Series PR Report
Raleigh, NC(May 12, 2012) — Wake County Speedway, the less than quarter mile located in Raleigh, North Carolina, played host to the PASS South Series super late models Friday night celebrating fifty consecutive years of racing. After all was said and done regulars to track were left thinking about those last fifty years when the last time 125 laps of racing in any division was ran caution free. One guy that could tell you fifty years from now, will be #62 Brandon Ward as he cruised to victory winning the Capital City Clash/Bull Ring Tough Guy Challenge 125 presented by Bio-Specialists. The win was his first in the series and his first for car owner Jeff Day who has fielded a car in the series dating back to the inaugural season in 2006.
“Wow, what a race that was right there,” cheered an excited Brandon Ward as he exited the car in victory lane. “Man, I never thought in a million years I would get my first PASS South Series win at a track like Wake County. All my guys worked their butts off to give me an unbelievable car tonight and it showed. I’ve been trying so hard to get Jeff Day a win in this series and tonight we were finally able to do it.”
Ward was fortunate enough to redraw the pole position after qualifying ninth during the series redraw of the top ten qualifiers and never looked back. #31 Kyle Grissom who set fast time during the day’s qualifying session and started to the outside of Ward challenged the #62 machine early on riding right on the bumper of Ward and making contact several times over the first thirty-two laps. Just as Ward started to put fellow competitors #1 Justin Allison and #29 Landon Cling a lap down, the two made contact resulting in Grissom losing a half a straightaway distance to the leader. A pair of quick movers early on in the form of #4 Jay Fogleman closed in to the third position, as did Gray Gaulding after starting tenth.
Still clean and green at the event’s halfway mark, Ward continued to lead over a distant Grissom in second followed by Fogleman and series veteran #26 Preston Peltier. With the race inside forty laps to go and still no slowing the field, business amongst drivers picked up on track. Caruth, in his first season racing on pavement shined on the tight bull ring making a move that saw him go from fifth to second all in a matter of Wake County’s 100 foot back stretch. This was exactly what Ward needed to almost circle the field entirely. Inside twenty laps to go early front runners Fogleman and Grissom battled to stay within the top five and on the lead lap.
Brandon Ward once again showed no signs of mercy or letting up in the closing laps as he lapped the field all the way up to the fourth position as the checkered flag flew through the air. Preston Peltier made it back-to-back podium finishes with his second place finish. Third place man Ross Kenseth did the same after scoring his first series win in the series’ last outing at Orange County Speedway just two weeks ago.
“I’ve been racing in this series as a car owner since day one and maybe I’ve missed fielding a car in about twelve races during that time, and you couldn’t have wrote a better script than this one tonight,” stated Jeff Day, car owner of Ward’s #62 ride. “I can’t even begin to describe how easy Brandon is to work with out there. He really is an awesome racecar driver and I’m proud that he was the guy that got this #62 Kevin Powell Ford/KPMoto.com race team in victory lane tonight.”
Next up for the “BIG BOYS WITH THE BAD FAST TOYS” PASS South Super Late Model Series will be the CV Products 100 at the Concord Speedway located in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday night May 26th in conjunction with the area’s race weeks. For more information on the PASS South Series or any of the PASS sanctioned series visit www.proallstarsseries.com.
Capital City Clash/Bull Ring Tough Guy Challenge 125 presented by Bio-Specialists
Wake County Speedway
Raleigh, North Carolina
Official Results
1) #62 Brandon Ward
2) #26 Preston Peltier
3) #25 Ross Kenseth
4) #89 David Latour Jr.
5) #19 Nate Caruth
6) #48 John Batten
7) #29 Landon Cling
8) #31 Kyle Grissom
9) #4 Jay Fogleman
10) #1 Justin Allison
11) #18 Bill Cantania
12) #2 Gray Gaulding
13) #15n Joe Heigl
14) #55 Kevin Floars