Chase Elliott scored his third career ARCA/CRA SpeedFest Super Late Model victory Sunday at Watermelon Capital Speedway. Photo by Terry Spackman
Some days in racing, you would rather be lucky than good.
On Sunday at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, GA, Chase Elliott was a little of both.
After first overcoming a cut right front tire that put him at the back of the field, the Dawsonville, GA speedster moved back through the pack, then avoided trouble when the leaders tangled in front of him with four laps to go to score his second straight ARCA/CRA Super Series SpeedFest 200 Super Late Model victory.
Elliott was running third behind leader Bubba Pollard of Senoia, GA and second place John Hunter Nemechek. With two laps to go, Nemechek looked hard to the inside of Pollard in the first turn, with the two making contact, sending Pollard spinning in turn two.
CRA officials reviewed a replay of the incident and moved Nemechek to the back of the pack, along with Pollard.
That moved Elliott to the lead, which he would hold over the final two laps to pick up the win.
“We would have rather have gotten the job done straight up, but I’ve been on both ends of that,” Elliott said in victory lane. “We’ll definitely enjoy it and try to build off of it.”
It’s the second SpeedFest Super Late Model win at Watermelon Capital for the defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion. With an earlier victory in the event when it was held at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, GA in 2011, Elliott is now tied with Kyle Busch as the all-time SpeedFest champion with three wins each.
“I enjoy coming here,” said Elliott. “It’s always been in Georgia every time I’ve run, so it’s close to home. It’s kind of an off season race in January. There’s not a lot of racing that goes on throughout January, so it’s something cool to come do and hopefully we can come and try again next year.”
For Pollard, who had timed in fastest in qualifying the day before, it was a disappointing finish to say the least.
Bubba Pollard (26) would spin out of the lead after contact from John Hunter Nemechek (8) late in the going of Sunday’s race. Photo by Terry Spackman
“We got spun,” Pollard said after the race. “I guess just like everyone that gets spun, the person in front came down on him. So I guess I came down on him. I just never in my racing career have been able to pass somebody in a corner. You always win races passing people off the corner. I guess that’s what happened. I don’t know, really.”
Nemechek declined to comment following the race.
Elliott looked to be strong from the start of the race, as he battled Nemechek in the early going for the lead. Meanwhile, Pollard, who started fifth after a five car inversion, moved his way to the front, and on lap 11, would around Elliott for second. That fight was broken up by a spin by Perry, GA’s Steve Renner in turn four, bringing out the first caution of the day.
Back under green, Nemechek held the lead, but was quickly under attack from both Pollard and Elliott. Following a quick caution for a spin by John Coffman, Nemechek would continue to hold the top spot.
Elliott would move back around Pollard for second. On lap 45, he made his move around Nemechek to take the lead. Elliott would hold the top spot through the halfway break at lap 100.
But things took a bad turn for Elliott from there. On the restart, Elliott’s car failed to take off, bottling up the field behind him, resulting in Todd Gilliland getting turned head on into the frontstretch wall, while the car of Kyle McCallum ended up turned into the inside wall in turn four. The carnage resulted in the race being red flagged to allow for clean up.
Meanwhile, Elliott made his way to the pits, where his crew discovered a flat right front tire as the culprit. The team was able to get the tire changed, and Elliott rejoined the race from the back of the pack.
When the race resumed, Pollard took firm control of the lead, and would stave off challenge after challenge by Nemechek. As the leaders fought, Elliott began working his way through the pack. By lap 121, he had moved back into the top 10.
This lap 124 melee on the frontstrech eliminated both Dominique Van Wieringen and Austin Wayne Self from the race. Photo by Terry Spackman
Elliott just missed one of the biggest wrecks of the day on lap 124, when the cars of Austin Wayne Self and Dominique Van Wieringen tangled on the frontstrech, sending both spinning as Elliott just missed them on the inside. Marietta, GA’s Kyle Plott wasn’t as lucky, as he was gathered up in the mess.
Back under green, and Elliott continued his march to the front, moving to third on lap 161 behind Pollard and Nemechek. As the laps wound down, it appeared that Pollard would have the muscle to hold the two second generation drivers at bay. But a late caution on lap 192 bunched up the field, and allowed Nemechek to close on Pollard, leading the late race tangle.
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Elliott said he plans to run five or six more short track events this season, along with running full time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Kyle Grissom finished in second, with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan, from nearby Unadilla, GA, in third, Burton in fourth and Scotty Ellis in fifth.
Pollard would finish in ninth, with Nemechek in 10th.
All results are unofficial until certified by race officials.
The ARCA/CRA Super Series returns to action on April 11 at Toledo Speedway in Toledo, OH. For more info, visit CRA-Racing.com.
ARCA/CRA Super Series
Watermelon Capital Speedway – Cordele, GA
SpeedFest 200 (Unofficial) – Jan. 25, 2015
1. Chase Elliott
2. Kyle Grissom
3. David Ragan
4. Harrison Burton
5. Scotty Ellis
6. Chad Finley
7. Paul Shafer, Jr.
8. Brandon Oakley
9. Bubba Pollard
10. John Hunter Nemechek
11. Anderson Bowen
12. Russell Fleeman
13. Dalton Armstrong
14. Cole Timm
15. Maddie Crane
16. Steve Renner
17. Kyle Plott
18. Ron Young
19. Jordan Pruitt
20. Jordan Ives
21. Austin Wayne Self
22. Dominique Van Wieringen
23. Justin Ashburn
24. Todd Gilliland
25. Kyle McCallum
26. Kyle Bryant
27. Mike Garvey
28. John Coffman
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