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Benjamin Grows Up Fast to Win Azera 100, Earn First Victory at Five Flags

Chuck Corder

Teenage sensations are used to topping the charts.

It was fitting then that Kyle Benjamin, the 13-year-old phenom driver, recorded a blockbuster No. 1 hit in the Allen Turner Pro Late Model Azera 100 on Friday at Five Flags Speedway.

How he got there ultimately didn’t matter. The simple fact he was in Victory Lane for the first time at the famed, half-mile asphalt oval added another chapter to the kid’s ballooning legacy.

Benjamin, who led the majority of laps Friday, benefited late from some more Bubba Pollard-D.J. VanderLey fireworks and bask in a watermark win.

“I always wanted to win here,� said the Easley, S.C., driver. “It’s a very hard place to win at. It’s like Darlington or Bristol. This is really special.�

The moment, obviously, wasn’t lost on Benjamin.

Neither was the path that brought him to the checkered flag first.

Pollard had the fast time in qualifying at 16.922 seconds, but a die roll of eight set an eight-car invert in the 22-car field. That put Pensacola’s Keith Thorpe on the pole.

Benjamin took the lead from Thorpe on Lap 22 and led until Lap 75 when Pollard passed him on the fifth restart of the night.

VanderLey took second 10 laps later and it appeared Benjamin would settle for third.

Instead on a late restart with 93 laps completed, the feud between VanderLey and Pollard reared its ugly head in an ugly way once again. The two exchanged some heated words at the Allen Turner Pro Late Model race June 10.

VanderLey got into the side of Pollard and spun him down the front stretch.

“I was trying to pass Bubba and I may have had an inch or two on him,� VanderLey said. “He came down to block me and that’s the way it goes. I’m sure (Pollard will) have a different story.�

In fact, Pollard did.

“I was leading the race and got turned around,� Pollard said, doing his best to conceal his frustrations.�It’s going to be my fault somehow and I was out front. Ask anybody throughout the pits and they’ll tell you the same thing. (His No.) 18 was out front once again, that’s all I can say.�

Instead, Pollard let his car do his talking. As the field was under caution, he waited for VanderLey to make it around the oval. Anticipating the retaliation, VanderLey slowed up and attempted to allow Pollard to pull away.

Instead, Pollard shoved his No. 18 in “reverse� and crunched VanderLey’s front end.

“That’s why I didn’t want to pass (Pollard) there,� VanderLey said. “It’s just part of it.�

While Pollard was black-flagged, thus ending his night, VanderLey was sent to the tail end of the lead lap, which amounted to six cars.

Benjamin, running third when the fracas spilled out before him, assumed the lead and held off Chris Davidson. VanderLey hustled for a third-place finish.

“I saw (Pollard and VanderLey) bang and I thought, ‘Oh, God, here it comes,’ � Benjamin said. “I barely had enough room to make it through that.�

VanderLey was a Five Flags darling en route to the Pro Late Models track title last year.

While he treasured his finish — “This is the best third place I’ve ever had� — he received mixed reviews from the Five Flags faithful when he climbed out of his No. 2.

“All in all it was a good night for the points and our finish,� said VanderLey, who cut Pollard’s lead to just nine heading in the regular season finale Oct. 8. “I was confident in the car.�

Benjamin knew his car had the mettle to win Friday.

“There were some heavy hitters out here,� he said. “To finish first, it’s an amazing feeling.�

The rising star wasn’t the only one who knew his was the car to beat.

“Kyle was better than we were,� Pollard said. “He deserved to win.�

The first of what figures to be many big hits at Five Flags for Benjamin.

Allen Turner Pro Late Models Azera 100—1. Kyle Benjamin, 2. Chris Davidson, 3. D.J. VanderLey, 4. Dwayne Buggay, 5. Ryan Crane, 6. Keith Thorpe, 7. David Jones, 8. Troy Grisaffi, 9. Kevin Chase, 10. Madison Schneider, 11. Bubba Pollard, 12. Mike Garvey, 13. Thomas Praytor, 14. Jeremy Mullinax, 15. Greg Poole, 16. Kyle Bryant, 17. Donny Kelly, 18. Tommy Rollins, 19. Eddie Craig, 20. John Thompson, 21. Mason Mitchell

 

Modifieds

Chris Cotto loves him some fresh air.

Out front most of the night in the 35-Lap Modifieds feature, an out-of-breath Cotto inhaled a little bit more of the crisp night in Victory Lane.

A group of paramedics kidded Cotto by strapping an oxygen mask onto his face and the Milton driver playfully posed for photographs. Gerald Wilkerson finished second and series points leader Todd Jones was third.

