IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

August 10, 2009 Augie Grill Takes Blizzard Series Race at Five Flags Five Flags Media Augie Grill sat on the pole and led 70 laps, including the final 37 to win the Carpenter’s Campers 100 Blizzard Series Super Late Model race Friday night at Five Flags Speedway. Sounds easy? “It’s never easy,” said Grill, who scored his third Blizzard Series victory in the last three years. “A lot of hard work went into it.” Bubba Pollard was second, followed by Johanna Long, Hunter Robbins and Chuck Barnes Jr. Casey Elliott, the 13-year-old son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, started 12th and finished 18th, one lap down. Grill, the two-time defending Snowball Derby champion, had the dominant car most of the race, but also took advantage of some bad luck by other contenders. Pollard and Long, 1-2 in the points race, both had to pit just as the race was about to begin, forcing them to start near the back of the 23-car field. But both worked their way to the front to maintain their standings in the points with one race left. “I thought I’d be able to really cut into their points,” said Grill, who is third in points. “But the main thing is to win the race.” He was the fastest qualifier, but outside pole sitter Eddie Mercer took the lead on the opening lap and held it for the first 29 laps. Grill eventually caught and passed him on Lap 30. He held the lead until a caution on Lap 62 allowed most of the leaders to pit for fresh tires. Grill was fifth when the race restarted and he jumped to the outside, passing all four cars in front of him to retake the lead. From that point, he was never challenged. “I knew that the lead car hadn’t pitted and I didn’t think the others would go to the outside,” Grill said. “So I just jumped out there. Better to pass them all at once rather than one at a time.” One at a time was how Pollard and Long had to work their way through the field. On the opening lap, Pollard slowed, bringing out the caution before the first lap was completed, forcing a complete restart. Pollard said they changed carburetors after qualifying and "someone didn't tighten it up.” He was in sixth by Lap 50 and was third on the final restart on Lap 76. He took over second a couple of laps later when Donald Long’s transmission broke. "We just never gave up, but I used up the left side tires running so hard,” Pollard said. Johanna Long was set to start the race third, but had to pit just before the race started to replace a flat tire. She said she was happy with her finish considering her start. "I didn't think I would finish this high. Then when we pitted on Lap 36, I knew we would have old tires at the finish. I was just trying to get by everyone without doing something dumb." Mercer finished ninth. When he entered the pits on Lap 62, he had a long stop and dropped from second to 13th. Pensacola drivers Scott Carlson was sixth and Wayne Niedecken Jr. was 10th. Shanna Ard took Tina Davidson’s Sportsman car and drove it to a win in the 20-lap feature. Davidson stepped out as driver while her husband battles cancer. Ard took the lead on Lap 6 when the top two cars were involved in a spin. Points leader Randy Thompson was about to pass William Kitchen when he got loose. He slid sideways, then corrected, but got into Kitchen, who spun out and was hit by Stevie Mercer. Ard took over the lead and held it the rest of the way. Steve Buttrick was second and Thompson worked his way back to third. Mike Goraum started on the pole and led all 20 laps to win the Bomber feature. Goraum was trying to hold off Pete Kitchen, who took the lead briefly on Lap 9, but had to give it back when a caution came out before the lap was completed. On Lap 14, Kitchen slowed and hit the wall to fall out of the race. William Goulet finished second, while Michael Kitchen was third. Just after Goraum took the checkered flag, Daryl Lynchard hit the frontstretch wall hard, then was hit in the door by Rick Thompson. Both drivers were unhurt. Mark Chrudimsky won the 25-lap Modified feature. Mike Maddox was second and Chris Cotto was third. Carpenter’s Campers 100 – 1. Augie Grill; 2. Bubba Pollard; 3. Johanna Long; 4. Hunter Robbins; 5. Chuck Barnes Jr.; 6. Scott Carlson; 7. John Bolen; 8. David Rogers; 9. Eddie Mercer; 10. Wayne Niedecken Jr.; 11. Danny Bagwell; 12. Mitch Cobb; 13. Casey Smith; 14. Andy Loden; 15. Chris Davidson; 16. Stephan McCurley; 17. Jeremy Colangelo; 18. Chase Elliott; 19. Matt Smith; 20. Donald Long; 21. Ryan Crane; 22. Tim Martin; 23. Doug Thorpe Sportsman feature – 1. Shanna Ard; 2. Steve Buttrick; 3. Randy Thompson; 4. Billy Hoover; 5. Bubba Winslow; 6. Brannon Fowler; 7. Jim Pokrant; 8. Darin Matthews; 9. Thomas Faddis; 10. Wayne Burkett; 11. Marty White; 12. William Kitchen; 13. Stevie Mercer Bomber feature – 1. Mike Goraum; 2. William Goulet; 3. Michael Kitchen; 4. Bo Hancock; 5. Jay Jay Day; 6. Leonard Craig Jr.; 7. Sam Mellema; 8. Devron Brooks; 9. Tim Norman; 10. Daryl Lynchard; 11. Rick Thompson; 12. Brandon Burks; 13. Pete Kitchen; 14. Michael Nelson; 15. Jonathan Day; 16. Courtney Rodrigues; 17. Cameron Adams; 18. Kody Grimes; 19. Rick Grimes Modified feature – 1. Mark Chrudimsky; 2. Mike Maddox; 3. Chris Cotto; 4. Nathan Ingersoll; 5. Rocky Rogers; 6. Phillip Merryman; 7. Danny Bagwell; 8. Josh Goodwin Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!