Charlotte, NC 6/27/12– The PASS South Series drivers and teams now turn their attention to the Anderson Motor Speedway in Williamston, South Carolina the site of the next event on the series’ sixteen race schedule. The Firecracker 150 event on Tuesday July 3rd, celebrating the nation’s birthday, marks the halfway point of the series’ schedule so far in 2012. While some drivers are more than happy with their performances thus far this season and their positioning in the championship standings, other drivers hope that the abrasive Anderson Motor Speedway is the start of something better as the season hits the second half of the schedule.
Two drivers with an A+ grade at the halfway point of the season go to the two drivers tied for the top spot in the championship standings. Kyle Grissom and Brandon Ward are locked in a dead heat for first with 1262 championship points each. Neither Grissom nor Ward has ever raced Anderson behind the wheel of a super late model. This fact alone should make for an interesting race for both drivers come Tuesday night. Ward however; does have consistency on his side finishing in top ten five of six races on his way to picking up his first career PASS South win at Wake County Speedway in May.
Landon Cling, winner of the series last race at South Boston Speedway, receives a B+ for his season so far. Cling has had anything but a “sophomore slump” in his second year behind the wheel of the #29 machine owned by Brad Keselowski. The seventeen year old driver sits fourth in the standings eighteen points behind the co-leaders. Preston Peltier is also worthy of a B+ rating despite being sixth in the championship standings. Peltier has scored more top five finishes than any other driver this season, and has just as many top tens as the championship leaders. The Concord, North Carolina drivers only setback this season was his 26th place finish in the Easter Bunny 150 at the Hickory Motor Speedway in the series second race of the year.
The driver between Cling and the two drivers atop the standings is veteran Jay Fogleman, whom many picked as the preseason favorite to win the championship in 2012. Fogleman’s effort has improved as of late after a slow start scoring a B- on his report card. This Tuesday’s race at Anderson is exactly what the Durham, North Carolina driver needs to get some momentum going forward as he knows what it takes to get around the South Carolina track having won there a season ago to kick off the 2011 season.
Last but not least is a pair of drivers that have struggled for the most part of the beginning of the 2012 season. Ross Kenseth has scored a win this season but since that time his team has struggled to finish within the top ten on a regular basis. Kenseth is seeing many of the tracks in the south for the first time ever since his move to North Carolina from his home state of Wisconsin. Expect the second half of season to be much better for the nineteen year old driver after he gets a second go at many of the tracks on the schedule. Another youngster in the form of Gray Gaulding in his second year behind the wheel of the super late model has shown brief instances of brilliance, but for one reason or another he has only managed one top ten finish this year. Last year in his rookie season Gaulding scored three top ten finishes leading on to high expectation for 2012.
While the core group of PASS South Series drivers are focused on points many drivers that have filed entries for the event care about one thing and one thing only; ending their night in victory lane. Kyle Bonsignore, Columbia, South Carolina driver R.A. Brown, a pair of local drivers in the form of Clete Caywood and Randy Gentry, and Jody Measamer, making his super late model debut from the super limited ranks, have all filed entries and will do battle for the win.
With midseason progress reports on the table each driver vying for the PASS South Series championship in 2012 knows that this special holiday event at the abrasive Anderson Motor Speedway could set the tone for the remainder of their season going forward. While the championship is the ultimate goal for most; to leave Anderson as the winner of the Firecracker 150 in front of what should be a packed house is what every driver in attendance has plans to do for the immediate future.
The “BIG BOYS WITH THE BAD FAST TOYS” PASS South Super Late Model Series invades the Anderson Motor Speedway located in Williamston, South Carolina on a special holiday night, this Tuesday July 3rd for the Firecracker 150. Practice for the 150 lap race kicks off at 3pm followed by qualifying at 6pm. After the series always popular on-track autograph session at 7:15pm, the green flag waives on high horse power super late model racing action at 8pm. As part of the race’s holiday festivities a gigantic fireworks display by Zambelli Fireworks presented by Bio Specialists Crime Scene Cleanup will kickoff at the conclusion of the feature events. For tickets 803-999-1234 call and more information on the PASS South Series or any of the PASS sanctioned series visit http://www.proallstarsseries.com/.