Catchfence

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (April 10, 2011) – Chris Eggleston snatched the lead from Bubba Pollard with 24 laps remaining in Sunday’s “The Race” at Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway and was never seriously challenged the rest of the way, picking up the track’s season opener and a record $75,000 in victory lane.

“Holy cow!” an excited Eggleston exclaimed after defeating Pollard by 0.779 second. “This deal didn’t come together until about two weeks ago. Crew chief (and former NASCAR car driver) Butch Miller gave me a call, said he had a sponsor and he wanted me to come on out and drive; thought we had a real shot at winning this. Man! Am I glad I didn’t prove him wrong because to be the veteran that he is … he never steered me wrong in the trucks last season, he never steered me wrong today.”

Eggleston, a senior at Colorado State University who will graduate with honors this year, said he thought his car was good during the race’s first 100 laps.

“We just used that to get a feel for the car, what it was going to do, short runs, long runs,” the 22-year-old Eggleston explained. “Those restarts were killing us. For the middle section, we were just a tick loose on late exit and a little bit on late entry. I told Butch we needed to close up the (tire) stagger a little bit. It got a little too tight with the sun going down; should have left it alone. I don’t know if we had enough to get around the 18 (Pollard). We just caught him just at the right time in lapped traffic and that’s all it took.”

Two competition caution flags divided the 300-green-flag-lap race into three 100-lap segments. At the end of the first 100 laps Pollard, from Senoia, Ga., led while Eggleston was ninth. When the second 100 laps concluded Eggleston was leading and Pollard was second. Once the green flag waved on the final 100 laps, the race for the victory quickly turned into a two-car battle between Eggleston and Pollard.

Pollard jumped into the lead and pulled away, often by as much as three car lengths. However, on lap 234 they caught lapped traffic and that allowed Eggleston to close on Pollard’s bumper. For the next 42 laps, Eggleston dogged Pollard, attempting to pass him several times, but on each occasion a slower car worked to Pollard’s advantage and Eggleston couldn’t complete the pass.

Finally, on lap 276, a slower car caused Pollard to bobble as they exited turn four at the 0.625-mile track. Eggleston used Pollard’s mistake to his advantage, shooting past him on the outside and into the lead for good.

“The 54 [Johnny Clark] kinda messed me up and he [Eggleston] was able to get by me right there with lapped cars,” Pollard said after the race that had an average speed of 59.928 mph. “We had a pretty good race car and he did, too. We just got tight there in the center of the corner and had too much wheel in it, making it loose off.”

Rounding out the top five, respectively, were: Jeff Choquette; T.J. Reaid, of Mooresville, N.C.; and Ben Rowe, from Turner, Maine. Ryan Blaney, son of NASCAR driver Dave Blaney, finished seventh, while Ross Kenseth, son of 2003 NASCAR Cup champion Matt Kenseth, placed eighth. The younger Kenseth was the last car on the lead lap. Daytona 500 winners Geoff Bodine and Sterling Marlin placed 37th and 44th, respectively, in the 44-car field. Both drivers experienced mechanical problems with Marlin exiting the event after 25 laps and Bodine 84.

Seventy-five drivers representing 21 states and five Canadian provinces attempted to qualify for the lucrative Super Late Model event that had a two-lap qualifying session, five heat and two Last Chance races determine the starting lineup.

In the 100-green-flag-lap, tour-type Modified race that preceded the PASS event, veteran Junior Miller, of Winston-Salem, N.C., emerged the victor. Jimmy Zacharias, who started on the pole, dominated the race but faded in the closing stages. Rounding out the top five, respectively, were John Markovic, from Bethlehem, Pa., brothers Jason and Burt Myers, of Walnut Cove, N.C., and Rick Kluth, of Brockport, N.Y.

Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway’s next event is May 13-14 with the Southern Truck and Tractor Pullers Association. The legendary track’s next race is June 18 when the UARA Series will stage a 200-lap event.

- Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway Press Release