Effectively, two Snowball Derby guaranteed starting positions are up for grabs this weekend as both the Southern Super Series and Super Late Model track championships will be decided over a pair of races on Friday and Saturday at Five Flags Speedway.
That’s because both championship carry a provisional into the biggest race of the year.
Southern Super Series points leader Gio Ruggiero comes into the weekend with a 23-point lead over Matt Craig. Meanwhile, the Blizzard Series track championship sees Jeremy Doss sitting atop the standings by a margin of 28 points over Gio Ruggiero.
With two races on Friday and Saturday respectively, both championships are certainly far from guaranteed. Doubleheader weekends have often proved to be grueling for competitors, with one simple mistake in one race having the ability to end the entire weekend.
The entry list for the Super Late Models is a stout one, with 31 drivers participating in the weekend’s festivities. Several ASA Southern Super Series regulars, including but not limited to Jake Finch, Bubba Pollard, and Stephen Nasse just to name a few, will hit the track along with some intriguing names.
Travis Braden, who made his return to Super Late Model racing for the Pepperjack Kennels Twin 100’s at Five Flags, has also entered. Braden will be behind the wheel of the Jett Motorsports #9 machine.
It won’t be a typical Southeastern U.S. racing field, as drivers from all over the country will be showcased as well. California native Jesse Love, fresh of a win with the ASA STARS National Tour in the Glass City 200, will be back behind the wheel with Wilson Motorsports.
Some more drivers from out west will make the trip to Pensacola for this weekend’s races, with Oregon native Kole Raz joining the field, along with Jace Hansen, who hails from Berthoud, Colorado.
A couple more names to keep an eye on are Johnny Aramendia and Augie Grill. Aramendia, who has made several starts with Ben Kennedy Racing in the Pro Late Model program, will join the large field of Super Late Model competitors. Grill, the 2-time Snowball Derby champion, will make another start in the Super Late Model this year when he takes the track at Five Flags Speedway.
This impressive field of drivers will take to the track on both nights with two big winners’ purses on the line, with both of the weekend’s races paying $10,000 to win.
In addition to the Super Late Models, Crown Stocks will also hit the track on Friday, with Pro Late Models and the Modifieds of Mayhem Tour taking part in Saturday’s racing action.
The Pro Late Model field specifically looks to be another stout field, with the 2010 Snowball Derby winner Johanna Robbins getting behind the wheel of the No. 10 machine for Jett Motorsports. The Allen Turner Pro Late Model Series will hold the 4th and final event of its season on Saturday. Lebanon, Tennessee’s Dylan Fetcho currently holds a 14-point lead over John Bolen. The driver sitting in 3rd position in the ATPLM Series, Dawson Sutton is hungry to hit the track again. Sutton broke his wrist in a crash that occured in race 3 of the Allen Turner Pro Late Model Series. The Rackley W.A.R. driver held the points title up until that point, and he will be one to watch in Saturday’s race.
Both races will air live on Racing America.
Southern Super Series entry list
Tony Elrod
Jace Hansen
John Bolen
Jackson Boone
Travis Braden
Michael Atwell
Jordan Riddick
Hunter Robbins
Jesse Love
Gio Ruggiero
Ryan Hebert
Billy VanMeter
Bubba Pollard
Hunter Wright
Dustin Smith
Daniel Webster
Jeremy Doss
Allen Karnes
Jett Noland
Stephen Nasse
Jake Finch
Boris Jurkovic
Matt Craig
Johnny Aramendia
Kole Raz
Michael Hinde
Gavin Graham
Shelton Clay
Terry McMahan
Lee Tissot
Augie Grill
Southern Super Series championship standings
1. Gio Ruggiero
2. Matt Craig -23
3. Michael Hinde -77
4. Jett Noland -87
5. Bubba Pollard -109
Blizzard Series championship standings
Jeremy Doss
Giovanni Ruggiero -28
Matt Craig -32
Hunter Robbins -37
Billy VanMeter -40
Michael Hinde -40
Casey Roderick -46
8. Jackson Boone -49
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