“I ain’t as tired as I was last time,� Cotto joked. “I enjoyed that. The car was tight in qualifying, but it paid off for us.�

Cotto assumed the lead with 12 complete when then-leader Bubba Pollard’s No. 07 came to a standstill on the backstretch to bring out a caution.

It was a disappointing result for Pollard, who was extremely racey early on.

He was shot out of a cannon following the first caution, zooming by Cotto on the third lap.

Wilkerson, who began second overall Friday, cut into Jones’ points lead thanks to his runner-up finish.

Modifieds 35-Lap Feature Results—1. Chris Cotto, 2. Gerald Wilkerson, 3. Todd Jones, 4. Jake Moore, 5. Nathan Davis, 6. Mike Maddox, 7. Bubba Pollard, 8. Dave Wright, 9. Brandon Howell, 10. Josh Goodwin, 11. Korey Ruble, 12. Nathan Ingersoll

Sportsmen

Steve Buttrick had a healthy dose of hindsight Friday.

He easily grabbed his sixth Sportsmen win of the season on Double Points Night to shoot a couple place from fifth where he started the night. The victory was a bit bittersweet.

“I wish I had this car last race,� Buttrick said.

The Sportsmen race last month was for $1,000 and won by Brannon Fowler.

On this Friday, while Fowler and Randy Thompson battled for second all night, Buttrick easily made his way around the speedway for 20 laps.

“We were pretty good tonight,� said Buttrick, who is the series’ reigning track and Snowball Derby champion. “I hope it’s this good at the Derby.�

While Buttrick took home the checkered flag, Scott Barbaric left a lasting impression.

With just two laps left, Barbaric’s No. 55 did several barrel rolls and ended up on the infield.

After Michael Couture spun going into Turn 2, Barbaric began to fish-tail trying to avoid him. Barbaric clipped the outside wall, then clipped Couture and began a gradual tumble down the speedway.

Barbaric flipped three times in all, over the inside fence and barely missed some spectators’ cars that were parked on the infield.

Amazingly, Barbaric kept his sense of humor through those thrilling acrobatics.

“I’m good. I hope it was as cool looking as it felt inside. I’m fine. It was laying on its side for a little while. I went high, it closed up. I hit the outside wall and hit (Couture). I remember rolling. It was like a roller coaster ride. It reminded me of the Zipper ride at the Fair.�

Sportsmen 20-Lap Feature Results — 1. Steve Buttrick, 2. Randy Thompson, 3. Brannon Fowler, 4. Bubba Winslow, 5. James Patrick, 6. Lee Reynolds, 7. Jim Pokrant, 8. Jimmy Goodwin, 9. Marty White, 10. Michael Couture, 11. Mark Barnhill, 12. Johnny Greene Jr., 13. Tina Davidson, 14. Chris Nielsen, 15. Scott Barbaric, 16. Wayne Burkett, 17. Stevie Mercer, 18. Justin Babb

 

Bombers

The night belonged to a Day.

Jay Jay Day, who has ruled this same class at Mobile International Speedway this season, got his first Bombers win in Pensacola after some courageous driving.

Day took the lead from series points leader Gary Goodwin on Lap 13. Then, amazingly, Day managed to hold on after he got sideways splitting lapped traffic on the second-to-last lap.

Just when he looked like he was going to crash into the inside wall and allow Goodwin to coast into Victory Lane, Day righted the wheel just in time.

He celebrated with the checkered on top of his black No. 98.

“Finally!� Day said of his long-awaited win. “I’m worn out. It’s a lot harder racing over here than in Mobile.�

As huge as Day’s win was, Goodwin’s runner-up finish was equally important on Double Points Night.

The charter fishing boat captain came into Friday with an eight-point lead on Brandon Burks. Goodwin extended his lead after Burks finished third.

“It definitely helps out,� Goodwin said. “We would’ve liked to win, but that (No.) 98 car sure is fast. But oh well, we’ll take second.�

Bombers 20-Lap Feature Results — 1. Jay Jay Day, 2. Gary Goodwin, 3. Brandon Burks, 4. Robert Balkum, 5. Kerner Kafka, 6. Michael Nelson, 7. Tracy Soles, 8. Sam Mellema, 9. Courtney Rodrigues, 10. Alex Routh, 11. Donald Hunt, 12. Gary Burkett, 13. Hunter Ward, 14. Daniel Webber, 15. Brian Lane, 16. Kenny Williams, 17. James Beal, DQ. Leonard Craig Jr.

 

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