Fans and Drivers Rewarded at Thrilling SpeedFest 2023
Over $55,000 in Awards and Prize Money Earned
Nashville, TN (Wednesday, February 1, 2023) – SpeedFest 2023 was greeted with a full grandstand and two full fields of cars last Saturday afternoon, January the 28th. The 18th Running of SpeedFest featured a 150-lap Super Late Model race co-sanctioned by the ASA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS and the ASA Southern Super Series Presented by Sunoco Race Fuels. The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance co-headlined the event that featured short track and NASCAR stars alike. Georgia resident and NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Chase Elliott participated in the race, bringing along fellow cup series drivers William Byron and David Ragan. At the conclusion of the race day, presented by Byron Outdoor Superstore with promotional support by JEGS and Hunt Brothers Pizza, it was the short-track hero’s standing in the winner circle.
Bubba Pollard scored his 150th career Super Late Model touring win and earned $10,000 by crossing the finish line first in the SpeedFest 150. Pollard’s triumph on Saturday over fellow Georgia natives Corey Heim and Jake Garcia, puts him tied for first on the all-time SpeedFest wins list. Bubba Pollard, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Busch each have three SpeedFest Super Late Model wins in the 18-year history of the event.
Corey Heim earned a $500 bonus from Earnest Performance on Friday evening by picking up the Earnest Performance Fast Qualifier award, turning a lap time of 15.703 seconds, averaging 96 mph around the fourth tenths mile D-shaped oval.
Jackson, Georgia’s Josh Hicks was the Luke Yoder Construction Fast Qualifier in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Pro Late Models. Hicks was presented a check for $400 for his efforts, during Saturday’s driver introductions, by Mr. Luke Yoder.
Augie Grill earned $3,000 by winning the Pro Late Model 100-lap feature event on Saturday afternoon. Grill passed rookie Katie Hettinger on lap 40 to gain the lead and never looked back. Caden Kvapil and Michael Hinde, last year’s Pro Late Model race winner, rounded the podium.
Strange Oval awarded a set of axles to the fifth-place finisher in both the Super Late Model 150 and the Pro Late Model 100 lap races. Timmy Watson from Panama City, Florida placed fifth in the SpeedFest 150 and two-time Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Track Champion, Dylan Fetcho finished P5 in the Pro Late Model race.
Day Racing Products awarded $25 product certificates to the ninth and twelfth place finishers in both the Super and Pro Late Model features. Finishing ninth in the Super Late Model race was Steve Dorer, driving the Racecar Engineering Chevrolet. Finishing twelfth was ASA/CRA Super Series regular, Billy VanMeter. The ninth-place finisher in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race was Brett Suggs from Mooresville, North Carolina. Placing twelfth was local Pro Late Model racer, Zack Dixon.
The next event for the ASA Southern Super Series is Tuesday, February 14th at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, part of Speedweeks.
The points season opening event for the ASA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS is at Anderson Speedway on Saturday, April 29th.
The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance opens their 2023 points season at Birch Run Speedway in Michigan on Saturday, May 13th.
Photos by – Rich Corbett / Bruce Nuttleman
