---

Much to His Adoring Fans’ Delight, Junior Niedecken Scores First Win at Five Flags in Years

By Chuck Corder

With a soft smile and a causal wave to an overjoyed crowd, Wayne Niedecken Jr. broke free from the clutches of a thousand-pound gorilla.

There has been a cornucopia of checkereds handed out at since “Junior,� as Niedecken is simply known, has won a feature at Five Flags Speedway.

Too many to count. Too many to care to count.

Riding a lightning bolt of success across the bay in Mobile, Junior ended a miserably long Pensacola drought late Friday night.

The 58-year-old Milton driver drove to Victory Lane and drove the grandstands berserk after winning the closing 30-lap feature for the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models.

Sixteen-year-old Derek Scott Jr. narrowly held off Ryan Luza in the 20-lap opener three hours earlier Friday.

“I wondered when it was gonna happen,� an exasperated Junior said. “We have a streak going over at Mobile (International Speedway), and I started to wonder if it was going to bleed over into Pensacola. Tonight, it happened.�

Indeed it did. Junior, who finished fifth to Scott’s win, took the lead on Lap 19 from 25-year-old Zachary Knowles and never bobbled the rest of the way despite a closing caution.

Junior had come close to wins in recent years at the famed half-mile asphalt oval. He finished second in a nail biter to young Garrett Jones last year.

But something clicked with his program during Snowball Derby week. He finished a respectable seventh in the Snowflake 100 last December and carried that karma into 2015.

“It’s all about momentum with these cars,� Junior said. “We’ve just been dotting our “I’s� and crossing our “T’s� and paying attention to the details.�

He raised eyebrows by winning the Pepsi 100 last month in Mobile. Then, two weeks ago, again at MIS, he backed his victory up by sweeping the same 20-/30-lap format Five Flags entertains.

Back on home turf Friday, Junior was bound and determined to snap his losing skid. An aggressive brand of driving and good fortune to avoid two cautions were Junior’s recipe for success.

“The cards have to fall in your favor,� he said. “We race very frugal, on a shoestring budget, against some teams that have a lotta money.�

Class warfare matters little, though, once you reach Victory Lane.

Blinding flashes from smart phones and heavy-duty cameras danced against the night sky’s pitch-black backdrop.

“I can’t remember the last time,� a relieved Niedecken exclaimed.

One thing’s for sure. Champions never forget how to celebrate.

Junior was as meticulous in Victory Lane as he was hitting his lines in the final few laps. He made sure every friend and family member got a picture to cherish — freshly-minted retiree Marty White was among the droves.

Sponsors, too, enjoyed the celebration. Even if Junior had to steer them into their spots to ensure their logo would be proudly displayed.

When it came time for a photo with just the car and its sweaty driver, Niedecken made sure everything was in its place. With the flair of a matador, he displayed the checkered flag to the popping lenses like a server presents a bottle of wine, tableside.

Niedecken crouched next toward the rear of his car, the white No. 99 beaming underneath the track’s lights.

“It’s a good thing to see again,� a close buddy remarked to Niedecken.

Indeed it was.

 

Scott Edges Luza in PLM Opener

A Texas tornado roared into Five Flags Speedway on Friday.

Derek Scott Jr., 16 and from Franklin, Texas, and Ryan Luza, 18 and from Cypress, Texas, provided a great finish for the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

Scott, who dominated much of the 20-lap race, held off a hard-charging Luza at the line for his first career Five Flags victory. It was Luza’s second consecutive runner-up finish.

“This is great,� Scott said. “It’s nothing more than what I expected. We came here wanting the win, so I’m happy.�

Luza had several opportunities in the closing laps, but his best shot came on the final lap. Out of Turn No. 2, the young guns were side-by-side headed down the back stretch.

They made contact coming out of Turn No. 4 and Scott held on at the line by a radiator. If that, really.

“It was definitely a close race,� Luza said. “We were a little loose coming off the corners. We both raced each other clean and didn’t tear any cars up.�

 

Southern Vintage Racing Association

Chris Bayhi saved his best for the stretch run Friday at Five Flags Speedway.

Ben Spears, in his quest for a three-peat at Pensacola’s high banks, had firm control for much of the 20-lap race before a slew of cautions opened the door for Bayhi.

Bayhi got a great jump on a Lap 16 restart and the two were wheel-to-wheel. Bayhi, the Vintages current points leader, pounced on the opportunity and had firm control of the lead by the time the two made it back to the flagstand.

“We’ve spent the last three nights putting the car together,� Bayhi said. “I can’t even think of all the people that have helped me.�

Spears couldn’t make up ground and fell short of his goal of three consecutive wins for the class of 1934 Ford and Chevy coupes and sedans.

“We just ran outta tires at the end — that’s all there is to it,� Spears said. “That and too many cautions.�

 

Pro Trucks

Okie Mason showed the heart of a champion Friday at Five Flags Speedway.

The defending series champion took the lead from Ryan Worsham on Lap 3 and never had to sweat his first victory this season in Pensacola.

“Praise God that he gave me this ability,� Mason said.

Nearly overshadowing Mason’s win was the battle for second between the father-daughter dup of Brian and Jami Weimer from Cumming, Ga.

Jami Weimer, 20, moved into second on late restart and held that position on the 25th and final lap when Brian Weimer made a last-ditch effort.

But Jami wasn’t budging for dear ol’ dad, five days after celebrating Father’s Day. She finished ahead of him for the first time since she started racing.

“I won’t hear the end of this one,� Brian Weimer joked (kind of). “She drove a helluva race. She’s proven herself.�

 

Sportsman

No win can or should be marginalized.

But even Brannon Fowler will admit his victory Friday night in the 25-lap feature at Five Flags Speedway paled in comparison to the chaotic battle for second.

“I had all but clear track ahead,� Fowler said. “There seemed to be a lotta action and excitement behind me. It was a good night.�

That honor ultimately went to Shanna Ard. But only after his No. 29 car got sideways coming out of Turn No. 4 and nosed out Steve Buttrick for runner-up honors.

The two were so close that as Ard crossed the stripe barely ahead of Buttrick, the No. 29 shoved the No. 33 into the inside wall.

It was the second time Friday the pair had collided with one another.

With four laps left, the roles were reversed. Buttrick held second and Ard wanted it desperately. As Ard tried to go under Buttrick in Turn No. 1, the friendly rivals went for a spin before makin contact along the apron.

“I hope y’all fans enjoyed that!� Ard cried out. “You can’t get any better than that. I thank Buttrick for good, hard racing.�

 

Bombers

With his car up for sale, Colin Kraft went for broke Friday night at Five Flags Speedway.

Kraft, the son of Camping World Trucks Series legend Rick Crawford, successfully negotiated a four-wide battle moments after the green flag dropped en route to his first official win in Pensacola.

“When you drive a winning car is easier to smile,� Kraft said. “We wanted to bring it out one last time to show it is a winning car. We worked our butts off. Dad, especially, spent night and day getting it ready. I’m glad I could bring it up here to Victory Lane.�

Geno Denmark appeared to have something for Kraft late in the race. Trouble with lapped traffic, though, was Denmark’s untimely undoing and he settled for second.

“The car drove really good,� Denmark said. “We were running Colin down. It was taking me forever, but we were reeling him in.

“But, then, we came down on the lapped car and he got me sideways. I couldn’t do anything after that.�

Back to News