Jo and Jones vs Veteran Jr. Niedecken #11 Aug 22, 2014

With the finalcheckeredflaginsightforthe 2014 regular racingseason here at FiveFlagsSpeedway,lookfortonight’s racing action tobe fierce in three of thefourdivisionsthatwillbespreadthroughoutthepitarea.Youmightask“Whyany different from anyothernight?”Theansweris simple. Less than ahandfullofracesarelefton the regular seasoncalendar and the finalcheckeredflagisinsightforthechampionshiptitlethat will go to only onedriverineachdivision.

Only 18 pointsseparatethetopthreeintheAllenTurnerHyundaiProLateModelDivision.Johanna Long leadsoverGarrett Jones andWayne Niedecken Jr.After tonight it will thenbe decided on Saturdaynight,September27thatthe “Whataburger Nightof Champions” race.The three of them knowit’s down to tonight andSeptember 27th, whena Champion will becrowned.

Theyshouldalsoexpectplentyofcompe-tition from a large fieldof out of towner’s whowill beonhand for theirlast “Tune up” beforethe Night of Champions100 lap event. Some ofthe driver’s rumored tobehereareR.S. Senter (Georgia), Kurt Jett (Jacksonville, Fl), Ryan Luza(Texas)andnotell-ingwhoelse!

The pointsspread is also tight inthe Beef O’Brady’s Sportsman divisionas Shanna Ard leadsBrannon Fowler by amere2points!!Wow, tosaytakingitdowntothewirebetween twohighlycompetitivedriver’sisanunderstatement.

You might alsobe wondering about theButler U Pull It Bomb-ers, and if this class isanydifferentinthepointsstandings.Well,Michael Nelson has been on aroll the last few racesand has managed toclosewithin17pointsofleaderRobert Balkum.

To top all thisoff we will also see thereturn of the Vintage Cars for the secondtime this year. We allwill agree that theseoldCoupesandSedanswillbringbackoldmemoriesandatonofexcitement.

Whoknowswhoour2014championswillbeinanyofthedivisions?Addingtotheexcitement,the next race event onSept 5th will be doublefeatures for Bombers,Sportsmen, Pro Trucksand Super Stocks. Fullpointsawarded foreachlegofthetwinfeatures.Holdontotonight’sticket.ItisgoodforfreeadmissionSaturday andSundayafternoonat theannualHomeExpoattheBay Center downtown.It’s a 5 dollar saving foreachticket.

Until nexttime….We’ll see you atthe races….and makesureyoubringafriend.

Aug 22, PLM 20/30, SP, B, VintageSept 5, DOUBLE FEATURES Trucks, SS, SP, BSept 19, Blizzard #4, SS, SP, BSept 27 Whataburger Nite of Champions, Pro Late 100, Modifieds, Pro Trucks, Sportsmen and BombersNov 22 Snowball Derby (c) Preview

2014 scheduleWXBM-FM

National Anthem

Selena Eichman

9th Grade

Pace High School

Vintage Cars Roar Back to 5 Flags as Local Divisions Jockey for Points

What can Five Flags Speedway do foranencore?That’sasensiblequestiontoaskafteramassivecrowdwasrewardedearlierthismonthwiththetrack’sannualeditions of the Demolition Derby andFasterPastorfeature.

We’restilloncloudnineafterwatchinganunthinkablefieldof18DemolitionDerbyclunkersdecimateeachotherandPastorWes Alvarez of My Father’s Vineyardspinning across the finish line and stillsomehow topping threeother area cler-gymen2weeksago.

Ontheheelsof thatwhirlwindnight, thefamedhalf-mile oval is sure to create afew more memories tonight when theSouthern Vintage Racing Associationturnsbacktheclock.

The old-bodied, 1934 Ford and Chevycoupes and sedans return for the secondtimethisyear,hopingforitsownentertainingencore,followingagreatshowinJune.

Butthevintagecarsaren’ttheonlyshowcaseworth the price of admission. With pointsbattles raging through the pits, storylinesaboundforthethreelocalclasses.

Tonight marks the next round of double-feature racing for theAllenTurnerProLateModels, and hometown girl Johanna Longhopestoprotectherslim,11-pointleadoverdefending track champion Garrett Jones.Withonlythreefeaturesremainingafterthisweek, theBeef “O”Brady’sSportsmanandButler U-Pull-It Bombers figure to battle totheseason’sfinalcheckeredflag.

By Chuck Corder

What do fathers want for their sons? Athousand scholars and therapists couldargue their opinions until they’re blue intheface.Butabovemostshrewdassump-tions is the idea of becoming a father,lucky enough to have your son carry onthefamilylegacy.

Twenty-one-year-old Nathaniel —“Thumper”tostrangerorfriend—Griceismakinghislife’scurrentmissiontodojustthat for his father,Roger— “Scooter” tostrangerorfriend—Grice.

