The big opening weekend of racing at 5 Flags Speedway, in Pensacola, FL, is going to be a busy one for Senoia, GA driver Bubba Pollard. The longtime Super Late Model superstar has announced that he will be racing the March 23 ARCA Menards Series East event on Saturday, in addition to the ASA STARS/Southern Super Series/Deep South Crane Blizzard Series affair on Sunday afternoon, March 24. Pollard will be one of at least three drivers going for the newly announced Family-Funeral & Cremation $5k Double Down bonus.
Pollard is coming off a season opening victory for the ASA STARS National Tour at New Smyrna Speedway, where he bested a field of 50+ Super Late Model entries to end up in the Team Construction Winner’s Circle. Pollard led just 18 laps in the event, but the car was at its best over the final 50 laps of the 200-lap event. For Pollard, it was his second ASA STARS National Tour win, with his first coming at North Wilkesboro in 2023.
The Saturday, March 23 Pensacola 150 start will be Pollard’s first in ARCA Menards Series East. The veteran driver does have a handful of starts with the ARCA Menards Series national tour but none since 2015. Pollard will be behind the wheel of a James Finch owned Phoenix Construction car for the Pensacola race.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to run the ARCA race. With the help of Phoenix Racing and James Finch, we will make our first attempt at Five Flags, a place I call home. This will help us prepare for Richmond,” stated Pollard.
Last week’s announcement that Pollard would be competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond elated just about anyone associated with short track racing. Pollard, who has put together quite the list of accomplishments in his driving career, has never gotten the opportunity to show his abilities on one of NASCAR’s top three series. That first opportunity will come on Saturday, March 30 behind the wheel of a JR Motorsports car, just one weekend after his busy 5 Flags Speedway visit.
Pollard joins talented young racers, Jake Finch and Gio Ruggiero as competitors that will be racing in both long distance affairs that weekend. Family-Funeral & Cremation has stepped up to sponsor a $5,000 double down bonus for any driver who wins both races. Family-Funeral & Cremation, with locations in Pensacola and Mary Esther, FL, are big supporters of racing at 5 Flags Speedway. For more information on the company, visit www.family-funeral.com.
The three-day race weekend begins on Friday night, March 22 with the local division opener featuring Outlaws, Pure Stocks, and Sportsman. On Saturday afternoon, March 23, the Super Late Models will hit the track for practice, while ARCA Menards Series East opens up the 2024 season with the Pensacola 150. The Crown Stocks will also be in action for their season opener that night. The Sunshine State 200 will be held Sunday afternoon for the Super Late Models of the ASA STARS National Tour, Southern Super Series, and Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series. Saturday and Sunday will also have on track autograph sessions for fans to meet their favorite drivers.
Discounted tickets for each day in addition to a special three-day ticket package are available at starsnationaltour.com/event/stars-032424. Tickets will also be available at the track on each race day. Primitive camping is free for the weekend on a first come, first serve basis.
Track Enterprises PR
