10/21/2020
Five Flags Speedway
Pate Won’t Let Busch Entry Shake His SSS Title Hopes at Saturday’s Late Model Championships Â
Pate Won’t Let Busch Entry Shake His SSS Title Hopes at Saturday’s Late Model Championships
By Chuck Corder
This time four years ago, racing stock cars was far from Jeremy Pate’s mind.
All his energy was focused solely on regaining strength and mobility in his right arm. A horrific accident at the Port of Pensacola nearly severed it.
Spirituality and physical therapy helped with the lengthy rehabilitation process, but a fiercely loyal support system drove Pate back to racing.
Now, the 43-year-old Pensacola native sits on the precipice of a Southern Super Series championship with two races remaining. Nothing would bring Pate more happiness than delivering prestigious hardware back to the Florida Panhandle.
With two-time Snowball Derby winner and NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Busch an unexpected late addition to the field along with the country’s top Super Late Model drivers, Pate hopes to take a step closer toward his title aspirations at the Late Model Championships on Saturday at Five Flags Speedway.
“One cool aspect of our group is this is a State of Florida deal,� said Pate, whose car owner, Larry Blount is based out of Jacksonville. “We’re a Pensacola-based operation. The guys that work on the car are all from Pensacola. And we take a lotta pride in being from Pensacola. We wanna start bringing big trophies home.�
While Pate leads by 13 points and hopes to maintain his slim SSS lead against Stephen Nasse heading into Saturday, he also remains in the hunt for the Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series championship. Bubba Pollard, winner of two of the three Blizzard Series races this season, holds a 17-point lead against Nasse and 23 over Pate as they head into the finale.
Chris Davidson will bring a comfortable 32-point lead into the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Model Series finale Saturday night, as the Texan journeyman is poised to lock up his first career track championship at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.
Admission to Saturday’s races are $20 for adults; $17 for seniors, military, and students; and free for children ages 11-and-under. Qualifying begins at 6 p.m. Saturday with the green flag set to drop at 7:30.
The SSS will crown its champion Halloween weekend (Oct. 30-Nov. 1) at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Pate overtook the SSS points lead from Pollard last month with a top-10 performance at the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway. Pollard didn’t race that night while Nasse finished third and closed the gap on Pate.
And it will be those two gentlemen who Pate is preparing to outduel. Busch’s entry certainly has moved the needle this week, but Pate won’t let the two-time Cup champion’s appearance rattle his cage.
“It’s a double edge sword having (Busch) here,� Pate said. “I’m glad he comes and supports local short-track racing. But when he does, he comes with a big budget, engineers, and that brings another element for guys like myself who operate on shoestring budgets.
“I’m going up against two of the best there is, and as long as we compete with Bubba and Nasse, we’ll be all right.�
Still, it will be a difficult task for Pate against two of the sport’s hottest drivers. The fact that each has his own unique style of racing makes Pate’s job more daunting.
But, the veteran is not deterred, pointing to the second Blizzard Series race this season where something clicked for his team of local guys turning wrenches and supported by Blount.
“The car does exactly what I want it to do,� Pate said. “It hasn’t all come together yet. Sometimes you have to make your own luck and be in contention for the wins to come. If not, it’s called a fluke.�
“Fluke� is not a word that defines Pate. Through his sheer force of will and commitment to overcome the gruesome injuries, he has proven his resolve and determination to achieve his championship dreams.
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