Pollard Wins Blizzard #2

05.29.2009 - Pensacola, FL

Bubba Pollard officially led one lap, but it was really only about 10 feet.

The Georgia driver made a dramatic pass of Augie Grill just in front of the finish line to take the Papa John’s 100 Super Late Model Blizzard Series feature Friday night at Five Flags Speedway.

It was one of the most dramatic finishes since the Blizzard Series started in 2004.

“That was awesome,” said a jubilant Pollard in Victory Lane. “I haven’t had that much fun in a race car in a long time.”

As the white flag came out for the final-lap sprint, Pollard pulled even with Grill, but Grill inched ahead down the backstretch. But coming out of Turn 4 to the checkered flag, Grill started to slide sideways and Pollard pulled low and edged him for the win.

“If only I’d kept it a little straighter,” Grill said with a smile. “That was exciting and fun. He barely got me. What can you do?”

The final 50 laps were filled with drama.

Grill, who was the fast qualifier, led the 27-car field through the first 50 laps, which were caution free until Wayne Niedecken Jr. and David Rogers got together.

When the lead cars pitted for new tires, Pensacola’s Eddie Mercer emerged from the pits first. On the restart, he was second behind Ken McFarland, who did not pit, while Pensacola’s Johanna Long, the winner of the season opener, was third.

Mercer quickly passed McFarland to assume the lead, but Grill tapped Long and sent her sliding through the grass, dropping her back to 13^th.

It appeared that Mercer was cruising to a victory until he came upon the lapped car of Chet Morrison, who stayed on the low side. That forced Mercer to slow, while Grill zipped around the outside to take the lead with 19 laps left.

Mercer stayed right behind Grill and appeared set to make a pass, but he got loose on Lap 89 and fell back to fourth.

Meanwhile, Pollard closed behind Grill for the final dramatic laps.

“We had such a good car,” Pollard said. “We saved our tires. This is still old Pensacola, so you have to be patient and be careful.”

Casey Smith started seventh and finished third. He said dealing with the lapped cars were a problem.

“One would go high and one would go low,” he said. “You never know. I was driving my butt off.”

Mercer finished fourth and Hunter Robbins was fifth. Long took eighth.