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SAT. NOV. 24TH |
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THE THANKSGIVING CLASSIC
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THE MASON-DIXON MELTDOWN |
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Concord Top Three: L to
R - 3rd Colt James #15, 3rd;
Winner Preston Peltier #26; & Kyle
Grissom #31, 2nd. |
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Kyle Grissom celebrates
his 2012 PASS South Series
championship in his rookie season
behind the wheel of a super late
model machine. |
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Preston Peltier did all
he could to win his second PASS
South Series championship by winning
the Mason Dixon 200 at the Concord
Speedway. Fellow competitor Kyle
Grissom finished second to Peltier
clinching the 2012 championship by
four points over Peltier. |
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Peltier Wins Meltdown at
Concord; Fogleman & Grissom
Snare PASS Titles |
CHARLOTTE, NC (November 25)
– Preston Peltier took the lead from
Landon Cling on a lap 136 restart
and pulled away for his first win in
the Thanksgiving Classic/Mason Dixon
Meltdown at Concord Speedway. The
win was Peltier’s third of 2012 and
pushes his Pro All Stars Series
(PASS) South Super Late Model win
total to a series best of nine.
Peltier’s first PASS South win at
his home track propelled him to
second in points, just four points
shy of capturing the series
championship from Kyle Grissom who
finished second.
“This car
was just awesome right there at the
end, we just missed the championship
there by a few points, but I just
really enjoy racing these guys and
we’ll be back even better next
year,” said Peltier, after his
fourth top 5 finish in five PASS
South races at Concord. “I was a
little bit scared because I thought
we pitted a too early and I wasn’t
sure we would have enough tire left
at the end. Luckily, everything
played in our favor and we were able
to get the win.”
Earlier in
the day, Texas driver Trey Mitchell
scorched the half-mile triangle in
qualifying with a lap of 15.575
seconds for his first career PASS
South pole. But, after the top 10
qualifiers re-drew for their
starting positions in the
Thanksgiving Classic/Mason Dixon
Meltdown, Mitchell would start back
in 10th. PASS South championship
contender Brandon Ward and Landon
Cling led the field down for the
start with Ward jumping out to an
early lead. The first caution flag
flew on lap 14 as Mitchell and
Peltier were battling for sixth
position and made contact. Mitchell
went for a spin in turn one and was
narrowly missed by several drivers
who had to take evasive action.
In the early going, PASS South
points leader Kyle Grissom struggled
mightily with the handling on his
Harrison’s Workwear Chevrolet,
falling out of the top ten just 34
laps into the 200 lap race. While
Grissom struggled, Landon Cling
appeared to be in a league of his
own. Cling took the lead from Ward
on lap 48 and set sail, leading the
field by up to two seconds at times
during the race. By lap 94, Ward had
fallen out of the top ten as he
struggled with an ill handling car.
Local Concord favorite and
former PASS South winner Roger Lee
Newton ran as high as second, but
stopped on the track with a
mechanical problem to bring out the
fifth caution of the race with 82
laps to go. Under this caution
period, Cling led all but three of
the lead lap cars onto pit road for
four fresh Hoosier tires and fuel.
Nate Caruth, Mark Reedy and Cole
Timm pitted on a lap 78 caution and
would inherit the lead on the
ensuing restart. It only took Cling
two laps to dispense of Caruth and
retake the lead. But, as the field
entered turn three on lap 121, Reedy
slowed after contact from another
car resulting in a melee behind him.
Ward and Ben Rowe spun collecting
Bill Catania, Timm, and Steve Laking
in a cloud of smoke and fluid. With
the track blocked, the red flag
waved as clean-up crews rolled to
out clear the track of cars and
debris.
On the next restart,
the lead pack encountered more
problems with Caruth and Gray
Gaulding going for a spin in turn
one resulting in major damage to the
machines of PASS South championship
contender Jay Fogleman and Brandon
Jones. Fogleman continued on
although his car had suffered
significant body and suspension
damage, while Jones went behind the
wall and finished 18th.
Cling
continued to have the dominant car,
but gave up the lead to Peltier on a
lap 135 caution to pit for an engine
problem. Despite the setback,
Cling’s Brad Keselowski Racing Dodge
made its way back into the top five
and appeared to still have a shot at
the win. With less than 20 laps to
go, Cling’s machine almost spun
exiting turn three due to a broken
axle, ending his chances for
victory. Cling still managed to
finish ninth though due to high
attrition in the second half of the
event.
Peltier was able to
stretch his lead in the waning laps
as a spirited battle for second
waged between Grissom, defending
race winner Colt James, and Trey
Mitchell. Although he appeared to
have a faster car, James showed
great respect in racing Grissom, who
was on the verge of his first PASS
South championship.
Peltier
proved to have the dominant car in
the late going and cruised to the
win finishing two seconds ahead of
Grissom. James finished third, ahead
of a spinning Mitchell, and
Fogleman. Although he came up short
in his bid to win the PASS South
championship, Fogleman held on to
win his first PASS National
championship, the first touring
championship in the storied career
of the North Carolina veteran.
“It’s great to win the PASS
National Championship, we really
have worked hard the last few years
to win it,” said Fogleman, who ended
the year with wins at Motor Mile
Speedway and in the North South
Shootout at Caraway Speedway. “We
really, really, really were hunting
that PASS South Championship though
and it’s just a bad disappointment
to not get a chance to race for it.”
