DAYTONA BEACH, FL :: The field for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model portion of the UNOH Battle at the Beach might be a little short but that doesn’t mean it won’t be the best of the three races on Daytona International Speedway’s temporary short track.
RACE22.com has got you up speed on nearly every driver who will compete in this event and the things to watch for. Now, we want to give you the six drivers that we think will be ones to watch in this event. Some of these drivers are someone you should watch because of their strength behind the wheel, some because of their aggressiveness and some, well … just because.
While there are many other drivers to watch these six stand out from different aspects for different reasons. So, here are the ones we’re keeping an eye on.
LEE PULLIAM
He’s the obvious choice. He’s Late Model Stock Car racing’s hottest driver right now. For this race, he switched to a Super Late Model to take advantage of the rules package.
KYLE LARSON
I don’t even want to talk about him. I mean every media outlet in the business is blowing up about the next big thing. He’s certainly that and despite the fact that he has never raced a Late Model Stock Car before, he’s not had a problem jumping from car to car with huge success.
CE FALKm III
Falk is another obvious choice. CE Falk has more flat track experience than anyone in the field with his multiple championships at Langley Speedway. However his flat track experience has never paid off at Martinsville Speedway in the biggest of all Late Model Stock Car races.
COLEMAN PRESSLEY
This one isn’t a surprise, but it’s not an obvious choice either. Coleman Pressley has never been that good at Martinsville Speedway either but he is the king of sandbagging and that might be just what the Late Model Stock Car guys need to get the rules changed. The straight rails (Super Late Models) have an obvious advantage but Pressley could be the guy to help the LMSC contingent catch a break.
JAKE CRUM
If there’s one driver that everyone will want to watch just for entertainment purposes, it’s Jake Crum. Anyone who’s watched his career blossom knows that the young driver can put on a show. It’s not because he drives over his head, but because he can take a car to the edge many times over and put himself in position to win races with cars that shouldn’t be able to win against much better equipment.
KAZ GRALA
I know most of you are saying, “Who?” but Kaz Grala is a name that you will be hearing a lot in Late Model racing over the next few years. The reason we think he’s one to watch is because he’s never made a Late Model start before. That, in itself, should make him someone you should keep an eye on.
