By Chuck Corder

Bubba Winslow didn’t look far to find love.

The Faith Chapel Outlaw Stocks driver from Cantonment met his future wife, Ashley, at Five Flags Speedway and immediately bonded over their shared love of racing.

With the lovebirds married 10 years now, Bubba Winslow doesn’t look far to get a fresh dose of reality.

“She’s probably one of, if not my biggest supporters I got,� the 27 year old said. “She’s also my worst critic. She likes to put me back where I need be.�

Winslow welcomes all feedback from his spouse, who is right by her man’s side every Friday night at Five Flags with the couple’s two children, seven-year-old girl Taylor and two-year-old boy Troy, close by.

He’s given her plenty to be excited about this season in the Faith Chapel Outlaw Stocks series, a rookie class that has taken the famed half-mile asphalt oval by storm in its first season.

They’ll race for the eighth time this season Friday night at Pensacola’s high banks and will be joined by the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models, The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen and the Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks.

PLM qualifying begins at 7 p.m. Friday with race festivities slated to begin at approximately 8. Admission is $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, military and students; $5 for children ages 6 to 11; and free for kids 5 and under.

With five top-10s in seven races, Winslow enters Friday’s 35-lap feature fifth overall in the series points standings.

After stepping away last year upon Troy’s arrival, the two-time Five Flags track champion’s passion for the sport is, once again, undeniable.

“The biggest thing I enjoy is the competition level,� said Winslow, who captured the 2011 and 2013 Super Stocks track titles. “It’s competitive throughout every field. We haven’t had as best a year as we could’ve, but we’ve had fun.

“No matter what position you’re in out there, you’re racing against somebody.�

He knows the results could improve greatly. But Winslow is just thankful to Ron and Scott McDonald for providing cars and equipment that helps him contend each Friday.

Winslow is overcome with excitement for this week, as his team will debut a new Outlaw Stocks ride Friday night that he hopes could make all the difference in stronger finishes.

This new car has a downforce body, which Winslow believes is the only thing keeping him from returning to Victory Lane at Five Flags.

“If you look back at every Outlaw Stocks race this season, you’ll see they’ve all been won with cars that had a downforce body,� Winslow said. “Constantly, the top-three cars have been downforce bodies. These are not your traditional, template body. Template bodies are competitive, but on the long runs they have a hard time keeping up with the cars with downforce body.�

Winslow, who works in sales for local air conditioning distributor Mingledorffs, isn’t surprised at how quickly the Outlaw Stocks rose in popularity in just a few short months.

With drivers in their teens to their 60s, the class has seen great parity in its winners and weekly contenders. The car counts continue to impress with some nights coming close to 20-car fields.

“A lotta that is how competitive the series is,� Winslow said. “You don’t’ have one guy hitting on something all year. Guys are going back and making progress on their stuff. You stand a more likely chance of winning, and that makes everybody more competitive.

“It’s only getting better,� he continued. “I think you’ll, likely, see guys go home at Derby because the field will be too big. And there are more cars out there. You don’t have to have the latest Grill car to win. It obviously helps, but you don’t have to have it.