Rattler 250

[Frasson118]

Today's race at South Alabama Speedway in Opp, Alabama has 2 of our Florida guys in it.

Steven Nasse and Jeff Choquette roll off 9th and 10th today. Chad Finley from Michigan got the pole with a new track record. Others in this race include Bubba Pollard, Augie Grill, Mike Garvey, TJ Reiad, Chris Wimmer and Donnie Wilson.

Lots of good cars for today's race, which will be covered minute by minute on Speed51.com

[backrow]

Would love to see those guys come to NSB next week.....

[Opp fan]

Thanks for the tip

Thanks for letting us know that speed51 has updates today. They do a good job covering races. For those who haven't checked it out before here's a link to the website:

http://www.speed51.com/

At the website look for "Trackside Now Coverage" on the left side which is this for today's race:

http://www.speed51.com/2013_Stories/..._250_3_17.html

These are text updates and photos. Not today, but at some races they also have live audio like at Snowball Derby and some of The World Series of Asphalt races at New Smyrna. Good website!

They must be central time there so the race is just getting ready to start at 2pm central (3pm eastern)

[Frasson118]

In a New Smyrna deja vu, Kyle Benjamin wins over Steven Nasse.These 2 have spent much of this early season within a few feet of each other.

[Mark Keeler]

Was there for just my 2nd trip to Opp, covering the race this time for Speed51.com... Awesome facility is all I can say... Not a single complaint from my four days there... The people in S. Alabama are amazingly mannered... Could not start or end a conversation without Please and Thank You and a genuine smile...

As for the race... This race has the dynamics of a 500 mile Cup race mixed in with the excitement and action of the best Short Track racing at an extremely "racey" .400 mile...

Benjamin and Nasse... THE 1-2 Punch in 2013... ANY promoter would be a fool not to do everything possible to get the pair at their big event... Clyde Hart used to say if there were two cars you had a race and THESE are the two that you would want... Hands down. That doesn't mean that if they are not at a race that the promoters did not try as best they could... These kids are full-time racers and looking for their big break... Unfortunately that means that they will take different paths to get there, and likely not always be able to race together... That said... If you see these two names together on an entry list.. then YOU are the fool if you don't go to the show.

I think my favorite part of the 'Benjamin-Nasse Rivalry' is that these two genuinely LOVE to race against one another. To see the amount of shared respect between two drivers this young is so refreshing. They are consistently the first two to congratulate the other regardless of who wins and who finishes second. Parents and Crew Chiefs (Query and Pletcher) have A LOT to be proud of.

Thank you SAS and Opp, Alabama for a great event... Now on to the Cracker 200 this Saturday back at home!

It's a great time to be a short-track fan!

[Frasson118]

Mark... did any of the guys up there indicate they were coming to The Cracker 200? I saw earlier that Augie planned on coming, but he got torn up in Opp.

[Mark Keeler]

I was not able to talk to all of them. The ones that had not indicated or had indicated they wouldn't be, all sounded genuinely excited about doing it in the future but almost all had the same issue in that their schedules and budgets for the most part were already made.

To my knowledge, Augie is still good to go. The damage to his car on lap zero was almost all cosmetic as he returned to turn quite a few laps in the 250.

I will be updating the Website, Twitter and Facebook (as well as Speed51) as we learn more getting closer to the race itself and as we hear more.

I can tell you that with the strides that NSS has been making recently, it is far MORE on the Radar of all the big names SLM teams throughout the Country then it has been since I have worked here (since 2006)... As always, Nothing is perfect, ANYWHERE, but I am more excited this year than ever before to see how the Super Late Model season, Governor's Cup and World Series next year play out at NSS.

I can tell you through my work with Speed51, I have heard EXTREMELY high praise in the NASCAR Modified world for having Ricky Brooks tech those cars this year and I believe 100% that, much like the Late Models over the past couple years, we will see that evident each and every year now moving forward when February rolls around.

Not just here to toot NSS's horn... I have been to more racetracks and seem more races so far in 2013 then I have in the last few years combined... and it is and exciting time to be at NSS and keeps getting better.

[Lurkin]

"Was there for just my 2nd trip to Opp, covering the race this time for Speed51.com... Awesome facility is all I can say... Not a single complaint from my four days there... The people in S. Alabama are amazingly mannered... Could not start or end a conversation without Please and Thank You and a genuine smile..."

This couldn't have been said better.