‘Just One More Thing’: World Crown 300 Post Race Notes

The 30th annual World Crown 300 may be in the record books, but fans are still buzzing over what many consider to be the greatest running of the short track classic in history.

Here is a look at just a few of the items that fans have been talking about since the checkered flag dropped on Saturday night.

Where Did He Come From?

Going into the 30th annual World Crown 300, favorites had been picked left and right. Many said defending champion Chase Elliott would become the fourth different driver in World Crown history to score back to back wins, joining an elite list that includes Darrell Waltrip, Rich Bickle and Paul Kelley.

Others said it was Bubba Pollard’s time to finally get to wear the World Crown, a race that had long eluded him. Still others felt T.J. Reaid was due to score a long distance win at the Jefferson, Georgia speed plant. Kyle Benjamin and late arrival Augie Grill were also picked as the men to beat.

Almost nobody picked Preston Peltier, who was returning to the cockpit after a two month absence due to injuries sustained at his home.

But Peltier drove a classic race, staying in the top five through the opening 200 laps, saving his equipment, and working lap traffic better than anybody else. In the end, he beat one of the top short track racers in the country to wear the crown, and to pocket the $20,000 pay day.

In victory lane, Peltier talked about winning the same race as one of his heroes, Freddie Query. Query twice won the World Crown, first in 1996 and again in 1999.

But Saturday night, it was Peltier who went home as the hero to many of the fans in the stands.

Pollard Close, But No Cigar

All night long, it appeared that Bubba Pollard was a man on a mission.

After starting from the pole, Pollard spent the opening laps of the race in third place. Around lap 50, the Senoia, Georgia racer launched into one of the most spirited battles ever seen at the half mile speedway, as he fought side by side with arch rival Augie Grill for the lead. The duo see-sawed back and forth, lap after lap, bringing fans to their feet. Pollard would finally grab the lead just before lap 100, when a competition caution flew.

A slow pit stop saw Pollard start in the middle of the pack, but within a handful of laps, he was back up front. A late pit stop again put him behind just after the halfway mark, but again he would close.

Over the closing laps, Pollard would stalk Preston Peltier, working the leader over. With just over 15 laps to go, Pollard used a lap car to regain the lead, and appeared to have the win in hand.

But Peltier trapped Pollard behind a lap car, causing Pollard to slam on his brakes, costing him his momentum and the lead.

Pollard would try valiantly to close on Peltier over the final 10 laps, but just could not do it, as he had to settle for second place for the second straight year.

While Pollard came up short in the World Crown, he came away with a big win in terms of the big picture. With Daniel Hemric, who held the Southern Super Series points lead coming into the night, finishing in eighth, Pollard regained the series points lead, and now holds a 15 point advantage going into the final four races of the season.

It also marked a major swing in momentum for Pollard, who had struggled over the last several races. Now he and his JEGs team will work to carry that momentum into the history books as the first champions of the Southern Super Series.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Going into Saturday night, it appeared that one marquee driver would be absent from the World Crown 300. Hayden, Alabama’s Augie Grill had not competed in a Southern Super Series event since June 21, when he was disqualified after winning at 5 Flags Speedway after a device discovered traces of unapproved fuel in a sample from his car.

Angered by the situation, Grill walked away from the series, vowing he would not be back. He had given no indication that he would be making any exceptions. Many news agencies, including Raceweek Illustrated, predicted he would be a no show, despite the prestige and $20,000 on the line for the win.

Saturday morning, he proved us all wrong when the No. 112 rolled into Jefferson, GA.

When the green flag flew, Grill was out to make a point. He jumped out to an early lead, then battled toe-to-toe with Bubba Pollard for the lead. Grill’s run was derailed when he had to make a lengthy pit stop for a fluid leak, but managed to stay on the lead lap. But he didn’t seem to have the same potent race car that he had earlier, and rolled home to a sixth place finish.

Treatment of erectile dysfunction is very necessary for the future challenges cialis vs viagra of a life with a child. There cheapest viagra more helpful tabs may be some problems with the married life of yours? Have you thought about the actual reason may be difficult to discern. You see, most supplements are often useless or harmful for the health. levitra uk Though best viagra in india there have been changes currently in a host of benefits.
Former Winners Fall Short

Two drivers entered into Saturday’s World Crown looking for their second World Crown victory.

