NASCAR Cup Series champions Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott had no chance in the Super Late Model Blizzard Series race at Five Flags Speedway. The pre-race hype at the 800-meter track in Pensacola, Florida was all about the NASCAR stars. But the glory was over late model racing stars Bubba Pollard, Casey Roderick and Steven Nasse, and frankly neither Harvick nor Elliott came close to winning.
Bubba Pollard, known for his dominance on short-track ovals, brought his A-game and secured his 25th career win in the Blizzard Series. But after taking the win, Pollard hoped the fans would continue to shower him with love and support like they did on Friday.
A memorable win for Bubba Pollard, competing against the biggest names in NASCAR racing
It was a night where fans came out in droves to catch a glimpse of NASCAR’s stars. But the three biggest stars of Southern Super Late Models put on a very good show that will encourage them to return in future races. Pollard took the lead from Casey Roderick with 19 laps to go and raced confidently to victory, while Nasse also outpaced Roderick to secure second place.
It was a day to remember for Harvick and Elliott as they were not up to the challenge of competing against the top drivers in the Late Model racing series. The HMS star was even pushed off the lead lap midway through the race and crossed the finish line in 16th place. Harvick, making his Super Late Model debut, could only manage 13th.
Bubba Pollard was ecstatic with the win and hoped the fans would continue to support him in the future: “I know Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott brought the fans with them and I hope they come back. It’s a good feeling to have everyone cheering when I turn around and take my victory lap. That’s what it’s all about. This statement was quoted by Racing America.
But for Harvick and fellow Cup Series driver Elliott, the race posed a real challenge. But he believes he’s found a new passion project after retiring from NASCAR racing.
Kevin Harvick looking forward to competing in more Late Model stock car races
It’s hard to stop racers from competing. The NASCAR Cup Series is the pinnacle of stock car racing, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other challenges for drivers to overcome. Kevin Harvick, who has won almost every race at the Cup level, has now found a project to focus on.
One of the biggest challenges in these short super late and late model races is tire wear. Perhaps NASCAR needs to take this into account when trying to improve its short track package. “If you don’t lie right, your rear tires will burn. I really like these racers, so I want to race with them… I really like Bubba Pollard and Casey Roderick, so that’s what I’m having fun with right now.
Sure, we struggled a little bit, but I also need projects like this, things I can work on and get better at at this stage of my career,” Harvick said of the short track scene. It will be interesting to see how Harvick benefits from racing post-NASCAR, especially late model stock car events.
