Inside Circle Track

Bubba Pollard feels the weight of the Snowball Derby

This is the second of a two-part story based on an interview conducted with Bubba Pollard prior to the All-American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in November. Please consider reading part 1 “Bubba Pollard voices views on the state of short track racing“ Bubba Pollard is probably the most recognizable name in the field of pavement short track racing. The Senoia, GA driver has earned that recognition by chalking up scores of wins all across the country, and the continent for that matter. Yet, one glaring omission remains on the 33-year-old’s resumé due to the fact that he has never…

Snowball Derby’s Back-to-Front Challenge will lead to big decision for one driver

The Snowball Derby is pavement short track racing’s biggest event for those who compete in the ranks of the Super Late Model machines. The winner will receive a first prize reward of $25,000, a year’s worth of bragging rights, and a lifetime of being introduced as a former winner of that race. But in 2020, crossing the finish line first and then surviving the post-race technical inspection process could become even more lucrative for one driver. Qualifying for the Snowball Derby is one of the most stressful activities in all of racing. The top-30 drivers(out of no fewer than 52…

Chase Elliott bringing spotlight to short track racing during off-season

Whether it be his intention or not, NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott is about to bring a fairly bright spotlight with him when he competes in two major short track events during this brief bit of down time prior to the restart of his regular job. The 25-year-old driver plans to race a pavement Super Late Model machine in the upcoming Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on December 6th. He will then make his first ever attempt at the famed Chili Bowl Nationals in a Midget Sprint Car during the week of January 11-16 at…

What has 2020 taught us that we should have already known?

As the end of the year approaches many have grown fond of saying they cannot wait for 2020 to end as if issues such as coronavirus, racial tensions, political divide, and general discontent are going to magically go away when the clock strikes midnight and the calendar turns to January 1st. Our society has faced some major issues during the past year and virtually all of those problems will remain beyond the current year and beyond the presidential inauguration that will take place shortly after the New Year. On a much less important scale, NASCAR has also been faced with…

NASCAR moving Truck Series from Eldora to Knoxville

In 2013 the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series held its initial race at Eldora Speedway making it the first time one of the sanctioning body’s top-three divisions competed on a dirt surface in decades. Since then, that series had continued to make yearly stops at the Tony Stewart-owned facility located in Rossburg, OH until the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 forced the race intended for this summer to be cancelled. And now, it looks as if the time in which the trucks will race on one of the country’s most historic dirt tracks has come to an end, at least for…

Casey Roderick enjoying success while doing it his own way

This is the first of a two-part story from our interview with Casey Roderick. The second story will be posted prior to the Snowball Derby. On November 2nd of this year, Casey Roderick scored one of the biggest wins of his racing career when he steered his Super Late Model machine under the checkered flag in the All-American 400 at the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. But it was more than just another win for the Lawrenceville, GA driver. The emotional victory served as proof that the 28-year-old racer could not only succeed at short track racing’s highest level, something that…

Bubba Pollard captures Florida Governors Cup 200 at New Smyrna

Super Late Model machines hit the pavement on Sunday afternoon at New Smyrna Speedway for the 55th annual Halifax Health Race to Stop Suicide Florida Governor’s Cup 200. At the end of the day, it was Bubba Pollard who would accept the accolades for his victory in a race broadcast by NBC Sports Gold Track Pass. It was the first Governor’s Cup triumph for the veteran racer from Senoia, GA. Veteran campaigner and New Smyrna regular Brad May set the fast time in qualifying with a lap of 17.820 seconds around the half-mile paved oval to top Jesse Dutilly, Daniel…

Corey Heim takes big steps up the racing ladder in 2020

Every young and aspiring race car driver hopes to have a moment of achievement that will propel him/her forward and open the door for greater opportunities in the future. This past October at Kansas Speedway, 18-year-old Corey Heim experienced one of those moments when he won the ARCA Menards Series race held at that 1.5-mile facility. Suddenly many who may not follow short track racing very closely knew the name of this Marietta, GA native. For those who do follow Late Model short track racing, Heim’s success on the bigger stage did not necessarily come as a major surprise. He…

Harvick exclusion shows folly of the system … or the greatness

I’m old enough that I have clear memories of every championship-determining system that NASCAR has used during its modern era from the season-long compilation of points to the current NASCAR Playoffs. Each has had its merits and each has had its drawbacks. And depending on your point of view, this year’s NASCAR Cup Series finale in Phoenix clearly shows that the current system has drawbacks … or merits. Keven Harvick has, to this point, had a very impressive 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has to date scored nine wins along with 20 top-five and 26 top-ten…

Bubba Pollard voices views on the state of short track racing

This is the first of a two-part story from our interview with Bubba Pollard. The second story will be posted prior to the Snowball Derby. When the topic of short track racing comes up, the name of Senoia, GA driver Bubba Pollard is almost certain to be mentioned early in the conversation. The highly successful driver has piled up scores of victories throughout a career that has spanned more than two decades. Much like top dirt racers such as Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, or Billy Moyer, this star is immediately recognizable among fans and competitors as soon as his car…