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Garvey Wins Four of Five PLM 100s, Track Title; Long Makes Hard Charge on Whataburger Night of Champs

By Chuck Corder

Mike Garvey came to Five Flags Speedway with the Pro Late Model track championship already locked up.

He could’ve cruised around the famed half-mile, asphalt oval on the Whataburger Night of Champions, finished dead last and still won the crown.

But that’s not Mike Garvey. The veteran driver with the NASCAR resume took control of the final Allen Turner Pro Late Model 100 on Lap 33 and dominated the final 67 laps.

It was Garvey’s fourth win of the five PLM 100 lappers this season, but it was a fight as he had to hold off a hard-charging Johanna Long down the stretch.

“I tell you what I got out front too early and I used too much,� Garvey said. “It’s a great way to end season. We’ve had a great series in pro car.�

Long’s trip home was certainly well worth it. The NASCAR Nationwide Series rookie won the pole (17.082 seconds) in the Tommy Rollins-owned No. 11 and the way she closed certainly reminded folks of her run to her 2010 Snowball Derby win.

“I have to thank Tommy Rollins for giving me the opportunity to come out in front of al these fans,� Long said. “It was awesome. Between my dad, family and the whole crew, they all worked really hard on this car.�

Long had a realistic shot to win the 100 lapper in the closing laps.

She started 10th after the invert, but climbed through the field and was fourth for most of the night as the race was green for the longest time.

That was before cautions began to breed cautions. In 76 laps, there was one yellow. In the next two laps, there were three as drivers were finding it tough-sledding to keep their cars under them.

Not Long, though. Despite cars around her struggling on restarts and sliding around Pensacola’s high banks, she remained unfazed.

Long cracked the top three and created an intense battle with Davidson in second and Garvey on the point.

The trio was nose-to-bumper for several revolutions. They were linked so closely, it looked like they were being led around on a tow rope.

Finally, Long made her move and shoved her way past Chris Davidson for second by Lap 90 and smothered Garvey’s bumper the rest of the way.

She just couldn’t seem to time her move underneath Garvey correctly and that was what ultimately cost her.

“I have to thank Johanna for running me clean because I was loose, loose, loose,� Garvey said.

What a way for the regular season to end at Five Flags.

Now, the track will undergo some quick renovations before the 45th annual Snowball Derby gets here beginning the last week of November and first weekend in December.

Long already has her eyes on exacting some revenge and giving her adoring public another reason to cheer.

“This was the best car I’ve had since the (2010) Derby,� she said. “I hope we hit on something and can be strong at the Derby once again.�

 

Modifieds

It was hard to find Donnie Hamrac amid the billowing clouds of smoke.

It didn’t take long for him to find the track championship trophy, though.

Hamrac finished second to Chris Cotto in the 40-lap Modifieds feature, but that was plenty good enough for the 16-year racing veteran to capture his first career track title at Five Flags Speedway.

Hamrac celebrated with a burnout of epic proportions, leaving the front stretch smothered in rolling smoke.

“I hope me and Cotto put on a race at the end,� Hamrac said. “I sure hope so. I was fun behind the wheel.�

In vintage Hamrac fashion, he bided his time.

As Cotto battled D.J. VanderLey and Scooter Grice for the lead early on, Hamrac was content to ride around for the first 20 laps, hanging out in the middle of the nine-car pack before making his move after the race crossed the halfway point.

But by Lap 30 Hamrac was second and slowly began to reel in Cotto’s huge lead.

The mark of a true champion, Hamrac battled Cotto for lead in the closing laps, trying to go the long way around until finally yielding the victory and settling for runner-up honors.

“About Lap 15, I had to drive with one hand and hold the gear with the other,� Cotto said. “That made it difficult. We had a good car this year, just some bad luck.�

 

Sportsmen

Brannon Fowler was stuck like glue to Steve Buttrick.

Fowler knew the precarious lead he held against Buttrick and knew if Buttrick finished four spots better, Fowler’s shot at a second straight track title would go up in smoke.

For 30 laps, Fowler’s fender never left Buttrick’s bumper. Buttrick won his eighth feature of the season, but because of his third-place finish it was Fowler hoisting another Sportsmen championship.

“We did what we needed do and Brannon didn’t have bad luck,� Buttrick said. “It is what it is. Congratulations to Brannon. It’s a lotta fun racing here.�

Fowler was having most of the fun Friday, though.

“Wow! Man!� he said. “That was a nerve-wracking race. I knew we had to follow Steve up there. He’s been the man to beat for a while.

“He made a path through there and it was up to me to stay in there.�

And stay Fowler did in the midst of a handful of cautions.

It didn’t come without some tense moments, though.

A huge crash with 22 laps completed between Johnny Greene and Raymond Ray on the front stretch brought out the third caution of the night.

On the restart, Buttrick maintained his lead and Fowler fell to fifth. At that moment, the two rivals were tied for the championship and if the race had ended at that time, Buttrick would have been awarded the crown because he won more features than Fowler this year.

Buttrick came into Friday trailing Fowler by 14 points and shaved two off that deficit in qualifying when he posted the fast time (21.065 seconds) and Fowler finished third.

But instead of experiencing the agony of defeat, Fowler enjoyed the thrill of victory. He recovered from his bobble on the last restart and found his way back to the podium finish, celebrating with a brief burnout on the front stretch.

After thanking his slew of sponsors, Fowler had a special message for his father, Glenn, and shared a special embrace with his wife and little boy.

“I can’t do it without the support of my little boy right here,� Fowler said. “He loves me.�

 

Bombers

They might have to add Gary Goodwin’s name to the Bombers division title.

Butler U-Pull-It has been a long, gracious sponsor of the series, but the way Goodwin has owned this class the last two seasons, the charter boat fishing captain deserves all the praise and publicity that comes his way.

Goodwin once again smoked the field for his seventh win of the year, this one a bit more meaningful as he locked up his second consecutive track championships.

“We had a good year,� he said, providing the understatement of the year. “It turned out good, just the way we like it.�

Goodwin’s qualifying effort was a prelude for things to come. He announced before the time trails began that he was going to try and bring the track record back to Pensacola.

Jay Jay Day, of Theodore, Ala., set the top time for the Bombers of 21.804 seconds a few years back.

Goodwin gave his best effort, but fell .14 seconds short with a blistering time of 21.818 seconds.

When the 25-lap feature came around, he started eighth because of the invert, but quickly had navigated his way to second on the opening lap.

Shortly after that, he had the lead all to himself. The end result was too easy to predict.

Goodwin has this winning thing down pat, and it was no different on this night.

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