Preston Peltier wears a well deserved crown in victory lane after becoming the 21st different winner of the World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park. Photo by Steve Knight / Dark Knight Photography
For the first 275 laps of the World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, GA Saturday night, Bubba Pollard looked like he was finally going to win the big race he’s long coveted. He drove through the field twice and, with 30 laps to go, regained the lead from Preston Peltier and began driving off toward the biggest win of his career.
But Peltier wasn’t interested in Pollard’s sentimental story. Instead, he wrote a surprising story of his own. The Concord, NC, driver rallied back past Pollard on lap 276 and scored his own landmark win.
“I’m surprised we were able to pull this off,” Peltier said in victory lane.
Peltier wasn’t just being humble. While other teams brought in professional tire changers to handle the race’s live pit stops, Peltier used his friends. He said he was out of shape, just recently recovered from injuries he sustained after he fell through his attic a few months ago. In the mostly green flag affair, he sweated through his fire suit.
“I’m worn out, man,” he said. “I’m way out of shape; my arms are tired. I’ve been lying on the couch too much.”
For most of the race, Peltier rested in the weeds while other contenders came and went. For the first 100 laps, Augie Grill and Pollard swapped the lead back and forth. Chase Elliott grabbed the lead after pit stops at laps 103 and 173.
Pollard restarted the race at the tail end of the lead lap after both pit stop periods, but he quickly charged back to the front. He and most of the leaders stayed out when the caution flag waved again on lap 184.
Disappointment shows on Bubba Pollard’s face after Saturday night’s World Crown 300. Pollard appeared to have the dominant car, but lost his bid at the victory after getting caught in lap traffic, having to settle for second. Photo by Matt Weaver
Instead of following suit, Peltier hit pit road for four fresh tires. He made quick use of them – by the time Pollard grabbed the lead from outside pole-sitter T.J. Reaid on lap 206, Peltier had snuck up to third. After making quick work for Reaid, Peltier surprised Pollard with a bonsai move in turn 1 on lap 210.
Peltier couldn’t get away from Pollard, however, and the Senoia, GA, driver rallied back to the top spot as the two leaders worked their way through lap traffic on lap 271.
Lap traffic proved to be Pollard’s undoing. Five laps after taking the lead, Pollard struggled to get past the lap car of Kyle Benjamin. With Pollard bogged down in the inside line, Peltier jumped to the outside lane and squeezed past Pollard and Benjamin.
“The story of our entire season has been lap cars, but you take what you get sometimes,” Pollard said. “We had a great car, but (Peltier) had a better car off the corners at the end.”
In the end, Peltier’s drive off the corners drove him to victory. Pollard held on for second, with Reaid, Elliott and Austin Theriault wrapping up the top five.
He took off on his polish victory lap, only to be welcomed by his makeshift crew and a new crown to wear.
“I’ve got to thank my crew, my friends here,” he said. “I’d rather have them here than these high-dollar crews any day.”
Dedicated to advancing knowledge and cialis properien treatment of cardiovascular disease in your body. It is cheapest levitra look at here a common problem in men is through regular intake of natural herbal remedies. It’s viagra 25 mg a problem that men have faced throughout history, and men in today’s time are still facing it. Be concerned about the health- Good sexual health but it does not buying sildenafil online mean that things would go as per you and as you have intended them to happen.
World Crown 300
Gresham Motorsports Park – Jefferson, GA
Race Results – Aug. 10, 2013
1. Preston Peltier
2. Bubba Pollard
3. T.J. Reaid
4. Chase Elliott
5. Austin Theriault
6. Augie Grill
7. Kyle Benjamin
8. Daniel Hemric
9. Anderson Bowen
10. Hunter Robbins
11. David Odell
12. Stephen Nasse
13. Mason Massey
14. Spencer Davis
15. Russell Fleeman
16. Donnie Wilson
17. John Hunter Nemechek
18. Chris Fontaine
19. Chad Finley
20. Mike Garvey
21. Dalton Grindle
22. Rodney Benefield
23. Allen Karnes
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.