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Locals Dazzle Fans in 5 Features at 5 Flags

The difference between the end of last year and the beginning of this racing season for Bubba Winslow is like night or day.

Or like wins and losses.

Winslow of Pensacola dominated in the opening 30-lap Super Stock feature Friday night at Five Flags Speedway. He broke the track record by a whopping half-second, then led 27 of the 30 laps.

It was his second consecutive victory after winning the opener last weekend at Mobile International Speedway for Trawick Motorsports.

“It’s never easy,� he said. “But when you’ve got a fast car like that and a great pit crew, it kind of looks easy.�

It wasn’t easy for Winslow at the end of last season. He lost the points lead – and the track title – in the last race of the season. Then he lost his ride for the Snowball Derby. Gary Sutton took over the driver’s seat and won the prestigious race.

Winslow drove for Mike Trawick in the Snowball Derby. Even though he blew an engine, he had a good feeling about the team.

“They are the nicest folks,� he said. “A couple of years ago I finished second to them in the Snowball Derby and I told them if they ever need a driver, let me know.�

On Friday night, Winslow started fourth and quickly tucked in behind polesitter Randy Thompson. He took the lead, but a seven-car crash on the frontstretch wiped out the lap.

But it took only a couple of laps once the race restarted for Winslow to take the lead, passing Thompson on the outside.

“Passing on the outside is the tougher way to go, but it was fun doing that,� Winslow said.

Sutton finished second despite a rough start. He suffered a flat tire when he ran over some debris from that seven-car crash.

“That put us back in 17^th so it was all we could do it get back to second,� Sutton said.

For Winslow, 2013 is shaping up to be a dominant season.

“Last year was last year,� Winslow said. “We definitely have the fastest hot rod around right now.�

Pro Trucks

Going into the first Pro Truck race at Five Flags, Steve “Chopper� Stagner was facing the unknown just like the other drivers.

“You never know when you’re racing on the track for the first time,� he said. “With everything being new, we’re all going by trial and error. There’s nothing to go by.�

So Stagler set the bar, passing polesitter Harry Langham on Lap 3 and cruising the rest of the way. Jay Jay Day, who set the Pro Track qualifying record earlier, was closing in on Stagner until he broke a left-front shock.

“We were chasing him down,� said Day, who also owns the Five Flags Bomber track record, as well as the Bomber track record at Mobile. “Those records mean a lot to us.�

Stagner is going to stay busy racing trucks this season. He’ll also race regularly at Mobile, Montgomery, Ala., and Gresham, Ga.

He has this thing about trucks. He has 15 in his construction business.

“I like trucks. It’s something different,� he said.

Sportsmen

Steve Buttrick … again.

The driver continued his dominating way to start 2013. He led all 20 laps Friday night for his second straight win at Five Flags. He also won at Mobile and won the ARCA race at Mobile. Last year, he won eight Sportsmen features.

“Winning doesn’t get old,� he smiled. “I’m old.�

Behind him Shanna Ard made a late pass on Brandon Fowler for second. But Buttrick was comfortably ahead, even though he feels there is room for improvement.

“The car was a little loose, so we can still work on it a little bit.�

Modifieds

Brandon Howell was comfortably leading the opening Modified feature at Five Flags Speedway with five laps to go.

And he was nervous.

“There’s been so many races I’ve been leading with five to go and I haven’t won,� he said.

But not this time. Howell of Lucedale, Miss., started on the pole and led all 35 laps.

A couple of years ago at the same track, he was being told by his spotter that he had a comfortable lead. With five laps left, his radio went out.

“I thought I had it, then there was a car passing me on the outside,� he said. “Tonight I was hoping things would go our way.�

And they did. He pulled out to a good lead at the start and was never challenged, even by Donnie Hamrac, who had smashed the track record in qualifying. Hamrac started fourth, slipped by Todd Jones for second on Lap 14, but then he couldn’t get any closer to Howell.

“The tires burnt off,� said Hamrac, who eclipsed the old track record of 17.455 with a qualifying lap of 17.265. “I was trying to save the tires at the beginning, but I never could chase him down.�

Chris Cotto took third.

It was the first Modified victory for Howell since he won four straight at Opp, Ala., last summer.

“The car was perfect tonight,� he said.
Bombers

Tracy Soles was so excited about winning the season opener last week in the Bombers, he couldn’t wait to do it again.

He spun out while leading on the first lap. Since a lap wasn’t completed, he returned to his third starting spot. On the next restart, he quickly took the lead, didn’t spin and went on to his second consecutive feature win.

“I got a little anxious,� he said with a chuckle. “I’m just glad I didn’t tear the car up on that first lap. On the next restart I figured I better take my time and be cool about it.�

He actually had half his back fender hanging off, but it didn’t matter the rest of the way.

Soles had to fend off four restarts in the last half of the race caused by wrecks behind him.

On the final restart, David Johnson of Theadore, AL, drove in low in turn 1 and passed Michael Nelson for second.

“This is the hardest I’ve ever worked for second place,� he said. “It was wild. The car was a handful. I lost power steering on lap 3, but on that last restart I got a good run and made the move.�

However, Soles' efforts were in vain as he was disqualified in postrace inspection, which gave the win to Johnson. Finishing second was Kenny Bullard, and third w s Michael Nelson

 

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