concessions are in an old race car trailer and the homemade chili was very good. There were also 5 old mini sprint chassis beside the concession trailer that are looking for a new owner! The track is a friendly family run facility and the racers seem to be an extended family. The fields were small with 6 steel body karts, 10 box stock and 3 senior champs. (There was a 4^th champ but he ran in the steel body class as he told me he prefers the grooved tires that are allowed in that class.) The driver’s meeting was at 1:30PM with some late practice after that and racing in the 3 10-lap heats starting about 2:30PM. After a short intermission the 3 features were run with the big money race after the entire regular show. The metal body karts were bending some metal with one roll over in the heat and 3 yellows in the feature. James Barton was the name on the feature winning number 33 in this class that included the one champ kart. The box stock class got wild with several karts sliding into the outside berm hard (maybe with some assistance) and spinning back across the track. Brandon Heinrich won this feature from the second row. Jim Sterry won the 2-kart champ kart heat after one broke a chain coming on the track and earned the pole for the feature. The feature went non-stop (although there was one spin) with Sterry getting the win. They were getting ready to qualify for the money race and there were at least 2 karts that had not run in the regular races that may have run in the money race but it was after sunset by this time and I decided to start my long drive home satisfied in seeing another new track. The Causeyville Raceway about 100 miles north near Meridian was running today too so I headed that way to see what was going on. I arrived after the races were done but saw no senior champ karts so I was glad I had chosen the Sandy Ridge track for my stop today. (I later saw there were two junior champs at Causeyville no senior champ results were listed.) Happy with the outcome I drove north of Jackson before stopping. Sunday I got into rain before exiting Mississippi and it rained steady from Memphis to Saint Louis. The roads were wet but not slippery and I ran into dry pavement for the rest of the trip home quite a relief this time of the year.