BEN ROWE
Photos by Laura - LWpictures.com
Rowe Survives To End Drought With North-South Shootout Win at Caraway
SOHPIA, NC (November 9) – Ben Rowe weaved his way through a multi-car accident with four laps to go while running sixth and led the remaining laps to win Saturday afternoon’s Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model North-South Shootout at Caraway Speedway. Rowe’s 8th career PASS South Super Late Model victory ended a winless streak dating back to September, 2012 when he won the PASS 400 at Maine’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.

“It was kind of our strategy to back off, but the leaders got out front and we couldn’t run with them,” said Rowe, the All-Time winningest driver in PASS Super Late Model competition. “I knew all hell was going to break loose with 10 or 15 laps to go and we just wanted to be in the right position. I’d rather be lucky than good any day and lo and behold we got through the wreck and were leading with just a few laps to go.”

In Friday night’s qualifying session, veteran Lee Tissot turned the quick time around the .455 mile speedway with a lap of 99.969 miles per hour. Following the customary PASS South redraw for the top 10 qualifiers, Tissot would line up fifth for the 150 lap feature while Justin Allison and Rowe would move up front to pace the field. But all eyes would be on the back of the field where Kyle Grissom and Daniel Hemric would start 21st and 22nd respectively. Grissom struggled with an engine issue in qualifying, while Hemric had to start at the rear after missing qualifying due to his racing in Phoenix Friday night in the Truck Series event.

Under overcast skies Saturday afternoon, Allison led early on, while Grissom and Hemric quickly made their moves up toward the front. It only took Grissom five laps to make it into the top five. Hemric proved to be a bit more methodical moving into the top ten by lap 24.

Several drivers took turns at the front of the field including Allison, Spencer Davis, and Ryan Moore. The fast qualifier Tissot was in the mix as well taking the lead for the first time on lap 57 from Davis. Two hard crashes on the frontstretch in the early going took out several top ten contenders including John Batten, Gus Dean, Bill Catania, and rookie Ashley Rogero.

Points leader Jay Fogleman had a scare when a flat right front tire caused him to stop on the track on lap 92 resulting in the Durham, NC veteran going a lap down. But, when early leader Moore stopped with a problem of his own 12 laps later, Fogleman got the free pass putting him back on the lead lap and back into contention.

Tissot would lead the field down on the restart, but spun his tires coming up to speed allowing Grissom to move up front for the first time in the race. Hemric would soon make his move into second and it looked like the two drivers who started on row 11 would duke it out for the win. With 22 laps to go, they made contact entering turn one which sent Grissom up the track and Hemric into the lead. But a rash of late cautions kept the field together in the race’s waning laps.

With four laps to go, both Hemric and Grissom spun their tires coming to the green flag. As the field entered turn one, it appeared Hemric lost control and spun up the track as the entire field sped in behind him. In one instant the entire complexion of the race changed drastically as Grissom, Kyle Desouza, Tissot, Allison, Jody Measamer, Randy Gentry, Karl Weber and others were all swept up into the accident.

Rowe, who was running sixth at the time of the accident, emerged from the carnage with the lead and held on for the final four laps for his first PASS South Super Late Model win since 2011. Fogleman rebounded to finish second in front of Ted Mickelson, Gentry and Davis. Rounding out the top ten were Joseph Mursuli, Allison, Weber, Desouza, and Bobby Measmer, Jr.

Next up for the PASS Super Late Models will be the 8th Annual Mason Dixon Meltdown 200 at Southern National Motorsports Park on Saturday, November 23rd. The Meltdown will be the final PASS event of 2013 and will see champions crowned in the PASS National Series, PASS South, and the PASS Pro Late Models. It will also feature the 900 HP Must See Racing Xtreme Winged Sprint Cars in their only visit to the Carolinas this year.
UNOFFICIAL PASS SOUTH SLM RESULTS
150 Laps - CARAWAY - 11/9/13
1. #4N - Ben Rowe - 150 Laps
2. #4F - Jay Fogleman - 150 Laps
3. #77 - Ted Mickelson - 150 Laps
4. #09 - Randy Gentry - 150 Laps
5. #29 - Spencer Davis - 150 Laps
6. #8 - Joseph Murculi - 150 Laps
7. #1 - Justin Allison - 149 Laps
8. #50 - Karl Weber - 149 Laps
9. #88 - Kyle Desouza - 149 Laps
10.#51 - Bobby Measmer - 148 Laps
11.#71 - Lee Tissot - 147 Laps
12.#41 Daniel Hemric 146 Laps
13.#31 - Kyle Grissom - 146 Laps
14.#74 - Ryan Moore - 146 Laps
15.#98 - Jody Measamer - 146 Laps
16.#8F - Tate Fogleman - 116 Laps
17.#93 - David Russell - 62 Laps
18.#17 - Ashley Rogero - 58 Laps
19.#18 - Bill Catania - 58 Laps
20.#30 - Rodney Brooks - 10 Laps
21.#48 - John Batten - 7 Laps
22.#2G - Gus Dean - 7 Laps
23.#40 - Ryan Krachun - Did Not Start
| SLM "PASS 150" Entries Received - CARAWAY - 11/9 |


HERE
 
PASS South Points Leaders Come
to North-South Shootout
with Different Objectives
CHARLOTTE, NC (November 5) – Heading into this weekend’s 11th Annual North-South Shootout, Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model points leaders Jay Fogleman and Kyle Grissom both come to Caraway Speedway with lots of optimism, but differing goals. Fogleman’s win in last year’s North-South Shootout helped propel him to the 2012 PASS National Championship and Grissom has two wins in his last three PASS South starts at Caraway.

