Southern Super Series

Bubba Pollard Rallies for Southern Super Series Victory at Five Flags Speedway

Pollard Collects Fourth SSS, Eighth Blizzard Series Win in Combination Event

Bubba Pollard may have had the fastest car in qualifying and the dominant car in the Mountain Dew Kickstart 125 presented by JRi Shocks Friday night at Pensacola, Florida's Five Flags Speedway, but winning the event come night's end was far from easy.

Pollard, 27, led the majority of the 125-lap combination event between the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco and the Five Flags' Buddy's Home Furnishings Blizzard Series. He lost the lead shortly after the lap-75 competition caution after contact with Anderson Bowen. The two leaders slid up the track and third-place John Hunter Nemechek capitalized to take the lead.

By lap 85, Pollard was back in front by using the high lane on a restart. He went on to hold off Nemechek and Donnie Wilson for his fourth career Southern Super Series victory and his eighth career Blizzard Series win.

After being collected in an incident while battling for the lead in the season-opening Southern Super Series race at South Alabama Speedway in March and more bad luck while at the front of other races dating back to the 2013 season, Pollard wasn't going to let another victory slip from his grasp after the contact late in the race Friday.

"He got under me clean and he should've passed me clean," said Pollard of Bowen. "He had plenty of room. I'm not taking it anymore. We've torn up too many racecars leading too many races."

Bowen chalked the incident up to hard racing between the two Georgia-based racers.

"I was just racing hard and I feel like it was just a racing incident," said Bowen of Suwanee, Georgia. "I got in there a little too hot and got loose and I chased it up the track. He was racing hard, trying to keep me pinched down like he's supposed to do and I just slid up into him. I feel bad about it because that's not really what you're supposed to do, but we had a really good car all night. I just hate it for my guys that I messed up on that part."

Pollard knifed his way back to the lead shortly after losing it and held off Nemechek, who was in search of his first Southern Super Series victory, to the checkers.

"He's a good racer and he had a good racecar," said Pollard of his battle with Nemechek. "I didn't know if we'd have anything for him on the restart with 25 to go. I had saved just enough to have something left at the end."

Nemechek, who had finished first in the most recent SSS race earlier this month at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville in Tennessee, only to have the win taken away in post-race technical inspection due to an illegal driveshaft, came up just a bit short of victory at Five Flags.

"Bubba had a little bit better car there at the end," said Nemechek. "We were just trying some different stuff tonight trying to get ready for the Snowball (Derby) and try to win that at the end of the year. It's all a learning experience. It's good to finish second, but it's better to finish a spot ahead. We'll go back and think on it and see what we need to do to get that next spot."

Pollard will now look for the Gulf Coast Weekend sweep on Saturday, April 26 when the Southern Super Series combines with the Miller Lite Series at Alabama's Mobile International Speedway for the Mobile Lumber 125 presented by VDL Fuel Systems.

"It's going to be tough to win again tomorrow night," added Pollard. "We've just got to get over there, get it prepared and see what we can do."

Oklahoman Donnie Wilson, the declared winner of the Nashville race, overcame an early-race tangle with Johanna Long to finish third at Five Flags. Augie Grill finished fourth with Bowen fifth.

Earlier in the night at Five Flags, Pollard picked up his 10th career Southern Super Series fast time award presented by McGunegill Engine Performance, Hamner Racing Engines, RW Engines, Ford Racing and Progressive Racing Engines.

For ticket information and more on Saturday's Mobile Lumber 125 presented by VDL Fuel Systems at Mobile International Speedway, visit www.mobilespeedway.net.

April 25, 2014

SOUTHERN SUPER SERIES

Mountain Dew Kickstart 125 presented by JRi Shocks

Five Flags Speedway

Pensacola, Florida

Official Results

Pos.

No.

112

Driver

Bubba Pollard

John Hunter Nemechek

Donnie Wilson

Augie Grill

Anderson Bowen

Mike Garvey

Stephen Nasse

Casey Smith

David Rogers

Chris Davidson

Hunter Robbins

Daniel Hemric

Justin South

Kyle Grissom

Kyle Bryant

Landon Cling

Allen Karnes

Spencer Wauters

Keith Cahela

Daniel Webster

Johanna Long

Casey Roderick

Nathan Davis

Jeremy Pate

Chase Spradlin

Jake Perkins

Will Gallaher