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Roderick, Smith Battle to Finish to Settle Blizzard Series Crown at Night of Champions on Saturday

By Chuck Corder

The life of a racecar driver is inherently demanding.

Even if, sometimes, the drivers don’t always know many details of their busy schedules.

Zane Smith is no exception.

The 17 year old is keenly aware he’ll spend much of this week flying back and forth between Sparta, Ky., and Pensacola.

As far as an estimated time of arrival in Pensacola? Meh.

“To be honest, I’m not sure if I fly out (Tuesday night) or (Wednesday),� Smith said. “I didn’t pack my bag this morning. I don’t know if it’s because I missed my alarm clock or what. I do know we’ll test (in Pensacola) all day Wednesday.�

Smith, in fact, will test in both towns throughout this week, as final preparations and adjustments are made for a weekend journey that would make most young hotshoes jealous.

He will compete in his second career ARCA Racing Series event Friday night at Kentucky Speedway before boarding another flight and arriving at Five Flags Speedway for Saturday’s Night of Champions.

Smith will guide the No. 77 Crooks Racing Super Late Model in the Deep South Cranes 150, the Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series and Southern Super Series season finale, on Saturday at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

Smith, who finished second to current Sprint Cup Series star rookie Chase Elliott at last December’s Snowball Derby, is in a dead heat with defending Blizzard Series champion Casey Roderick for this year’s track championship.

After three races, the two enter Saturday tied with 139 points apiece. First and foremost, though, both seem primarily concerned with snatching the final checkered flag that will be handed out before the 49th annual Snowball Derby arrives in December.

“Honestly, I’m not thinking about the championship. I’m bummed we haven’t won down there,� said Smith, who seemingly won nearly every race or series he entered in 2015. “Getting the championship, it definitely would be sweet to have my face on that billboard when you pull in there. But it bothers me that we’ve had shots to win, and luck hasn’t really fallen our way.�

The 24-year-old Roderick, who boasts two Blizzard Series wins already this season, is adamant about finishing strong with another victory in his Graham Motorsports No. 7 for a different reason.

“Points racing can distract you from what you’re trying to accomplish, really, and that’s to win races,� Roderick said. “That’s what gets people’s attention. This weekend, I’m not worried about the points. I’ll run my race, and not worry about where (Smith is) at, on the racetrack.

“We’ll focus on us and not everybody else, and do our thing like we’ve been doing all year. And the outcome is what it is. But, it would be great to get another championship there.�

Roderick’s words will be echoed across divisions in the coming days, as local drivers in the Faith Chapel Super Stocks, The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen and the Butler U-Pull-It Bombers all vie for a championships Saturday night.

Gates open at 4 p.m. and admission is $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, military and students; $5 for children ages 6 to 11; and free for kids 5 and under.

A season ago, Smith gained national acclaim by winning the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing SLM title, notching three wins on the PASS South circuit and a CARS SLM Tour victory.

The teenager’s lone win this year came behind the wheel of a Pro Late Model at New Smyrna Speedway. “It (upsets) me just because of how last year went,� Smith said.

Despite his frustrations, Smith has been the embodiment of consistency at Five Flags with second-, third- and sixth-place finishes guiding him to the top of the Blizzard Series standings alongside Roderick.

Still, Smith is determined to salvage a season that has fallen short of his expectations with a victory come Saturday at Pensacola’s high banks.

“I wake up every day, and I think about the fact that we only have one win this year,� said Smith, who migrated from his native California to racing hub Mooresville, N.C., two years ago. “We’ve tried, literally, everything. We’ve sat fifth in races, led the thing at one point, sat second other times. No matter what I do, nothing falls my way.�

It, mostly, has been the exact opposite for Roderick. Since rededicating himself to short-track racing a few years ago, the former NASCAR XFINITY Series driver has been a perennial favorite at Five Flags.

Roderick owns three Blizzard Series wins dating back to last May and finished this season’s Allen Turner Hyundai PLM series on a current streak of five consecutive runner-up finishes.

Roderick is looking to become the first reigning Blizzard Series champion to successfully defend his title since Pensacola racing icon Eddie Mercer won the first two titles in 2004 and 2005.

“Not a whole lot of people have gone back-to-back there,� Roderick said. “It feels like we’ve got a good shot at it, as long as everything runs smooth. It feels like we’ve been on top for most of the year in the Super down there. We’ve got a good shot at doing that again, this weekend, to finish strong.�

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