Augie Grill Scores SSS Win at Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, AL :: Winning is a family tradition for Augie Grill.  The two-time Snowball Derby winner learned how to build cars from his father Frankie.  When he was at the track with his No. 112 Late Model in the Southeast and beyond in recent years, Grill could often be found in victory lane with his wife Courtney and young son Owen at his side holding the trophy and checkered flag at the race’s end.

Saturday night, Grill was able to add more memories for the family scrapbook when he scored his first Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco victory at Alabama’s Montgomery Motor Speedway.  It was the first race that the newest addition to the Grill family, newborn son Nayson, was able to attend.

Grill, of Hayden, Alabama, slipped beneath Daniel Hemric with 20 laps remaining in Saturday’s Southern Super Series 125 presented by Grand American Race Cars for his first series victory and for Nayson Grill’s first victory lane photos.

“Tonight was special as I had my new little boy in victory lane,” said Grill.  “Owen went to victory lane at his first race and now so has Nayson.  To do it at home is really nice and in one of these Southern Super Series races means a lot because it was our first in the series.”

Grill qualified second and started third following the post-qualifying invert of four.  He quickly worked his way to the lead by lap five and continued to show the way through a long green-flag run that ended with the lap-75 competition yellow flag period.  Another invert at the break forced Grill to start third for the final 50-lap sprint to the checkered flag.

Daniel Hemric, who won the Southern Super Series pole award presented by Ford Racing, Hamner Racing Engines, McGunegill Engine Performance, Progressive Racing Engines and RW Engines earlier in the day, led initially after the lap-75 restart, but Grill immediately started reeling him in.

Grill worked his way inside Hemric’s No. 98 on lap 105 and took the lead that he would not relinquish over the course of the final 20 laps.

“The car was good from when we unloaded Friday,” added Grill.  “We got beat in the first two races by the 98 (Hemric) and 26 (Bubba Pollard).  It feels good to get to out run them.”

Hemric, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, finished second and continued his streak of finishing on the podium in each of the series’ first three events.

“We made some adjustments at the break and we got better, but not good enough,” said Hemric.  “I told my crew I was going to give them 50 of my best laps and I did that.  Augie was just a tick better tonight.  We’ll get one of these soon.”

Bubba Pollard, who entered the Montgomery race on a two-race Southern Super Series win streak to start the 2013 season, finished third.

“I had to race hard with the 98 (Hemric) and that messed up our chances to go and get Augie at the end,” said Pollard, of Senoia, Georgia.  “This is Augie’s place – his home track.  He’s great here.  We’ll just regroup and go to Pensacola and Mobile and do it again.”

Mike Garvey was fourth and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.

The next events for the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco will be back-to-back Gulf Coast races on Friday and Saturday, May 24 and 25.  On Friday, May 24, the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco will make its first visit to the half-mile Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, while the next night the series will be in action just a few miles across Interstate 10 at Mobile International Speedway in Mobile, Alabama.  The events will also count for each track’s Super Late Model series point standings as well as being point events for the Southern Super Series.

For more information on the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco, visit www.southernsuperseries.com.  The Facebook page for the Southern Super Series is located at www.facebook.com/southernsuperseries and on Twitter it’s @SoSuperSeries.  For advertising or sponsorship questions, please contact the track representatives.  For media inquiries, please contact Matt Kentfield at 51 Sports via[email protected].

SOUTHERN SUPER SERIES
SOUTHERN SUPER SERIES 125 PRESENTED BY GRAND AMERICAN RACE CARS
Montgomery Motor Speedway
Montgomery, Alabama
May 4, 2013
Official Results