CORDELE, Ga. – Bubba Pollard scored a popular win by winning the SpeedFest 150 in dominant fashion.
Pollard started third in the field Saturday and battled for most of the race with Chandler Smith in the event that was co-sanctioned by the Champion Racing Ass’n and Southern Super Series at Watermelon Capital Speedway.
Pollard took the lead for the first time on lap 31 when he passed Corey Heim. Smith took the lead on lap 45, but Pollard was back in front on lap 59 as the two leaders played a game of cat and mouse to the finish.
Through four restarts Pollard opted to start on the outside and was able to clear Smith to maintain the lead. The Georgia driver led 110 of the 150 laps.
It was Pollard’s second win so far this year. He also won the super late model portion of the Red Eye 50/50 at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway earlier this month.
“We’re ready to go,” he said. “This car had speed the last three races.”
Heim led the first 29 laps before being passed by Pollard. That pass saw the lead pack split the lapped car of Joe Ross in turn two with Pollard taking the low line while Heim went high.
Pollard emerged with the lead after running third and passed both Heim and Smith.
The front of the field was scrambled with ten laps to go when Josh Berry, Stephen Nasse and Michael Atwell got together in turn one.
Carson Hocevar came home in third followed by Jake Garcia and Heim.
Ryan Moore started 17th in the field and was running in the top five with ten laps remaining, but settled for sixth.
The entire field pitted for tires on lap 96 which set up the 50-lap run to the finish.
The race was slowed six times for 26 laps of caution and there were three lead changes among three drivers.
The finish:
1) Bubba Pollard; 2) Chandler Smith; 3) Carson Hocevar; 4) Jake Garcia; 5) Corey Heim; 6) Ryan Moore; 7) Michael House; 8) Stephen Nasse; 9) William Sawalich; 10) Michael Atwell; 11) Tyler Church; 12) Michael Hinde; 13) Rich Clouser; 14) Kyle McCallum; 15) Daniel Dye; 16 John Coffman; 17) Joe Ross; 18) Josh Berry; 19) Kyle Plott; 20) Albert Francis.