TonighttheGricemenwillhaveashotattrackhistorywhentheir1934Fordsedanscompete in theSouthernVintageRacingAssoc.20-lapfeature.ScooterhasracedModifiedsoffandonforthelast20years.

“Nothing would make me happier thanif me and my dad could finish first andsecond,”ThumperGricesaid. “That’dbeawesome.Idon’twannarunsecondtomydad,butifIcan’twin,Isurewouldlovetoberightbehindhim.”

ThumpermadehisoldmanproudearlierthissummerinJunewhenhedroveScoot-er’sNo.83 toarunner’s-upfinishduringtheAssociation’sfirstappearanceof2014.AnemotionalThumperwontheheartsofmanythatFridaynightinVictoryLane.

Hewasovercomewith joythat theGricename had once again earned a podiumfinishat thefamedhalf-mileoval.--Read more on our web site.

By Chuck Corder

Car Photos Tom Wilsey

251-597-4747

Video Ted Baber850-458-2501

There’s little that’s subtle about AleckAlford.Fromthecowboyhattohis6-foot,280-poundframe,the27yearoldformerPaceHighSchoolfootballstarstandsoutfrom thecrowd.Almostasmuchas the1932two-doorChevycoupeAlforddriveswhenever the Southern Vintage RacingAssociationconvenes.

BearingtheNo.7—anumber,tradition-ally, associated with good fortunes —dressedwithalucky,lime-greentrimandsportingahorseshoeonthefrontend,acasual observer might think Alford hasyettolosethisseason.

A casual observer could not be morewrong. From a scorched hand, cour-tesyofaradiatorcap, toanemergencyappendectomy to his rear-end being amagnet foropponents,Alford isdesper-atetobreakthepatternofmisfortune.

“Ifwedidn’thavebad luck, Iguaranteeyou,we’d have none,” saidAlford,whohasalreadygonethroughfourrearendsin2014.Themechanic/technicianbyday,Alfordhopestoadjusthislucktonight.

Alford, running his first full seasonwiththe Southern Vintage Racing Associa-tion,iseagertomakehisdrivingdebutatthefamedhalf-mileasphaltoval.

Read the rest of Chuck’s story on our web site: www.5flagsspeedway.com

By Chuck Corder

A-1 Lock & Safe850-455-4358

The Locksmith Leader

1 10   Okie Mason 5402 13   David Beale 4713 66   Heath Mills 3094 17   Chris Cotto 2875 8   Donnie Hamrac 2096 7   Robert Chason 1857 117   Michael Swilley 1738 88   Joe Thornton 1709 99   Brandon Howell 127

10 131   Jeff Letson 123

1 52    Robert Balkum 11152 03    Michael Nelson 10983 22    John K Merritt 10274 27    Tommy Lowery 9695 11    Courtney Rodrigues   9336 1    Hunter Ward 9287 83    Tim Wilmot 7458 15    Preston Prevatte 6779 7    Ryan Worsham 656

10 99    Jarrett Beal 621

1 29    Shanna Ard 11442 00    Brannon Fowler 11423 77    Shawn Laws 1007  4 33    Steve Buttrick 8595 07    Jim Pokrant 8126 12    Thomas Faddis 7677 17    Kris Pierce 7188 42    Randy Thompson 6919 33    Kenny Williams 65110 83    Bo Resmondo 595

1 9    Todd Jones 4152 12    Bubba Winslow 4053 42    Randy Thompson 3994 9    Dave Nolan 3555 57    Charles Skipper 3476 33    Dave Mader III 3257 5    Kevin Chase 2638 8    Dustin Knowles 939 84    Jeremy Tassin 91

10 14    Joey Moxley 89

1 11    Johanna Long 4822 88    Garrett Jones 4713 99    Jr. Niedecken 4644 22    Bryce Dulabhan 4315 14    Ryan Luza 3816 21     Larry Blount 3777 17     Kurt Guillot 3598 30     Rusty Sanford 3589 33     Dustin Smith 337

10 55     Ronnie Osmer 336

1 6   Okie Mason 4632 98   Jay Jay Day 4513 99   Teras Hodivsky 4364 50   Ty Roberts 2175 96   Rick Pollaro 1126t 1   Howard Langham 1056t 26   Chris Wagner 1058 56   Ray Hoey 1039 50   Darryl Rudd 102

10 72   Greg Leachman 100

1 26 Bubba Pollard 3372 29   Augie Grill 3053 2   Donnie Wilson 2994 98   Daniel Hemric 2975 18   Hunter Robbins 2746 29   Anderson Bowen 2647 1   Mike Garvey 2488 11   David Rogers 2339 3   Kyle Grissom 216

10 12   John H Nemechek 196

Meet the Faster Pastors. Thanks for being part of the event.

Matt Mills Tim Payne Wes Alvarez C J McBride