Top northern and southern PASS drivers to compete in the 200 lap Meltdown at Dillon Speedway in SC next Sat., Feb.4.
Prominent names from the North and South head the ever growing list of drivers for the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model season opener at Dillon Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon, February 4. The “Original” Winter Meltdown will be headlined by the 200 green flag lap South Carolina Clash and will pit the best short track racers in North America against one another for the first race of the 2017 PASS National Championship series. The 12th Annual Clash at the Winter Meltdown will also double as the first race for the PASS South Super Late Models.
Ocean Isles, NC’s Chad McCumbee has done nearly everything you can think of when it comes to auto racing. From a successful career in Late Model Stocks at Myrtle Beach Speedway to nearly winning in the Camping World Truck Series, McCumbee even played Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in an ESPN production based on his father. In recent years, McCumbee has honed his road racing skills driving the ModSpace Mazda and will compete this weekend in the preliminary events at Daytona International Speedway leading up to the Rolex 24. But, with all that on his resume, the Winter Meltdown at Dillon will be his first start in a PASS Super Late Model.
“Super Late Models are somewhat of a step I skipped coming up through in the early 2000’s,” says McCumbee, who will pilot the Elliott Trucking #16 at Dillon. “Last year we decided to try something different and got a Fury Super. Dillon will be my second race in a Super Late Model and our test went pretty well a couple of weeks ago. I am in Florida now so I was very limited with my time leading up to the race. I don’t really have any expectations but feel confident we will be competitive.”
While McCumbee plans to continue his road racing pursuits in 2017, he says that Dillon will not be his only start behind the wheel of a PASS Super Late Model this year and that has him excited for the prospects.
“My schedule is packed for 2017 but we plan to run a handful of PASS events and do a bit of traveling,” says McCumbee. “Plans seem to change week to week for me but my hope is to race as much as I can.”
McCumbee will not be alone in what is quickly becoming a star studded field of short track talent. Turner, ME’s Ben Rowe will make the trip south to Dillon as he pursues his record fifth PASS National Championship. The all-time PASS wins leader returns to Dillon where he went to victory lane at in 2009 en route to his lone PASS South title. Joining McCumbee and Rowe, will be Late Model Stock standout, Josh Berry, who will be piloting the potent #74 out of the Robert Hamke shops. While this will be Berry’s first start at Dillon, it will be his second PASS start following a strong debut in the North-South Shootout at Concord last November.
Veterans Jimmy Doyle and JP Josiasse will also be returning when the season cranks up at Dillon next weekend. Doyle has finished in the top five in PASS South points each of the last two years, while Josiasse makes the long tow down from Ontario as he seeks to back up a top 10 performance in points a year ago.
Action gets underway at Dillon Motor Speedway Speedway on Friday, February 3 with gates opening at 1 PM and rotating practice for the PASS Super Late Models, Late Models, and Pro 4s from 2 – 5 PM. On Saturday, February 4, gates will open at 8 AM, with rotating practice from 10 AM – Noon, qualifying at 12:30 PM, and feature events set to go green at 2 PM.
Source: PASS PR/Alan Dietz
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