It’s no secret that Kyle Grissom has had success throughout the late model stock car ranks, but just because one has that success doesn’t mean it automatically transfers to the super late model ranks as many have found out. Kyle Grissom, however; wasted no time to making his presence known to the super late model world by winning the PASS South Easter Bunny 150 Saturday night at the Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, North Carolina.
Grissom, son of 1993 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion Steve Grissom, was able to fend off challenges from several different drivers on multiple occasions before pulling away for the win in the final ten laps. The PASS South newcomer set fast time in qualifying before leading on five different occasions for a total of 101 laps behind the wheel of his #31 Harrison’s Workwear Chevy Impala enroute to his first series win.
“None of us expected to win this quick in the PASS South Series, especially at a race like the Easter Bunny, but Greg Marlowe built us an awesome racecar that was hooked up all night long. I had such good forward bite through the center of the turns that I was able to just focus on saving my right rear tire,” said Grissom in victory lane. “I had a lot of fun racing against Andy (Loden) and everyone else that we raced against there at the end for the win because it was just good clean racing. That’s why there’s so many people here tonight in the grandstands at Hickory to watch this race; they know they are going to see some good racing when the PASS series comes to town. A huge thanks goes out to Marlowe Chassis, Harrison’s Workwear, and RE Suspensions for this one. Hopefully we can do it again in two weeks at Orange County.”
Early on in the 150 lap event it was several familiar names in the form of Ryan Blaney and Andy Loden that took turns leading due to top ten qualifying efforts before succumbing to Grissom’s #31 machine. The starting field stayed tight all night long as thirty of the thirty-two car starting field was still on track at the event’s halfway point, before a string of cautions for minor incidents ended a few drivers nights just past lap seventy-five.
Just as the event was heading into the final stretch, series points leader Preston Peltier, experienced a problem that sent him fading through the field. The mechanical issue quickly turned into a bigger issue for the former series champion when his #26 Sig’s Tire Center Chevy Impala got collected in a three car incident ending his night early. The final caution of the night set up a twenty-five lap sprint to the finish when two former Easter Bunny 150 race winners, Ben Rowe and Ryan Lawler, tangled in turn four battling for the sixth position.
Brad Keselowski Racing development driver Landon Cling finished a career best second after having to race his way into the feature event through one of two last chance races for non qualified drivers after time trials. Cling, who is contending for the series championship in 2012, methodically made his way through the field picking off cars one at a time before edging third place finisher Trey Mitchell and PASS North Series regular Cassius Clark for the position on the white flag lap.
Mitchell, making his first series start of 2012, and Clark, driving for southern series car owner Dick Woodman, put on a show for the fans to remember that packed the house at the Hickory Motor Speedway. The two drivers raced nose-to-tail and side-by-side throughout the second half of the event before settling for their above stated positions. Last year’s Orange Blossom Special 125 winner at the Orange County Speedway, Roger Lee Newton rounded out the top five.
Next race for the PASS South Series “Bad Boys with the Bad Fast Toys” is the Orange Blossom Special 150 at the Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, North Carolina on Saturday April 21st. For more information on this race and the rest of the PASS South Series schedule in 2012 visit www.proallstarsseries.com.
PASS South Easter Bunny 150
Hickory Motor Speedway-Hickory, NC
Results
1) #31 Kyle Grissom 2) #29 Landon Cling 3) #47 Trey Mitchell 4) #8 Cassius Clark5) #33 Roger Lee Newton
6) #25 Ross Kenseth 7) #12 Jared Marks 8) #22 Kyle Bonsignore 9) #74 Ryan Lawler 10) #4 Jay Fogleman
11) #4n Ben Rowe 12) #19 Nate Caruth 13) #02 Tim Nooner 14) #62 Brandon Ward 15) #48 John Batten
16) #101 Trevor Sanborn 17) #76 Jerick Johnson 18) #98 Ryan Blaney 19) #66 Steve Wallace 20) #2 Gray Gaulding
21) # 88 Kyle Dessouza 22) #89 David Latour Jr. 23) #29L Andy Loden 24) #2n Matt Matheson 25) #41 Wes Burton
26) #26 Preston Peltier 27) #81 Craig Goess Jr. 28) #26c Tyler Church 29) #11 Mark Gibson 30) #71 Jimmy Doyle
31) #12c Garrett Campbell 32) #80 Dustin Hubbard
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