NASCAR Star Kyle Busch And Dawsonville’s Chase Elliott Win Big At SpeedFest 2012

CORDELE, GA – A record standing-room only crowd packed the Watermelon Capital Speedway on Sunday for SpeedFest 2012, an annual stock car race held for the first time at the .375 mile asphalt oval in Cordele.

Fan favorite Chase Elliott, son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, qualified on the pole for the 150-lap JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour race with a speed of 90.915 MPH and started third after an inversion of the top three of 32 starters.

The 16-year-old Elliott, methodically made his way to the front, surviving wild three-wide racing and several cautions to finally take the lead on lap 121. But it wasn’t easy as 2 cars spun in turn four as the leaders were coming to the checkers. Elliott weaved his #9 Chevy through the stopped cars to take the win over racing veteran Mike Garvey of Atlanta.

After 150 tough laps, there was little time the Dawsonville native for celebrate as he had to jump right into his more powerful Super Late Model car for the CRA Super Series Speedfest 200.

Unadilla’s David Ragan, a star in the NASCAR Cup Series, won the pole for the main event setting a new track record of 15.609 seconds (92.254 MPH). After an inversion of the top five, he started fifth.

The 200-lap event featured Ragan, Elliott and NASCAR star Kyle Busch among the 30 starters. Busch won the event in 2009 and 2010, while the young Elliott came in as the defending champion.

The record crowd saw exciting two and three-wide racing much of the race and some interesting cautions as well. Watermelon Capital Speedway is unique in that there is no outside retaining wall except on the front stretch. This leads to cars going off-track similar to road course racing.

Jeff Fultz left the track on lap 97 and went into a creek off turn three. After the car was pulled out, he was able finish the race on the lead lap. With cars getting on the grass outside the track, the race even featured a red flag caused by a grass fire outside turn three.

Kyle Busch went on to win the event for the third time. Veteran Bubba Pollard finished second with David Ragan in third. Defending race winner Chase Elliott finished sixth just behind his Bill Elliott Racing teammate TJ Reaid who came home fifth.

Race winner Busch said, “It’s awesome to come down to the south to see a full Grandstand. Thanks to you all for coming out to see us race.”