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Grill Wins Miller Lite 125 for First Victory of Season; Pollard, Jones Collect Track Championships

By Chuck Corder

On a balmy, Florida Panhandle night, Augie Grill ended the drought.

The Hayden, Ala., Super Late Model driver and owner of two career Snowball Derby titles, Grill had been unfathomably winless in 2014.

That slump ended with a bullet of a racecar on Friday at Five Flags Speedway.

Grill won the Miller Lite 125, the Buddy’s Home Furnishings Blizzard Series finale, in dominating fashion against some heavy hitters in a 31-car field.

He was tickled to get the job done in the final SLM feature before the 47th annual Snowball Derby in December.

“The car was just great,� Grill said. “We can’t wait to come back for Snowball and, hopefully, be a little faster. We’ll build from here and get a little better. This was a lotta fun tonight.�

The other orders of business the SLMs had to weed out Friday was determining a Blizzard Series track champion and ironing out a tight battled for the Southern Super Series season championship.

Bubba Pollard, with a fourth-place finish, wrapped up the former — his second career Blizzard Series title. The latter will be decided at Mobile International Speedway tonight.

Pollard leads defending champion Daniel Hemric by 13 points.

“We’ve had good year,� Pollard said. “I can’t complain. We enjoy coming down here. Hopefully we put on good show for all the fans.�

Pensacola’s own Johanna Long, the 2010 Snowball champion, contended for the lead midway through the race.

Shortly after, though, the former Nationwide Series driver got caught on the outside groove and was freight-trained by a slew of competitors before finishing 11th.

Long hopes to hold off teenager Garrett Jones for a Pro Late Model track title at next Saturday’s Night of Champions.

There were seven cautions in Friday’s race, not including the mandatory competition yellow at Lap 75.

Grill avoided all trouble, especially in the closing laps when lapped traffic became an issue.

With runner-up Mike Garvey in hot pursuit, Grill drove it smooth through all the obstacles and didn’t let up until racing under the checkered flag.

“I feel I’ve had the best car the last couple races,� Grill said. “But for one reason or another, we didn’t capitalize. Thank goodness we finished the race. I don’t think I even had a donut on it. I’m amazed.�

 

Faith Chapel Super Stocks

Todd Jones went for broke and nearly broke.

But the aggressive drive worked in the Pace driver’s favor, as Jones’ runner-up finish in the 35-lap feature sealed the Faith Chapel Super Stocks track title.

“These boys are tough. Don’t let ’em kid you,� an ecstatic Jones said.

Dave Mader III scored his third win of the season, passing eventual third-place finisher Bubba Winslow on Lap 9 and never looking back.

“We had some other issues, but thanks to all guys that got me going,� Mader said. “I’m tickled to death.�

Jones came into the feature, holding a slim, four-point lead over Winslow.

As the race began, Winslow moved to second and put a two-car distance between he and Jones. If they would’ve finished that way, Winslow would’ve been the champion.

But Jones managed to climb to Winslow’s bumper, which would’ve been good enough for  1-point victory.

But, Jones wasn’t content with that result. Even though he didn’t have to, he pressed Winslow for the second spot, showing his penchant for racing..

“I didn’t want (Winslow) to outrun me,� explained Jones, who won the 2011 Modifieds track title.

Following a caution on Lap 28, Winslow got loose coming out of Turn No. 2. Jones pounced and made contact with Winslow.

It cost Jones some damage, as his right front panel partially tore off and whipped through the air like a sail.

There was some concern the loose metal might cause Jones to have a flat tire. He avoided disaster, though, and all Winslow could do was tip his cap.

“Congratulations to Todd on the championship,� he said. “We had an up and down season, but the guys didn’t give up. To be contending for a title at the end, that says a lot.�

 

Beef “O� Brady’s Sportsmen

Steve Buttrick took himself out of a contention for another track championship before the season started.

The veteran Beef “O� Brady’s Sportsmen driver decided to not run a full schedule.

Championships, schman-ionships.

Buttrick’s No. 33 is still the car to beat when he does come out to Five Flags Speedway.

He proved it again Friday tallying his sixth 25-lap feature victory of the year despite a hard late charge from series points leader Shanna Ard.

“I didn’t buy tires tonight, so that’s a plus,� Buttrick said.

Ard’s runner-up finish coupled with Brannon Fowler’s fifth place extended Ard’s lead to more than 40 points.

It’s mathematical at this point, but Ard has almost assured himself of his first-career track championship at Pensacola’s high banks.

On Friday, he did his best to dive-bomb into Turn Nos. 1 and 3 in pursuit of Buttrick, but Five Flags fans know all-too well that’s no easy task.

And it proved true again. Despite reaching Buttrick’s bumper, Ard never threatened to overtake the lead.

“That’s everything I had,� Ard said. “I was loose from Lap 1. I’ll take it. That was a blast.�

 

Butler U-Pull-It Bombers

Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script.

Defending track champion Michael Nelson came into Friday trailing good friend and Good Samaritan Robert Balkum by 6 points in the Butler U-Pull-It Bombers points chase.

With his fifth win of the year Friday and by virtue of Balkum finishing two spots in third, the pair will go into next Saturday’s Night of Champions for the lead.

“It’s gonna be a showdown,� Nelson said of next Saturday night. “He ain’t gonna give up. He’ll be faster.

“Consistency has been key for us this season. That’s what championships are all about.�

Balkum could’ve maintained his lead with a runner-up finish Friday, but John Kevin Merritt had a lot to say about that.

Merritt, who started on the pole but surrendered the lead to Nelson on Lap 8, had his best race of the season and protected the second position masterfully against Balkum.

Time and time again, Balkum poked his nose under and then around Merritt. Balkum tried the outside. Nope. He was all over Merritt’s bumper and the “Duck Dynasty� lookalike still wouldn’t budge.

“I should try hanging onto the outside a little more,� said Balkum, who has been instrumental in getting Nelson’s No. 03 ready for race days.

Somehow, someway Merritt held onto the spot despite also having to navigate lapped traffic. It was his best finish of the season.

“I enjoyed every minute of it,� Merritt said. “It was good running with Robert tonight.�

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