Taylor Jorgensen Wins In 5 Flags Pro Trucks Debut

History doesn’t happen just in December at Five Flags Speedway.

While the Snowball Derby is short-track racing’s crown jewel each December, the famed Pensacola, Florida half-mile asphalt oval earns its moniker six other months out of the year, too.

Friday night proved the season opener can be just as memorable as the season finale.

Taylor Jorgensen, a 19-year-old driver from Stockbridge, GA, etched her name into Five Flags’ lore Friday night with one heck of a debut at Pensacola’s high banks.

Jorgensen, a national Bandolero champion in 2012, won a 50-lap feature in her first career Beef “O” Brady’s Pro Trucks race, as the 2016 racing season officially got underway. She prevailed against a deep, 20-truck field in which seven states were represented.

“Oh my gosh!” said Jorgensen, who is the first female driver to win a Pro Trucks race at Five Flags and the first since Tina Davidson’s historic Sportsmen victory in 2011.

“I didn’t know much of what I was doing out there. Oh my gosh! This is a dream come true. I’m speechless.”

Jorgensen took the lead from polesitter Okie Mason on lap 10 when she slammed into the back of the veteran driver.

But, like with any checkered flag, she earned a trip to victory lane in the final laps.

Jorgensen deftly maneuvered around lapped traffic and held off eventual runner-up Steven Davis. Mason, who won a five-lap $250 Dash for the Cash earlier in the night, finished third.

The crucial move came on lap 44 when two cars in the back of the pack stood between Jorgensen and clean air.

She stayed low, slid underneath the two impediments and prevented Davis from passing all in a quick sequence.

“It happened so fast,” Jorgensen said. “I saw the two cars battling back and forth. A hole opened, and it was able to work out because I gave a block on (Davis).”

It was a quick-twitch decision that belied her age. One might expect such a seasoned move from a savvy veteran, not a rookie.

But Jorgensen proved Friday to be a quick study at a track that has fooled many an experienced driver for years.

“When we came off the trailer, we had tires that had 60 laps on them,” she said. “We laid down some fast times in practice on old tires. But when we put on new ones during qualifying, we didn’t pick up too much.

“But that was okay in the end because when the truck got loose, I knew how it was going to handle.”

Jorgensen might have carried a steely demeanor behind the wheel Friday. Once she ripped the helmet off and flashed her million-watt smile, though, maintaining that composure proved more difficult.

Her hands shook like she was battling Snowball Derby temperatures instead of a breezy, crisp night. Her eyes welled up with celebratory tears, as she was surrounded by her giddy family — father Jason, mother Amy and brother Jensen — and friends.

“She wasn’t supposed to do that,” a stunned, but proud Amy Jorgensen said.

Amy’s baby girl promises to make more history throughout 2016.

“We got a good start,” Taylor Jorgensen said. “I hope we can keep up this momentum.”

The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen

Brannon Fowler picked up right where he left off — namely, victory lane at Five Flags Speedway.

Fowler won the Sportsmen Snowball Derby title to close the 2015 season and wasted little time in getting 2016 off on the right foot Friday night at the season opener in Pensacola.

Fowler defeated friendly rival Steve Buttrick in what was mostly a two-car race over the last half of the 25-lap Sportsmen feature.

“New year, same results,” Fowler said. “Steve’ll get his share of wins, trust me. He’s a tough competitor. We race hard, but we race clean. Hopefully, we put on a show for the fans.”

Two-time defending track champion Shanna Ard rounded out the podium in third.

Johnny Greene, Jr. took the lead on lap 1 with Fowler a close second and Buttrick third. Buttrick quickly rose to second by lap 5, but yielded it when Fowler got the better of him on a restart around lap 8.

Three laps later, Greene’s slight bobble on the back stretch opened a lane for Fowler to dart to clean air.

Buttrick gave chase, but never made Fowler sweat in the second half of the feature.

“Earlier in the race, I got into the inside wall and I may have knocked the toe out little bit,” Buttrick said. “But no excuses. Brannon did great job and earned it.”

Generally speaking, the times of urination at soft cialis mastercard night which is more representative in clinic. Strikes must be cialis shop aimed towards the opponent’s significant points and nerve motor points. Safe and pleasing result- Every time of intake, effective and cheap Kamagra gives assured results to erect the penis Sildenafil citrate contained kamagra tablets cost of tadalafil are much more effective to induce penile erection, if taken in the presence of the sexual stimulation. We are into the third month of the new calendar viagra tablet price year. Butler U-Pull-It Bombers

B.J. Leytham is back and still dominant.

There had been talk before Friday that Leytham and teammate Geno Denmark — two drivers whose run of dominance include a Bombers Snowball Derby title (Leytham, 2014) and a Bombers track championship (Denmark, 2015) — would scale back their schedule in 2016 and, thus, spread the wealth of checkered flags.

And, while those rumors appear to be somewhat true, Leytham showed Friday why he is such a feared driver.

He first won a heat race, and then dominated the 20-lap Butler U-Pull-It Bombers feature in smooth fashion. Robert Balkum, who led the first half of the race, finished second.

“It was (a great race),” Leytham said. “Robert’s gotten a little faster there. But, I finally got around him in the end. Again, we had a very fast car.”

Jonathan Smith finished third.

“The tires went out or something,” a frustrated Balkum said. “B.J.’s fast.”

The race flipped on Lap 13 when the leaders approached lapped traffic. With Balkum slightly ahead of Leytham, the pair bore down on a tandem of slow cars.

The group made it four wide coming out of turn 2 and Leytham chose correctly, dipping inside while Balkum got hung up on the outside.

“I was thinking it was time to go,” Leytham explained. “I didn’t know if I had enough time without a caution. So I had to get him and not depend on a yellow.”

5 Flags Speedway – Pensacola, FL
Race Results – March 25, 2016

Pro Trucks
1. Taylor Jorgensen
2. Bubba Pollard
3. Okie Mason
4. Adam Haugh
5. Howard Langham
6. Jay Jay Day
7. Eric Courville
8. Andy Wojtaszczyk
9. Eric Wallace
10. Chris Comalander
11. Brian Weimer
12. Chad Chastain
13. Mark Lindley
14. Jessie Reid
15. Jerry Goff, Jr.
16. Lori Lindley
17. Matthew Jackson
18. Darryl Rudd
19. Jami Weimer
20. Jarrett Parker

Sportsmen
1. Brannon Fowler
2. Steve Buttrick
3. Shanna Ard
4. Johnny Greene, Jr.
5. Jim Pokrant
6. Tina Davidson
7. Dayton Sidner
8. Albert Pirez
9. Hunter Lambert

Bombers
1. John Kevin Merritt
2. Sarah Dority
3. Matt Thompson
4. Caleb Burkett
5. Timothy Wilmot