9/21/2023
Five Flags Speedway
Three Championships To Be Determined This Weekend.
Three Divisions, Three Drivers Eying the Championship
Deep South Crane Blizzard Series
Doss Hopes to Clinch First Blizzard Title at 5 Flags’ Night of Champions DH Weekend
By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter
All bets are off when Jeremy Doss is racing for checkered flags. Typically.
The 26-year-old Super Late Model driver encountered one driver earlier this year that gave him pause over his late-race strategies. That competitor was Mike Doss, Jeremy’s father and former Late Model driver himself. The two competed against one another in a touring Legends series this year in their native California.
They battled nose-to-tail for much of the season and Jeremy learned a valuable lesson about where an aggressive style will get him with his dad.
“I’ve been through those situations with him where I had to move him late in the race to earn the win,” Jeremy said of his father. “I’ll definitely hesitate if the opportunity presents itself again because he didn’t like that.”
Jeremy eventually won the championship with Mike finishing second. Instead of being rivals, the pair will team up once again this weekend at Five Flags Speedway in hopes of securing another crown. Jeremy Doss carries a nearly 30-point lead into the Night of Champions doubleheader weekend where the Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series SLMs will compete in two 100-lap races to decide a track champion.
“We’ll have the same gameplan as normal,” Doss said. “We’ll go out and do our best and hopefully come home with a win.
“(Five Flags) is one of the toughest places I’ve ever been to. It can throw you for a loop because it’s not the same each time. There are so many characteristics to it and it can be weather sensitive.”
Weather was a major factor the last time the SLMs raced at Pensacola’s high banks during the PepperJack Kennels Twin Blizzards in July. The second night was rained out, meaning Friday’s feature serves as the makeup race. The best average finish from the Twin Blizzards opener this summer, which Doss won, and the America Welding 100 on Friday wins a Snowball Derby prize package that is valued at $7,000. The Story & Bleich Crown Stocks share the famed half-mile asphalt oval Friday.
The SLMs return Saturday night for the Deep South Cranes 100 and will be joined by the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models as both series close the Five Flags regular season alongside the Modifieds of Mayhem.
Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday. The green flag drops at 8 p.m. Friday night, 7 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $20 for adults each night or $30 for both nights; $17 for seniors, military and students; $5 for children ages 6 to 11; and free for the little kids.
Doss has enjoyed a banner season at Five Flags. He was awarded the Kioti Tractor 100 victory in July after NASCAR Cup star William Byron had the win stripped in post-race technical inspection. Doss finished second to Casey Roderick in the Blizzard Series season opener in March as the ASA STARS National Tour made its debut.
“We’re getting more comfortable at (Five Flags),” Doss said. “It has been a real confidence boost for us this year. We’re going in the right direction. The nice thing about racing there is every time you go, you’re running against guys that you will see at the Derby.”
Doss leads Gio Ruggiero by 28 points, but there are several other drivers within striking distance.
“It’d be real special,” Doss said of winning a track title at Five Flags. “This is our first year to run the full (Blizzard Series) program. It’s cool to be on top against the best racecar drivers in the world. Plus, locking it down makes December a lot stress free.”
Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Stock
Bolen Pulling Double Duty for Night of Champions, Remains in Hunt for PLM Title
Staying competitive with well-invested Late Model teams takes some planning for John Bolen.
The 37-year-old Bolen oversees two businesses in his native Jasper, Ala.—45 minutes northwest of Birmingham—while he attempts to “squeeze in” his lifelong passion of short-track racing. A natural-born multi-tasker, Bolen and his crew of family and friends know they must be efficient with their time.
“We could be doing construction one day, and if it rains, we’ll be working in the shop on the racecar,” he said. “We’re not Anthony Campi (Racing), Donnie Wilson (Motorsports), Rackley (W.A.R.), where all we think about is racing. We try and set aside time during the day and not have many late nights. We’ve done it so long where we’ve learned how to not spend every night at the shop until midnight.”
Bolen hopes his work alongside his dedicated team pays off this weekend at Five Flags Speedway. The famed half-mile asphalt oval closes the 2023 regular season with a Night of Champions doubleheader. Bolen will be a part of both Friday and Saturday night, competing in a pair of Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series Super Late Model 100-lappers and trying to come from behind and claim the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models track championship in their 100-lap feature Saturday.
Bolen trails defending PLM series champion Dylan Fetcho by just 14 points going into Saturday.
“In our situation, we just have to run our race,” Bolen said, “and hope it’s our night for a win. You could’ve thrown a blanket over me and Dylan this year. He’s either finishing right in front of us or right behind us.”