This year has seen the PASS South championship fight once again come down to Fogleman and Grissom with two races left, but unlike last year, Grissom is the one pursuing Fogleman. After a strong start to the season that saw Grissom win at Myrtle Beach Speedway and Caraway, the defending PASS South Super Late Model champion has struggled and has fallen 76 points behind Fogleman. He’s finished no higher than 9th in the last three races. And, Grissom failed to finish at Southern National in August due to a mechanical problem and most recently at Orange County due to a crash while racing for the lead with less than 15 laps to go. With more PASS South wins at Caraway Speedway than any other driver, Grissom knows any chance to repeat as champion relies on nothing less than a win in the North-South Shootout.

“We’ve taken the whole car apart to try and figure out what’s going on and haven’t found anything major yet, so hopefully we can get it figured out for Caraway,” said Grissom. “Caraway is a track that you’ve really got to hit your marks every lap and be consistent. It fits my driving style and we’re looking forward to hopefully getting things turned around there.”

While Grissom has struggled through the summer and early fall, Fogleman has been on a consistent march towards his first PASS South title. The Durham, NC veteran has finished no lower than third in the last three races and scored a popular win at his home track, the Orange County Speedway. After barely missing out on the title the last two years to Ryan Blaney and Grissom, Fogleman looks to have his best shot yet heading to Caraway this weekend and the season ending Mason Dixon Meltdown on November 23rd. And, with 13-year-old son Tate’s racing taking more of a priority moving forward, Fogleman knows that this year is likely his last chance to win that elusive PASS South championship.

“It’s been easier this year honestly because I’ve been spending so much time working on Tate’s stuff that I haven’t had time to think about it,” says Fogleman. “It’s been hard the last two years because we’ve lost the PASS South points right at the end of the year. To be that close the last two years and with this being my last run for a championship, I want to get the South and the National done. Caraway and Southern National are good tracks for us. All we can do is keep doing what we’re doing and hopefully we can end up winning this deal.”

While Fogleman and Grissom look to close in on a championship, they will be faced with field of hungry competitors looking for a win in the prestigious North-South Shootout. Gus Dean returns to PASS South competition this weekend in the potent #2 out of the Coulter Motorsports shops. Justin Allison, Bobby Measmer, Jr., Randy Gentry, and Kyle Moon also return and look to build on their strong runs at Caraway in May. John Batten and Jody Measamer will also be in competition in the hopes of backing up top 5 runs at Orange County, while Rodney Brooks and Bill Catania look to get their entries back up front. The North will once again be well represented in this Civil War on Wheels by 4-time PASS North champion Ben Rowe, Massachusetts’ Kyle Desouza, and New York’s David Russell. Short track veteran Lee Tissot steps behind the wheel of Jimmy Doyle’s familiar #71, while rookie Ashely Rogero steps into the Hamke Race Cars house car and hopes to join fellow rookies Joseph Mursuli and Karl Weber near the front of the field.

Action gets under way on Friday, November 8th for the North-South Shootout at Caraway Speedway with practice and qualifying for the PASS South Super Late Models that afternoon. On Saturday, November 9th, racing will start at 2 PM featuring 150 laps for the PASS South Super Late Models, 125 laps for the Tour-type Modifieds, 50 laps for Southern Modified Lite, 25 laps for Legends, and 50 lappers for the Limited Late Models and Late Model Supertrucks.

Two weeks later on November 23rd, the PASS South and PASS National Champions will be crowned at Southern National Motorsports Park as part of the 8th Annual Mason Dixon Meltdown, which will also feature the Must See Xtreme Racing Winged Sprint Cars, PASS Pro Late Models, and Mini Cups.

The Pro All Stars Series is recognized as North America’s premier sanctioning body for asphalt Super Late Models and boasts such marquee events as the PASS Northwest Triple Crown at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval, PASS South’s Easter Bunny 150 at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway, the Autobus La Quebecoise Triple Crown at Autodrome Chaudière, and the legendary Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.

 For technical information concerning all PASS divisions please send questions to passracing@roadrunner.com. For media or marketing questions, please contact Alan Dietz at 704-231-2039 or alandietzpass@live.com.

And, don’t forget to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to keep up with breaking news as it happens.

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email: passracing@roadrunner.com

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