Bubba Pollard Ready for Double Duty at 41st Annual Snowball Derby Pollard Looks to back-up Blizzard Win with Solid Runs on Derby Weekend
SENOIA, GA (November 21, 2008) – For every Late Model driver in the Southeast there is a dream, a dream of winning the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway (FL). Bubba Pollard watched the 2007 Snowball Derby from the grandstands in Pensacola, Florida. He knew he wanted to at least have an opportunity to race in the historic Super Late Model race in 2008. Now he’s looking at living out part of that dream. Pollard will attempt to run both the Snowball Derby and the Allen Turner Snowflake 100, December 3rd through the 7th. The Derby will be the main focus for the Senoia, Georgia, driver.
“It’s like the Daytona of short track racing. Just to make the Derby means something,” said Pollard. “Some of the good cars go home, and some of the big names go home. So just to make the Derby this year will be something to talk about.”
Pollard hopes to make the Derby and run with the leaders. He won a pair of Super Late Model races earlier this season and has run very strong on several occasions at the track in the panhandle of Florida. Those races were only 100-lap events; the Derby is 300 laps with at least three pit stops for tires. The Pensacola track is very abrasive.
“With the strategy down there and the tire situation with having to pit, it makes for a unique race,” said Pollard. “We don’t get to practice or make pit stops during the races, so we don’t have the practice that we need. But we’ve been getting ready by practicing pit stops for the Derby the last couple of weeks.”
Tires is what wins the Snowball Derby, and with running two cars, Pollard knows that they need to use their practice tires wisely. Last year, it was reported that some teams used up to 11 sets of tires during Friday’s practice alone. Pollard doesn’t have the deep pockets to roll out nearly forty tires, so the team will improvise with what they have. Chances are they won’t strap on new rubber until Friday.
“Probably three sets for the weekend,” explained Pollard. “There will be guys that come down there with five to seven sets. If we would have won a couple of these big races at the end of the season, we could get more tires. We’re going to try and do it with the least amount of money we can.”
The ontrack festivities of the Snowball Derby week kick off on December 4th, with practice from both Pro and Super Late Models. The Allen Turner Snowflake 100 will be on December 6th, with the Snowball Derby on December 7th.
For more information on Bubba Pollard, contact Elgin Traylor at (704) 788-2134 x 4. Be sure to check out his website at www.bubbapollard.net
