Stephen Nasse and Bubba Pollard both visited victory lane at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida over the weekend.
Nasse scored the win in Friday night’s Southern Super Series asphalt Super Late Model feature, while Pollard was the victor in Saturday night’s event.
Nasse’s win on Friday night came just months after losing the Snowball Derby in post-race tech at 5 Flags.
The race honored longtime Late Model driver David Rogers, who died in March.
“They definitely made me work for it at the end,” said Nasse, whose victory earned him a $10,000 pay day. “Through all the things we’ve been through here recently, this feels good. What I love about this team is they work their tails off. We’ve got a lot more coming.”
Hunter Robbins led much of the race but couldn’t hold off Nasse passing him on the inside lane on lap 65. Robbins, back driving full-time for the first time in five years, finished runner-up driving for Georgia Racing Hall of Fame member Ronnie Sanders.
Bubba Pollard settled for third, piloting the No. 11 in honor of David Rogers. Jeremy Pate followed in fourth, with Carson Hocevar in fifth.
Bubba Pollard went into Saturday night’s feature with some unfinished business.
The Senoia, Georgia speedster wanted desperately to win the first half of the Southern Super Series doubleheader. Pollard piloted David Rogers’ No. 11 Super Late Model on Friday night.
Pollard and Rogers were as close off the track as they were on it.
“It was always cool to hear stories about how (Rogers) raced back in the day,” Pollard said earlier this week of his friend. “He had all this knowledge. When David spoke, you listened. I’d take in everything he was saying – whether it was life or anything.”
On Saturday night, Pollard was determined and methodical in capturing the victory. The 33-year-old passed 15-year-old Jake Garcia on lap 74 and cashed a $15,000 payday.
“This is special. This is for David Rogers and TM Ranch,” said Pollard, who started eighth. “It has been a long, hot weekend, and it’s just awesome to see all the fans. We ain’t gotten to race much, so racing in front of crowds this size is incredible.”
Garcia, from Monroe, Georgia, led nearly 30 laps on Saturday and kept Pollard honest for a while in the final 26 laps, but ultimately the teenager finished second.
Jeremy Pate came home in third, with Connor Okrzesik in fourth and Lawrenceville, Georgia’s Casey Roderick in fifth.
Marietta, Georgia’s Kyle Plott started on the pole Saturday night and led the first 47 laps before mechanical troubles sent him behind the wall. That’s when Garcia took his turn at the front.
Pollard, meanwhile, avoided trouble all around him and gradually moved his way through a cluster of cars that separated him from Garcia.
“We just got behind there for a minute,” Pollard said. “I didn’t know if we would make our way up through there. But the car was really good. Jake’s a good racecar driver. He didn’t make any mistakes and my hat’s off to him for the way he drove.”
Pollard now has 135 career Late Model wins – 69 Super Late Model, 66 Pro Late Model – and 25 victories in the Southern Super Series, 14 of which have come at Five Flags.
For more information on 5 Flags Speedway, visit 5FlagsSpeedway.com. For more information on the Southern Super Series, visit SouthernSuperSeries.com.
Southern Super Series
5 Flags Speedway – Pensacola, FL
Race Results – June 26, 2020
1. Stephen Nasse
2. Hunter Robbins
3. Bubba Pollard
4. Jeremy Pate
5. Carson Hocevar
6. Willie Allen
7. Connor Okrzesik
8. Jake Garcia
9. John DeAngelis
10. Logan Bearden
11. Jackson Boone
12. Kyle Plott
13. Perry Patino
14. Daniel Dye
15. Kodie Conner
16. Boris Jurkovic
17. Austin Nason
18. Bob Lyon
19. Colten Nelson
20. Chris Davidson
21. Jesse Dutilly
22. Michael Atwell
23. Casey Roderick
24. Nick Neri
25. Kyle Ivey
26. Kaden Honeycutt
27. Friday Hassler, Jr.
28. Terry Senneker
29. Preston Peltier
30. George Gorham
31. Hudson Halder
32. Kyle Sieg
33. Jack Dossey
34. Donnie Wilson
35. Sheflon Clay
Southern Super Series
5 Flags Speedway – Pensacola, FL
Race Results – June 27, 2020
1. Bubba Pollard
2. Jake Garcia
3. Jeremy Pate
4. Connor Okrzesik
5. Casey Roderick
6. Stephen Nasse
7. Boris Jurkovic
8. Chris Davidson
9. Willie Allen
10. Logan Bearden
11. Hunter Robbins
12. Kodie Conner
13. John DeAngelis
14. Hudson Halder
15. Michael Atwell
16. Kaden Honeycutt
17. George Gorham
18. Daniel Dye
19. Jesse Dutilly
20. Perry Patino
21. Jackson Boone
22. Jack Dossey
23. Colten Nelson
24. Kyle Plott
25. Friday Hassler, Jr.
26. Nick Neri
27. Donnie Wilson
28. Austin Nason
29. Terry Senneker
30. Bob Lyon
