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Doss winner after Byron DQ

Editor’s Note: William Byron was disqualified in post-race technical inspection, awarding the win to Jeremy Doss.

Cup Star Byron Scores First Career 5 Flags Victory with Win on Night 1 of Twin Blizzards
By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter
It’s clear William Byron eats and breathes racing. We’re just not sure the Hendrick Motorsports budding star ever sleeps. Chances are pretty good Byron would choose racing over shut eye if giving the option.
Byron didn’t let a tight battle in the NASCAR Cup Series points race interfere with his love for Super Late Model racing. His stay in Pensacola wasn’t long, but Byron did secure some hardware during his short time in the City of Five Flags before he flew to Poconos Raceway for Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400.
Byron put on a masterful performance Friday at Five Flags Speedway, capturing the Kioti Tractor 100 on the first night of the PepperJack Kennels Twin Blizzards. He won for the first time at the famed half-mile asphalt oval, capturing the first of two Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series races this weekend.
“I just enjoy racing. Every race makes me better,” explained Byron, who drove for Anthony Campi Racing. “Racetracks have different characteristics and each one challenges you. With the Cup car, you sometimes can get into a lull. It was nice to run with Anthony and this awesome team tonight.”
He started fourth and was in the mix all night before taking the lead from Jeremy Doss with 64 laps complete. In the second Blizzard race, Doss finished second for the second time this season. Sixteen-year-old Gio Ruggiero collected third-place honors.
The field of 28 cars appeared to get slashed on Lap 6. Jockeying for position between Turn Nos. 1 and 2 incited an incident that involved two-thirds of the field. Amazingly, more than 20 cars were back on the track when the race restarted.
“Our car was really good,” Byron said. “The guys did a good job of preparing the car all week. This was hard fought. I’d never won here, so who could say it was one of my weaker tracks. It’s fun to come race Late Models. These guys are tough. It’s good to get back to Victory Lane.”
His Cup obligations Sunday won’t allow him to defend tonight at Five Flags where the SLMs will return for the American Welding Society 100. The Modfieds of Mayhem (50 laps), Story & Bleich Crown Stocks (15) and fireworks will close out the Twin Blizzards festivities.
Bubba Pollard will be among a host of drivers looking to rebound after disappointing opening performances when racing starts at 8 p.m. today. The fast qualifier Friday, Pollard was second behind Doss for much of the race before his car went away. Defending Snowball Derby champion Derek Thorn barely got his legs under him before being collected in the Five Flags “Big One” early on.
“I just wanna race against the best and get better,” explained Doss, who travels to the Panhandle from his native California. “The place is so darn tough to only come here once a year. Any chance you can get to prepare for the Snowball Derby, you gotta come here more often.
“It has paid off with two seconds. Hopefully, we can be one spot better (tonight).”
Faith Chapel Outlaws
Bubba Winslow was sick and tired of being the bridesmaid in recent months at Five Flags Speedway.
After winning the April feature, the Cantonment driver reeled off three runners-up in a row heading into Friday night’s Faith Chapel Outlaws 30-lap feature.
Winslow ended that dubious streak of seconds with a flag-to-flag victory, topping defending track champion and current series points leader Timothy Watson. Winslow’s second win of 2023 cut Watson’s lead to 18 points with two races left in the regular season.
“My guys worked their butts off and they have got no quit,” Winslow said. “We struggled a bit in past races, but they kept griding and grinding. We went to the shop, and found some stuff. I think we’ve got something that is really gonna hurt (the competition) now.”
Watson, who also has a pair of victories, has finished on the podium in all six races this year. Carter Taylor, the fast qualifier (17.866 seconds), finished third.
“He’s always fast and great on the short runs,” Watson said of Winslow. “We did the best we could. The car was fast.”
Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks
It what promises to be a second-half battle at Five Flags Speedway, two Alabama drivers continued their ongoing battle for Robert supremacy Friday at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.
On this night, it was Mobile’s Robert Barber who topped Robert Loper of Theodore, Ala., when the dust settled in the Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks 20-lap feature.
Barber collected his second consecutive victory, and third this season, after leading the final 16 laps.
“We put on a good race, and that’s all that matters,” said Barber, who loves to sling his No. 97 into each turns to set up his exits. “That’s from all my years driving on dirt. I’m not gonna spin unless somebody gets into me.”
Loper—the division’s defending champion and a six-time winner last year, including capturing the Pure Stocks 50-lap race at the Snowball Derby—took home runner-up honors in his season debut at Pensacola’s high banks. Butch Harvell rounded out the podium.
Loper spent the first half of 2023 building a new car, which he unveiled at Five Flags for the first time Friday. The clean burnt orange rocket ship set the fast time (21.705 seconds) in qualifying but started third after his dice roll set the invert. Loper’s eagerness to get back out front was evident at the drop of the green flag. He made it three-wide at the flag stand and was immediately black flagged to the rear of the field.
“I missed the start and jumped down too fast,” Loper admitted. “We drove away and back to the front, but we burned the tires off it.”
Loper challenged his friend for the lead several times down the stretch, but Barber was up for the battle each time. First, he deftly blocked Loper from getting around him by making his car wide around the racetrack. Then, Barber found another gear and pulled away from Loper in the closing laps.

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