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NASCAR K&N East Field Doesn’t Disappoint as Rhodes Captures Pensacola 150 for Third Straight Win

By Chuck Corder

Ben Rhodes taught his rivals a valuable, yet terrifying lesson Friday night.

Never count the 17-year-old Louisville, Ky., driver out.

Seemingly an afterthought to extend his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East winning streak in the Pensacola 150 on Friday night at Five Flags Speedway, Rhodes found an extra gear on a late restart to wow a packed house.

He blew by then-leader Cameron Hayley on the inside lane of Lap 134 and easily cruised to his third consecutive K&N East victory.

“I was going to make some magic happen,� Rhodes told his spotters, before demurely adding, “I didn’t really know if I could.�

He ended up looking like David Blaine.

Rhodes, who holds a commanding lead in the K&N East series points chase, led for more than 30 laps in the revolutions leading up to the mandated competition yellow that waved at the race’s halfway mark.

But once the race got back underway, pole sitter Gray Gaulding — his 17.287-second time was .001 faster than Rhodes' mark — reclaimed the lead on Lap 78.

Everyone’s attention quickly turned to the two-car battle between the 16-year-old Gaulding and 17-year-old Hayley for the lead.

Hayley staked his claim to P1 at Lap 114, and some thought that one of the four international drivers in the 21-car field would reign supreme at America’s Favorite Home Track.

Hayley, who hails from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was in search for his first career K&N East victory after winning on the West series last October.

The cards seemed to be aligning for Hayley until the caution flew for a multiple-car pileup on Lap 123. It opened the door for Rhodes to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

“That caution was a blessing,� Rhodes said. “I don’t know if I could’ve gotten up there with what I had left.�

Hayley simply wasn’t the same on the restart, a fact he uncomfortably recognized after coming home third.

“I made a bit of a mistake,� he said. “I went a little too soon. We were way too loose at the end. It went downhill real quick.�

Hayley’s misfortunes were Rhodes and runner-up Brandon Jones’ good fortunes.

Jones, yet another 17 year old, steadily ran in the top-five all night and seemed to be riding a rocket ship late in the race.

“I think I saved a little too much during the second half of the race,� the Atlanta driver said. “We had the best car at the end of the race.�

Rhodes would probably disagree.

So would Kenzie Ruston. The El Reno, Okla., driver and familiar face to Five Flags fans had a roller coaster evening.

She was a force early, then mechanical failures relegated her to being a lap down for a long stretch. Late in the race, though, Ruston rebounded and hustled home fourth.

Thanks her past experience running Pro and Super Late Models at Pensacola’s high-banked oval, Ruston was smart to save her tires to the end.

Rhodes had never seen Five Flags before this week. Yet he had heard about the abrasive track and came to Pensacola priding himself on tire management.

“I always try and save my tires,� Rhodes said. “I didn’t know what I had left at the end. It’s sort of like a mind game, and I was just hoping to get back up there.�

He found his way back up front and his mere presence sent shivers down the spines of his foes.

“All riding and no racing makes Benny a dull boy,� Rhodes said, paraphrasing the famous line from “The Shining.�

 

Faith Chapel Super Stocks

Dave Mader III and Five Flags Speedway go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Thirty-six years ago he climbed to the top of the short-track world when he outdueled Mark Martin for the 1978 Snowball Derby trophy.

Eight years ago he won the Blizzard Series track championship at the ripe, old age of 50.

On Friday night, the 58-year-old Mader was his vintage self at the famed half-mile asphalt oval, capturing the 25-lap feature for the Faith Chapel Super Stocks.

The victory makes it five decades Mader has won at Five Flags Speedway.

“It feels as good as it always has,� Mader said in Victory Lane. “We just have a lotta fun working on this stuff.�

He had a lot of fun driving the stuff Friday. Mader took the lead from Randy Thompson on Lap 15 and established a comfortable distance from eventual runner-up Bubba Winslow.

Mader started near the tail end of the field, but climbed to second by Lap 2.

 

Beef “O� Brady’s Sportsmen

Practice. Steve Buttrick doesn’t need no stinkin’ practice.

The Cantonment driver and winner of four straight Sportsman Snowball Derby races showed up too late Friday at Five Flags Speedway to get a warm-up session in and take the opportunity to shake the car down.

It mattered little, as Buttrick shoved his way past series points leader Brannon Fowler on Lap 17 and pulled away from the rest of the 12-car field in the 25-lap Beef “O� Brady’s Sportsmen feature.

“It was a good race,� Buttrick said. “Brannon got up in the corner, and I got underneath him. I don’t think he was too happy about it, but that’s racing.�

Buttrick was right. Fowler, who finished second, was none too pleased.

“I think he’s put a bigger bumper on the car,� joked Fowler, who was denied his fifth win of the season. “It’s all right; we got one, too, and there’s always next time. We’ve had a good year, and I’m proud of what we’ve done.�

 

Butler U-Pull-It Bombers

B.J. Leytham must have put the fear of God in his rivals.

Undefeated in seven features at Mobile International Speedway this year, Leytham crossed state lines for the first time this season.

He extended his unblemished streak to Five Flags Speedway on Friday, and endured a pair of red flags along the way of a lengthy Butler U-Pull-It Bombers 20-lap feature.

“The car was just phenomenal,� the understated Leytham said. “I was just along for the ride.�

Leytham led from flag-to-flag. He couldn’t have asked for a better position Friday as the majority of the 19-car field turned the feature into their own, personal demolition derby.

Defending series champion Michael Nelson blew up on Lap 9, heading into Turn 2 to bring out the first red flag.

After the safety crew doused the asphalt between turn Nos. 1 and 2 with Speedy Dry, racing continued until another incident stopped the feature for another 10 minutes.

Tracy Soles was involved in a wreck with Rick Culbertson along the front straightaway, destroying the ride Soles just purchased earlier this month.

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