CALLAWAY, Va. - A late race pass paid off in big dividends for Bubba Pollard on Saturday night with a win in the CARS Tour Super Late Model feature at Franklin County Speedway in Callaway, Virginia.
Meanwhile, Jared Fryar outdueled Mike Looney to win the Late Model Stock Car portion of the night.
In the Super Late Model feature, Pollard worked his way through the field after a lengthy rain delay on lap 25 to bypass pole sitter Sammy Smith. The Senoia, Georgia speedster went on to his third series win of the season and the ninth of his career.
“I knew we had a good shot just because our program’s really good anywhere we go,” Pollard said. “This place is fun. We took off there at the beginning of the race before the red flag and rode around. We didn’t know what to expect.”
The rain slowed racing for approximately two hours, and when racing resumed around 9:45 pm, Pollard said it changed the dynamics of the racing drastically.
“I guess the rain got everybody excited because I think I qualified for 100 laps,” Pollard said. “It was crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it. (Sammy Smith) probably had a better car tonight. We just got around him on a restart and were able to be out front. Never seeing the place, we just brought a baseline setup.”
Smith went on to finish second, with Gus Dean in third, Monroe, Georgia’s Jake Garcia in fourth and series points leader Matt Craig in fifth.
In the Late Model Stock Car feature, Jared Fryar and Mike Looney swapped the lead multiple times during the final laps in a physical battle for the win. Fryar ultimately prevailed, passing Looney entering turn three on the race’s last lap.
“That was tough right there,” Fryar said in victory lane. “That was good racing. I tried my hardest to stay off of him right there. I was getting a little free up there and slipped up and just caught his wheel I think and shot us both away. I don’t even know what happened on the last lap, just going for it there. I hit him at some point and knocked the toe out and then he hit me off four. Just racing.”
For Fryar, Saturday night ended a winless drought that stretched back to March 2017 at Dominion Raceway.
“I’m speechless right now,” Fryar said. “I can’t even breathe. I don’t think I took a breath the last five laps. Just thankful. We worked so hard to get here. This feels so good to be here.”
Connor Mosack charged past Bobby McCarty in the closing laps to finish third, with Corey Heim in fifth.
For more information on the CARS Racing Tour, visit CARSRacingTour.com.
CARS Racing Tour
Franklin County Speedway – Callaway, VA
Race Results – August 22, 2020
Super Late Models
1. Bubba Pollard
2. Sammy Smith
3. Gus Dean
4. Jake Garcia
5. Matt Craig
6. Carson Kvapil
7. Kodie Conner
8. Justin Crider
9. Jeff Batten
10. Trevor Noles
Late Model Stock Cars
1. Jared Fryar
2. Mike Looney
3. Connor Mosack
4. Bobby McCarty
5. Corey Heim
6. Deac McCaskill
7. Layne Riggs
8. Jonathan Shafer
9. Stacy Puryear
10. Nolan Pope
11. Jonathan Findley
12. Chad McCumbee
13. Ronald Hill
14. Justin Johnson
15. Kyle Dudley
16. Matt Cox
17. Mini Tyrrell
18. Jessica Cann
19. Brandon Pierce
20. Chris Carroll
21. Ricky Gillespie
22. Tyler Matthews
