---

Spears Recovers, Captures Third Vintage Win; Balkum Ends Two-Year Drought for Pensacola Bombers

By Chuck Corder

Quite the night capped quite the week for Ben Spears.

Last weekend, Spears and Christine Rovito, his longtime girlfriend, shocked friends and family with an impromptu beach wedding.

On Friday night, Spears shocked few by winning his third Southern Vintage Racing Association feature in four years at Five Flags Speedway.

Since the Southern Vintage Racing Association began its annual pilgrimage to the famed half-mile asphalt oval, Spears has been the dominant classic car.

The group is comprised of 1934 Ford and Chevrolet coupes and sedans and spend most of their racing season on dirt tracks across the Gulf Coast.

He recovered from an early incident in the 20-lap feature Friday to climb all the way through the eight-car field and collected yet another checkered flag.

“We earned that one,� Spears said. “We worked all night broke rear end.�

Jamie Mozingo, who led for much of the second half of the feature, finished second.

“He’s tough to battle with at this place right here,� Mozingo said of Spears. “I’m proud to come from the back and get to the front.�

Jay Dotson rounded out the podium while Kraig Crossley and Levi Donaldson finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

“I thought I was going to get my first win on asphalt,� Dotson said. “Then, I saw Ben Spears, and I knew I couldn’t outrun him.�

It nearly wasn’t meant to be, though. Spears and Donaldson engaged in good, hard racing early on.

After a few close calls, the pair continued to battle around the racetrack until they reached Turn No. 4 where the beating and banging resulted in a spin for each.

Spears quickly made his way from the back of the pack and took the lead with five laps remaining.

 

Faith Chapel Super Stocks

Wesley King left little doubt about who has the dominant car Friday night.

King started from the pole and led all 25 laps in capturing his first Faith Chapel Super Stocks feature at Five Flags Speedway this season.

“The tires went away at the end of the race, and I was saving as much as I could,� King said.

Jason Johnson finished second and longtime veteran driver Bill Cooley, from Milton, rounded out the podium.

“We’re gonna win one sooner or later,� Johnson said. “I’m tired of running second.�

The other big news to come out of Friday besides King’s first win was the demise of Todd Jones, who came into the night with the series points lead.

The Pace driver didn’t leave with it, though, as Jones’ misfortunes were Johnson’s fortune. Jones, the 2014 track champion, sustained mechanical troubles following a restart and never was the same. Johnson took over the points lead.

 

The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen

Normally No. 00, Jim Pokrant changed his number to No. 6 to honor fallen Blue Angels pilot Jeff Kuss on Friday night at Five Flags Speedway.

Pokrant gave an inspirational run, leading nearly every lap and almost winning for the first time this season.

But, Steve Buttrick doesn’t make it easy on the competition.

Buttrick, who started at the tail end, won his fourth 25-lap The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen feature this season. He and Pokrant put on a tantalizing show, as the two battled for the lead until Buttrick cleared Pokrant on Lap 23.

“That was good racing with Jim,� Buttrick said. “I really enjoyed racing with him. I almost had him a couple of times before I finally got him at the end.�

 

Butler U-Pull-It Bombers

Robert Balkum wasn’t just racing for himself Friday night.

He was racing for all of the Pensacola Butler U-Pull-It Bomber drivers, who have played second fiddle to their Mobile-area rivals the last few seasons.

Balkum got the win, a first for Pensacola in close to two years. He celebrated by burning out his tires from the exit of Turn No. 4 all the way to the start-finish stripe.

Balkum and B.J. Leytham, a three-time winner in Pensacola this season, battled for the lead for the first half of the race.

When the leaders camp up on lapped traffic, though, Leytham was forced hard into the wall. He never recovered and had a rare finish outside the podium.

Balkum opened up a full straightaway lead and never broke a sweat en route to a jubilant Victory Lane.

Back to News