CHARLOTTE, NC (May 23) – Entering the fifth race of the 2009 season at Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville, NC, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model points race couldn’t be much tighter. Only 22 points separates championship leader Ben Rowe from second place Ryan Blaney and less than 90 points separates the top nine drivers in the PASS South standings. But, a look deeper in the numbers shows that this battle for the championship could go right down to last race of the season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in October.
Clearly, Rowe knows how to win championships. He’s won four PASS North championship while racing on the short tracks of New England and Canada. After a lackluster 2008 season that saw Rowe only win twice, the Richard Moody Racing team decided to step it up in 2009 and get the season started out early with some PASS South racing. Following wins in the South Carolina Clash at Dillon and the Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory, Rowe found himself in the PASS South points lead with an unprecedented chance to compete for championships in both PASS South and PASS North. Following two more runner-up finishes at Orange County and Wake County, Rowe continues to lead the PASS South points and looks now towards the Salute Our Heroes 150 at Coastal Plains. In PASS North, Rowe is still seeking his first top five of the season, but sits sixth in points just 31 points behind championship leader Johnny Clark.
Behind Rowe, it’s been a heated battle amongst several drivers vying for position and the right to challenge the Maine driver for the championship. Blaney holds second in points with three top fives and four top tens in four races. Veteran Jeff Fultz sits third in points with three top fives as well, but unlike Blaney, Fultz finished outside the top ten for the first time this season in the most recent race at Wake County. Ironically, it was contact between Blaney and Fultz that knocked Fultz from the race. Following the contact, an irate Fultz vowed that he would not be cutting young Blaney any more breaks this season.
Equally as heated is the battle between Heath Hindman and Preston Peltier who sit fourth and fifth respectively in PASS South points. After a slow start, Hindman has reeled off two straight top five finishes at Orange County and Wake County. Peltier took his first career PASS South win in the Orange Blossom Special at Orange County and followed that up by leading laps and recording a top five finish in Wake County’s Capital City Clash. Like Blaney and Fultz, it was at Wake County that Hindman and Peltier waged war on and off the track. The two made contact several times during the Capital City Clash and then a confrontation in the pits took the battle to another level. Cooler heads have prevailed and both drivers should be favorites heading to Coastal Plains.
Looking back through the top ten in PASS South points, preseason championship favorite Justin Wakefield has rebounded after a disastrous Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory to sit sixth in points. After a slow start, Jay Fogleman took the win at Wake County and finds himself seventh in points. North Carolina veterans Mark Gibson, Clay Jones, and John Batten round out the top ten in points and hope to close in on the leaders with strong runs at Coastal Plains Raceway.
The Salute Our Heroes 150 will mark the first visit to Coastal Plains for the PASS South Super Late Models. Joining the PASS South Super Late Models will be the PASS Late Model Trucks, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, and Pure Stocks. Coastal Plains Raceway is near Jacksonville, NC and has a vast military community in the surrounding area. PASS will show its appreciation to the United States Armed Forces with a reduced ticket price for anyone presenting a military identification.
Action gets under way on Friday, May 29th at Coastal Plains Raceway with pit gates opening at 2 PM, and rotating practice for all divisions from 4 PM to 7 PM. On Saturday, May 30th, pit gates open at 11:30 AM, practice starts at 2 PM, with qualifying at 5 PM, and racing starting at 7 PM. Coastal Plains Raceway is located just off NC Highway 24 between Richlands and Jacksonville. For more information go to coastalplainsraceway.com or racewithpass.com. For marketing or media questions contact Alan Dietz at 704-231-2039 or for technical information contact Scott Reed at 207-625-3230