The PLMs share the Saturday night stage with the SLMs for their Deep South Cranes 100 finale and the Modifieds of Mayhem. The SLMs had their second of two races during the PepperJack Kennels Twin Blizzards in July postponed because of rain. The American Welding 100 on Friday serves as the makeup race. The best average finish from Friday’s feature and the Twin Blizzards opener this summer wins a Snowball Derby prize package that is valued at $7,000. The Story & Bleich Crown Stocks share the famed half-mile asphalt oval Friday.
While he feels his PLM car is dialed in, Bolen will be trying to find some speed and a little traction for his SLM program.
“We focus just as much if not more on the Super Late Model car,” Bolen said. “We’re trying to get more competitive in that. We’ve had glimmers of hope the last few years, but we’ve struggled with consistency. We’re digging hard, hope to put together a good run and look to have a solid night going into the Derby.”
Bolen’s Fury racecar team is made up his dad Johnny and uncle Ronald along with friends Wayne, Caleb, Justin, Trey, Joseph and Russell. Holly Long spots for Bolen at Five Flags, and he gets coaching and support from motorsports legends Tony Eury Sr. and Jr.
“This is our third season in (Fury) cars,” Bolen said. “It has worked for us pretty successfully. The Eurys offer us help to lean on and for support, and offer input when decisions need to be made.”
His extended team includes Winter, his wife of six years, and their seven-year-old son Jase.
Bolen has a pair of top-five finishes in three PLM races this season, including a third in June. He also has three career top-fives in the Allen Turner PLM Snowflake 100 with a personal best of second in 2009.
“We’ve been very close, but we just keep coming up a little short,” Bolen said. “We’re still searching, and everybody is dug in deep.
“It’s hard nowadays. The car has to check every box, and everybody behind you has to check one less.”
Story & Bleich Crown Stock
First-Year Success: Bleich Eyes Crown Stocks Track Championship in Inaugural Season
Reality is somehow exceeding Ryan Bleich’s fantasy.
Six months ago, the entry-level division he helps sponsor made its 20-lap debut at Five Flags Speedway with nine cars in the field. When the Story & Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks raced most recently last month, 24 cars entered the 15 lapper.
“Two or three races in, I thought that (the Crown Stocks class) was kicking off way better than anyone thought, including myself,” Bleich said. “When you’re matching and exceeding the number of Super Late Model cars running the race, that’s pretty awesome.”
Bleich, who is also the series points leader, expects another large field Friday night, the first of a doubleheader Night of Champions weekend at Five Flags. The aforementioned Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series Super Late Models will share the famed half-mile asphalt oval with the Crown Stocks in their first of two 100 lappers.
The America Welding 100 is a makeup race from July’s rain, which washed out Night 2 of the PepperJack Kennels Twin Blizzards. The best average finish from the Twin Blizzards opener and this Friday’s feature wins a Snowball Derby prize package that is valued at $7,000.
The SLMs return Saturday night and will be joined by the Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Models for their respective 100-lap regular season finales along with the Modifieds of Mayhem.
The Crown Stocks series is grassroots at its finest with origins in south Florida. The cost-effective class appeals to all drivers, but particularly fans who have always dreamed of leaving their seats and getting behind a steering wheel to race. The fields are comprised of Old Ford Crown Victorias, Crown Victoria Police Interceptors and Mercury Grand Marquis.
“We purchased six old police cars,” Five Flags Promoter and General Manager Tim Bryant said, “parked them in a line in front of the track, and the phone started ringing off the hook.”
Bleich’s team bought two of those police cars, and set sail on what has been a memorable season. Bleich has three wins and fourth other podium finishes, including three runners-up.
The bitter taste of second is not something Bleich has enjoyed. He endured the entire month of June with that feeling and gave himself a pep talk.
“I don’t wanna get stuck in this rut,” Bleich said to himself before winning the first chance he got in July. “There’s no other feeling like winning. The second win was better than the first. It never gets old.”
He carries a comfortable lead into Friday night's finale, but Bleich won’t leave anything to chance as he closes in on his first career track championship at Pensacola’s high banks.
“I don’t like points racing, but you kind of fall into it when you’re running up front,” he said. “Everyone dreams of being a track champion at Five Flags. Of course, I want to win, but when you’re running for a championship, you have to have the mindset of not racing as aggressively and put yourself in positions where you might wreck out or in a bad spot.
“As long as I keep my nose clean and a have a decent finish, it shouldn’t be an issue.”
Article Credit: Chuck Corder