Chase Elliott, from nearby Dawsonville, GA, was certainly a favorite of many fans in the stands. He came into Saturday night with a lot of momentum on his side, having won a Pro Late Model feature at South Alabama Speedway the week before. He was hoping to win back-to-back World Crowns.

But Elliott didn’t appear to have the form he had shown in 2012. After qualifying eighth, Elliott would pick up the lead twice on pit stops, but could not stay with Preston Peltier or Bubba Pollard over the closing laps. In the end, he finished fourth.

Dacula, Georgia’s Russell Fleeman was also looking for his second World Crown victory. The 2008 winner never seemed to be able to get up to speed all night. Fleeman rolled off in 16th place, and seemed to struggle with the handle of the car, as he dirt tracked several times off turn four, somehow managing to hang on to his racer off the corner.

By the end of the night, Fleeman rolled under the checkered flag 15th, nine laps down to the leaders.

Unique Looking Hot Rod

Of all the cars on the grounds Saturday night at GMP, one stood out for its unique look.

Several weeks back, Spencer Davis and his team rolled out a brand new Dodge Challenger Pro Late Model entry. The first time out in the MoPar, Davis put it in victory lane in PASS series action at Southern National Motorsports Park.

Last week, the Challenger was pushed into service as a Super Late Model, and came home in fourth place finish in PASS South competition, again at Southern National.

While Davis didn’t have the night he and his team hoped for, coming home in 14th position, his racer garnered a lot of attention from the fans in the stands. With the kind of luck he has had, it wouldn’t surprise anybody for Davis to take his Dodge to victory lane in a Super Late Model feature before the end of the year.

Throwback Format, Great Competition

When Gresham Motorsports Park announced earlier this year that the World Crown 300 would be returning to its traditional format of 300 laps with no segments and live pit stops, reactions were mixed.

For many traditionalists, it was welcome news. With segmented races being the rule of Super Late Model racing in the south, a straight up race is hard to find. With the original intent of the World Crown being to bring together the best of the best drivers to test their mettle, the idea of a return to that classic format sent the short track world buzzing.

For others, however, the idea of live pit stops was not a good one. The richer teams, they argued, could afford to bring in high dollar pit crews. Those pit crews would keep those teams out front all night, giving them an unfair advantage. The segmented races evened the playing field, they said, and gave the under funded teams a chance.

That was disproved soon after the first pit stops of the night. While one of the better funded crews won the race off pit road, one of the under funded teams would powered their way back trough the field after a slow pit stop. The competition had less to do with the performance in the pits and came back exactly where it was supposed to be – behind the wheel with the drivers.

In victory lane, World Crown winner Preston Peltier pointed out that his team was made up of a group his friends. Despite the apparent disadvantage, Peltier proved over the final 100 laps that he was the man to beat. And in the end, he went home wearing the crown.

Great Racing All Night

Not to be lost in all the Super Late Model action, the local divisions at GMP also provided great action during the night. Two events, the Mini-Stocks and the Outlaws Late Models, saw the winner’s fortunes turn on the misfortune of others.

Avery Burgess scored the Mini-Stock win when Aaron Calvert’s leading car broke coming to the white flag. In Outlaw Late Modes, veteran racer Hoyt Stephens appeared to have the win in hand with 5 laps to go until his engine detonated, handing the victory to Jason Bates.

But the most exciting moment came during the Sportsman feature, or rather after in. After winner Jeff Chadwick tangled with Jackie Daniel while fighting for the early lead, Daniel chose to show his displeasure by chasing Chadwick’s car around the track at speed during the cool down lap. The argument carried over to victory lane, when Daniel approached to voice his displeasure.

“I’m glad to win and anything, but you don’t give in,” Chadwick said after race officials broke up the heated exchange between the two. “I was holding my ground. I was getting pinched and I wasn’t going to back down.”

The excitement and momentum was a fine way to close out the season, and will hopefully carry over to next year’s local division schedule at GMP.