For Grissom, the PASS South
Championship was certainly a goal at
the start of the 2012 season, but he
and his Greg Marlowe led team came
into the year as unknowns. After
all, both had made their names
racing in the heavier Late Model
Stock cars that compete
predominantly in the Carolinas and
Virginia. Prior to 2012, neither
Grissom nor Marlowe had raced in
more than five Super Late Model
contests in total. But, after a
dominating win in the Easter Bunny
150 at Hickory Motor Speedway, it
was clear that Grissom and his team
had what it took to be a factor for
the rest of the year. And, that they
were, winning a record tying five
PASS South Series races in 2012.
Despite some late season problems,
Grissom had built up enough of a
cushion to take his first
championship.
“This Marlowe
Racing Chassis has just been
flawless all year long and it’s been
incredible that we’ve been able to
build a car and go out here in our
first year and do all this…We’ve had
a lot of fun this year and it’s just
been awesome,” said Grissom. “I had
always heard how competitive the
PASS South Series was, there’s a lot
of young guys and guys who’ve been
doing it for a while, it’s just
unbelievable that we were able to
get off to the start that we did and
even more amazing that we could hold
on and win the championship.”
Although the 2012 season has
ended, there is a lot of excitement
about the 2013 season. Schedules for
the PASS South and PASS North Super
Late Models have been released and
the schedules for the PASS National
Series, PASS Pro Late Models, PASS
Modifieds, and PASS Sportsman will
be coming out soon. |
OFFICIAL PASS SOUTH/NAT'L SLM
RESULTS
200 Laps - Concord Speedway - 11/24/12 |
1. 26 – Preston Peltier
- 200 laps
2. 31 – Kyle Grissom
- 200 laps
3. 15 – Colt James -
200 laps
4. 47 – Trey Mitchell -
200 laps
5. 4 – Jay Fogleman -
200 laps
6. 14 – Clete Caywood -
200 laps
7. 48 – John Batten -
200 laps
8. 50 – Karl Weber - 196
laps
9. 29 – Landon Cling - 180
laps
10. 2 – Gray Gaulding - 178
laps
11. 2n – Matt Matheson - 172
laps
12. 84 – Kyle Beattie - 168
laps |
13. 12 – Mark Reedy - 166
laps
14. 57 – Cole Timm - 158
laps
15. 44 – Steve Laking - 158
laps
16. 64 – Garrett Evans - 139
laps
17. 19 – Nate Caruth - 132
laps
18. 33j – Brandon Jones -
122 laps
19. 4n – Ben Rowe - 121
laps
20. 62 – Brandon Ward - 120
laps
21. 18 – Bill Catania - 120
laps
22. 33 – Roger Lee Newton -
118 laps
23. 73 – Joey Doiron -
92 laps
24. 51 – Bobby Measmer,
Jr. - 37 laps |
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Received Entries - Concord - 11/24 | |
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Trevor Noles took the
win in the debut of the new PASS Pro
Late Model division |
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Austin Leitner
celebrates
Super Limited/PASS Pro Late Model
championship |
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Trevor Noles Dominates
Debut Of PASS Pro Late Models at
Concord Speedway |
ACONCORD, NC
(November 25) – Trevor Noles took
the lead on lap 16 and led the rest
of the way to win the first ever
PASS Pro Late Model race on Saturday
at Concord Speedway. Ironically,
Noles won the final Super Limited
race at Hickory Motor Speedway in
September, the division the PASS Pro
Late Models were derived from
originally.
“I’ve just got to
thank my whole Coulter Motorsports
crew, they give me this great hotrod
and we were able to take the Noles
Cabinets Toyota to victory lane
again,” said Noles. “This is
definitely different from what I
started out in Late Model Stocks and
I love it.”
Pole sitter Adam
Welch led the opening 16 laps until
the first caution waved on lap 16
for a hard crash into the turn one
wall by Kody Evans. On the restart,
Welch’s car stumbled allowing Noles
to take the lead. Noles would never
surrender the lead for the remainder
of the 75 lap event. Following Noles
to the checkered flag were Kerry
Lawrence, Hayes Goodson, Austin
Leitner, and Jeff Batten.
On
the strength of three wins and
steadfast consistency, Leitner
claimed the first ever Super
Limited/PASS Pro Late Model
championship. Leitner ‘s Theory
Racing Chassis Chevrolet was a
perimeter-style car like the Late
Model Stocks that are so popular in
the Mid-Atlantic Region. Despite
racing a field stacked with strong
straight railed chassis’ similar to
the PASS Super Late Models, Leitner
proved with hard work and talent
that the perimeters are far from at
a disadvantage.
“We had a
great year in 2012 and to be with a
perimeter car, I think we did
excellent,” said Leitner. “We had
this Late Model Stock sitting in the
shop and we said instead of building
a new car, let’s take this thing out
there and beat those straight rail
guys.”
After a very
successful campaign this year, PASS
Pro Late Model teams, new and old
alike, are hard at work in
preparation for the 2013 season. The
2013 PASS Pro Late Model schedule is
nearing completion and will be
released by December. |
OFFICIAL PASS PRO LATE
MODEL
RESULTS
75 Laps - Concord Speedway - 11/24/12 |
1. 16 – Trevor Noles
2.
03 – Kerry Lawrence
3. 16g –
Hayes Goodson
4. 5 – Austin
Leitner
5. 49 – Jeff Batten |
6. 36 – Tyler Dayton
7. 4
– Tate Fogleman
8. 71 – Adam
Welch
9. 02 – Walker Yates
10.
4g – Kody Evans |
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