Roderick disqualified after Pensacola Southern Pro Series opener; Yarbrough inherits win

The opening race to the 2026 Southern Pro Series at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola on Friday was full of door to door racing for the lead and hard fought battles through the field. However, a compelling finish across the line was rendered moot after initial winner Casey Roderick was disqualified in post-race inspection. This elevated Luke Yarbrough to victory lane for his first win in Pensacola.

Five Flags Chief Technical Inspector Rick Davis said that reason for the disqualification was that Roderick’s carburetor failed inspection. 

After the decision was made, Roderick took some time to compose his thoughts on the night, opting to give a measured response to the outcome, but still praising the effort from his team and applauding the competition as a whole on the track.

“Ah, it was eventful,” said Roderick. “I started off and the car felt good and I was just kind of biding our time there. ”The first half of the race, I knew with with not having too many cars here, I figured it would go for a long time on a long green run. So I was just trying to be smart and not wear our stuff out for the end of the race. I knew it was gonna be tough there at the end with everybody falling off the way we were. We got to the halfway break, about six laps before we got the caution there at halfway, and started having ignition failures; started backfiring really bad. I just held on, I knew it was ignition, so I was trying to make it to the break.

Roderick’s crew was able to rectify the electrical issues during the competition caution at lap 50, putting Roderick back into the mix. He would get his first sniff of the lead on lap 68, following a restart for a yellow involving leader Jake Finch and second place runner Zack Dixon. 

“I was having fun watching the battle between the 67 [Dixon], and 18 [Finch],” said Roderick. “All of a sudden the 67 just turned sideways right in front of me. I checked up, I get hit from behind, I guess it was 35 [Luke Yarbrough] that got me there, and I was really lucky not to not get torn up right there. “Then we had a good battle on the on the restarts with the 18, and we had a good clean race going there, and I got to the inside of him going and turn one and he closed the door on me a little bit… we touched and I was able to finish the corner off and get around him. I’ve always enjoyed racing with Jake.”

“It just sucks to have a great run taken away,” he continued. “But it’s part of it. You know, it’s unfortunate circumstances, but hey, it’s racing and just gotta move on from it and we’ll get ’em next time.”

Yarbrough was level headed about inheriting the win from the tech shed. In fact, he was so composed, you wouldn’t know that this was his first win in Pensacola.

“We had a great car,” said Yarbrough. “It’s kind of mixed feelings to be honest. I don’t want to win in the tech shed, especially when we had a car capable of winning on the racetrack. We struggled slightly in qualifying, then we picked up some damage in the race that prevented us from being a little bit better than we needed to be.”

“I had a whole lot of fun racing with Casey,” he continued. “He’s someone I look up to a lot and I’ve learned a lot from. It was a great battle with him. I wasn’t too happy with second with a winning car, but things worked out to our favor. It’s a shame for them and that whole crew; they worked really hard to bring their cars to the racetrack… I don’t know any details, but it’s mixed emotions and sure is a shame for them.”

Back in second place, newcomer Weston Marthaler overcame a spin and incident with Jake Finch, rebounding to third at races end, then second after the Roderick disqualification.

“Unfortunately had a few issues in the first 75 laps,” he said. “Got that sorted out and really got a rocket ship here from the Fathead Racing crew. With the help of  Anthony Campi, overall we had a really great week. We tested a few days and learned a lot and I think I think we could have had a little bit better run there at the end, but I’ll take it, especially after the night we had.”

After his contact with Finch in the second half of the race, Marthaler told his crew over the radio that he thought Finch may have brake checked him coming off turn four. When asked, Marthaler said he needs to see a replay before fully understanding what happened.

“I think I’d have to go back and watch another video just to kind of really put it in perspective,” he said. “I’m sure I’m gonna have my opinion, they’re gonna have theirs, but really right now I’m gonna chalk it up as is a racing deal. But yeah, it is what it is at this point. I can’t go back and change what happened, but, definitely gonna go back and watch the video and, learn from it.”

As for Finch, he was livid on his radio. After having held the lead during the middle portion of the race, he began to drift backwards, losing the lead on lap 80 to Roderick, then quickly second to Yarbrough a lap later. 

“I didn’t brake check him I was running fucking wide open,” said Finch on the radio. 

Finch was unavailable post race for further comment.

Further back, Zach Dixon also had an eventful race. He started on the front row, lead laps early in the race, and had to overcome a spin while battling for the lead. In the end, he recovered to a solid fourth place finish on the track, which became third place after post-race inspection.

“I think I have the car dialed in to what I like now,” said Dixon. “I just wanted to keep the car up under me the first 50 laps because we knew the caution was coming. I had to learn a little bit too as I haven’t been in first very much so I had to learn how to pace myself without burning anything off, then just had to fight through the field [after having] a spin just racing really tight… it happens, but I just had to fight from that position to get back.”

The next stop for the Southern Pro Series is at Cordele Motor Speedway on June 20th.

Results: Roger-Dabbs Challenge Southern Pro Series at Pensacola (100 laps):

1. Luke Yarbrough
2. Weston Marthaler
3. Zach Dixon
4. James Patrick
5. Jim Wall
6. Grant Thompson
7. Jake Finch
8. Dustin Smith
9. Ryan Luza
10. Casey Roderick (DQ)