Charlotte, NC 5/27/12- In what was arguably the best race so far in 2012 for the PASS South Series, Kyle Grissom managed to hold off a pack of hungry drivers in a green-white-checker finish to pick up his second career win at the Concord Speedway winning the CV Products 125. Veteran racer Jay Fogleman matched a season best finish of second, while local racer Bobby Measmer rounded out the podium after leading seventy-nine laps of the 125 lap event.
The 125 lap event that has quickly grown in popularity throughout the area’s “Race Weeks” got off to a surprising start in qualifying with Kyle Beattie setting fast time in his first super late model start of the year after racing all year in the new PASS/CCS Super Limited Series support division. After the series redraw of the top ten qualifiers Ryan Blaney, who qualified ninth, took the number one starting spot with Clay Rogers driving for Brad Keselowski to his outside in second.
Rogers, looking to impress his car owner Brad Keselowski, jumped out to the early lead before a red flag incident due to contact by Colt James sending youngster Gray Gaulding hard into outside wall just past the speedway’s back stretch dogleg section. The incident also collected George Brunnhoelzl III, the two time NASCAR Southern Modified champion making his first ever super late model debut, Grant Davidson, Landon Cling, as well as series points leader Ross Kenseth. The restart to get back to green flag racing saw Rogers jump out to the lead while battles throughout the field intensified with each passing lap. His time at the lead was short lived as local racer and dark horse contender Bobby Measmer made the pass for the lead on lap eighteen after taking the green from the fourteenth position.
Another quick mover in the early going was Roger Lee Newton, who was forced to shot gun on the field after problems to the car after qualifying. Newton made the pass for eighth just as Measmer took the lead position. The yellow flag was displayed once again after Dillon Motor Speedway event winner Preston Peltier overdrove turn one and bounced off #118 machine of Bradley McCaskill while battling for fourth. The midpoint of the 125 lap event finally saw drivers settle in and race their way to the finish. All the way both Rogers and Measmer swapped the lead on several occasions before Measmer finally took command for the long haul.
Officials were once again forced to throw the yellow flag after a pair of Concord Speedway rivals in the form of Preston Peltier and Roger Lee Newton made contact together in turn one resulting in spins for both. Peltier was able to continue while Newton was not and showed his displeasure with Peltier once out of the car after coming out on the bad side of things of the hard racing he had dished out throughout the night. As the field went back to green flag racing Measmer managed to keep the lead over a fading Rogers, but it was a driver not mentioned all night long that soon became a factor in a hurry. Kyle Grissom made it look easy chasing down Measmer’s #51 machine and passing him as he exited turn three.
Just as Grissom grabbed the lead position officials were forced to throw the yellow flag for the #18 Bill Cantania who stalled along the back stretch. This set up a green-white-checker finish for the fans of the Concord Speedway to rise to their feet for what would be an action packed finish. Kyle Grissom did all he needed to do by getting the restart to ensure his second career PASS South Series victory after already winning the Easter Bunny 150 at the Hickory Motor Speedway in early April.
Next up for the “BIG BOYS WITH THE BAD FAST TOYS” PASS South Super Late Model Series will be the Southern Virginia 150 at the South Boston Speedway located in South Boston, Virginia on Saturday night June 10th. For more information on the PASS South Series or any of the PASS sanctioned series visit www.proallstarsseries.com.
Unofficial Results: PASS South CV Products 125 – Concord Speedway Concord NC – 5/26/12
1 31 Kyle Grissom 2 4 Jay Fogleman 3 51 Bobby Measmer 4 98 Ryan Blaney 5 19 Nate Caruth 6 62 Brandon Ward 7 26 Preston Peltier 8 67 Duane Linville 9 15 Colt James 10 48 John Batten 11 12 Mark Reedy 12 25 Ross Kenseth 13 118 Bradley McCaskill 14 18 Bill Cantania 15 129 Clay Rogers 16 29 Landon Cling 17 33 Roger Lee Newton 18 02 Tim Nooner 19 1 Justin Allison 20 84 Kyle Beattie 21 11 Mark Gibson 22 22 Kyle Bonsignore 23 89 David Latour Jr.