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Hamrac Returns to Five Flags, Wins Modifieds of Mayhem Opener; Crocker Grabs 40-Lap Finale

By Chuck Corder

Donnie Hamrac rests his head in Semmes, Ala.

But, there’s no question, his home away from home is across the state line at Five Flags Speedway.

Hamrac has made it a great habit of winning big modified races at Pensacola’s high banks. Hamrac owns a couple of modified track championships at Five Flags and is the three-time reigning Modifieds Snowball Derby king.

He collected another crucial victory Friday night at Five Flags, dominating the opening of two 40-lap features in the Modifieds of Mayhem.

“It takes everybody,� Hamrac said. “I can’t thank my team enough for their hard work, from David Jones to Charlie Phillips.�

Starting from the second position, Hamrac led every lap as he shot past pole sitter Jason Morman at the drop of the opening green flag.

Morman, who traveled all the way from Seabrook, Texas, finished runner-up to Hamrac.

“That was a tough one,� he said. “(Hamrac) runs pretty fast. We were doing everything we can to catch him.�

Brandon Howell, who hasn’t race at Five Flags the last few years, came away with an impressive third.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been here,� Howell said. “I feel like an old man. I didn’t wanna run the car too hard, and burn ourselves up.�

Hamrac might have gotten the victory, but he did express some concern following that first race.

“We won that first one, but we killed the right rear (tire),� he said.

Hamrac’s worries were validated in the 40-lap finale Friday, as he crossed the line third to Jeff Letson and Donald Crocker.

“I didn’t have anything for them two,� Hamrac said.

But Cocker, who like Hamrac is another Mobile-area driver, left the famed half-mile asphalt oval with the checkered flag when Letson was disqualified in technical inspection.

Hamrac bumped up to second and Howell collected his second consecutive third.

“I’m tired,� an exhausted Crocker admitted after the finale. “Those 40 laps slap-wore me out. We were about ready to give up on it. We stunk in the first race. But my crew turned it around.�

The top eight cars from the opener redrew for spots and Letson, who came into Friday leading the Modifieds of Mayhem standings, ended up with the pole position.

He and Crocker, the pair which now has eight wins between them in the one-plus years the Modfieds of Mayhem has existed, waged a wire-to-wire battle that withstood an ugly wreck on Lap 2 that involved six cars.

It was easy to tell Crocker wanted the lead early, but showed some restraint in not forcing the issue.

Perhaps, his best opportunity came late in the race when the two leaders began approaching lapped traffic. But, at one point, cars were two-wide in front of them and prevented Crocker from choosing a separate line than Letson.

“I’m not sure I had the best car, but I had the best starting position on the second deal,� Letson said before he met his demise in technical inspection. “I was holding up Donald there. He ran me clean.�

 

Faith Chapel Super Stocks

Todd Jones’ dominant night nearly turned into a disaster Friday at Five Flags Speedway.

The fast qualifier led for most of the 25-lap race, but an inopportune restart following a caution at the halfway point nearly cost him.

Jones recovered and reclaimed the lead from eventual runner-up Wesley King on Lap 19.

The Pace driver didn’t have another bobble the rest of the night and won his second feature in as many outings at Pensacola’s high banks this season.

“This thing, I don’t know if it’s a battery or a carburetor issue, but we were able to overcome it,� Jones said. “It’s an honor to drive this thing, and being at Five Flags Speedway, this is just awesome. I wish we could get more cars, but it is what it is.�

King finished second and Jason Johnson recovered from being a part of that aforementioned caution to round out the podium.

Johnson was racing hard with Charlie Skipper Jr. when the two approached Turn No. 3. Skipper wouldn’t budge and Johnson had nowhere to go, but into the left side of Skipper.

“I didn’t mean to get into Skipper,� Johnson said afterward contritely. “I don’t drive like that. He doesn’t want to listen to me, but I hate it had to happen.�

 

The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen

Shanna Ard had his limit of third-place finishes this season.

The two-time defending Sportsmen champion did something about it Friday night at Five Flags Speedway.

Ard, a two-time winner in 2015, got his first 25-lap victory of the season by holding off Steve Buttrick, a two-time winner this year.

“We you can beat that man, you’re doing something,� Ard, of Milton, said. “The car was on a rail tonight. I have to thank Greg Janes for giving me a great piece. We worked on it all week.�

Dayton Sidner, who finished third, had the drive of his young career at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

He led 11 laps before bending to the onslaught of Ard and Buttrick. It was quite the recovery for the Pensacola driver, who was involved in a pair of terrible wrecks both at Five Flags and Mobile International Speedway last month.

“It really has been long day,� Sidner said. “We thought about paint it, but I said, ‘No,’ we had to make sure it was gonna run before we painted it.�

Buttrick struggled with Al Perez near the back of the back before finally clearing him on Lap 5. He made a gallant effort to get out front, but Ard deftly prevented that from happening.

“I was the first loser, so I still won that category,� Buttrick joked. “I didn’t work on the car until I got to the racetrack tonight.�

 

Butler U-Pull-It Bombers

Winning is a family affair for B.J. Leytham.

On Friday at Five Flags Speedway, the Mobile-area driver collected his third 20-lap feature victory in four races this year.

The other win? Well, that was his brother, David Johnson, who finished third on Friday.

“We’re trying to keep it in the family, I guess,� Leytham said. “That was like the race that never ended.�

The feature saw two red flags and delays of nearly 20 minutes combined.

One was caused by a disastrous wreck that took out teammates Derek “Kane� Long and Zack Carpenter, in addition to collecting Sarah Dority. The second red flag flew when Zach Jordan spun in Turn No. 2 and laid down some oil from the exit of Turn No. 1 all the way through the second turn.

Pensacola’s Robert Balkum had a newfound fight in his approach Friday. He took home runner-up honors beating and banging with Johnson, and tried to wrestle the lead from Leytham for a few laps around the speedway following the restarts.

“I said it 100 times, that No. 8 car (Leytham) is unbeatable, just about.� Balkum said.

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