PENSACOLA, FL :: It was just last season that Daniel Hemric eclipsed Bubba Pollard by a single point to win the inaugural Southern Super Series championship. And following the first five races of this season, the tour appears destined for an even more spectacular follow-up.
Entering the second Gulf Coast (Pensacola + Mobile) doubleheader of the season, Pollard and Casey Smith are in a deadlock atop of the standings. Anderson Bowen is third and only 11 points out with Augie Grill and Hemric just 21 and 40 points behind respectively.
It’s a tight field and this weekend presents a major opportunity for the leaders to escape their pursuers or for distant drivers to close the gap. With double the races and double the points, both Pensacola and Mobile could prove disastrous as well.
Pollard used the most recent doubleheader in April to propel himself back into the championship mix. Following two disastrous races in Opp and Nashville, Pollard found himself ninth in the standings and 71 points behind. He had crashed his last remaining car in the season-opening Rattler 250 and had to drive Scotty Ellis’ No. 83 in Nashville, finishing ninth.
He’s been unbeatable ever since, posting three consecutive wins at Pensacola, Mobile and Montgomery respectively. That’s how quickly fortune can turn around in the Southern Super Series.
The same circumstances, again on the Gulf Coast, could propel another competitor into the fray. If looking deeper into the standings for a surprise contender, look no further than Donnie Wilson. After missing the first race in Opp, Wilson has been on fire, posting finishes of first, third, fourth and second to rise to seventh in the standings and 62 points out.
In college football, media has made a habit to coin certain games as ‘elimination Saturday’ or ‘Proving Ground Thursday.’ The Gulf Coast doubleheader has a similar connotation in the Southern Super Series. Call it Opportunity Weekend towards another championship photo finish in November in the season-ending All-American 400.
The updated Southern Super Series championship standings )top-10) prior to Pensacola can be found below.
- Bubba Pollard Ldr.
- Casey Smith Ldr.
- Anderson Bowen -9
- Augie Grill -19
- Daniel Hemric -40
- Kyle Grissom -44
- Donnie Wilson -62
- Hunter Robbins -68
- John Hunter Nemechek -147
- Casey Roderick -173
Southern Super Series announces two contingency bonuses
The Southern Super Series announced two contingency bonuses early this week that have added additional monetary prizes for qualifying and the season-long championship battle.
Dubz Thermal Products has partnered with the tour to present a $100 cash bonus to each race’s halfway leader and a $500 bonus to the championship leader at the season’s halfway mark.
Additionally, the pole award has been extended for a second-consecutive season with a group of five engine builders announcing an additional $500 to the team that posts the fastest time in qualifying for each event.
To date the Pole Awards have been awarded as follows:
- Casey Smith – Rattler 250
- Augie Grill – Nashville Southern Super Series 125
- Bubba Pollard – Mountain Dew KickStart 125
- John Hunter Nemechek – Mobile Lumber 125
Engine Companies involved are:
- Hamner Racing Engines
- McGunegill Engine Performance
- Progressive Racing Engines
- Ford Racing
- RW Racing Engines
