The PASS Super Late Model tour will open the 2017 racing season at Southern National on Friday, March 3 at the Southern National Speedway in NC. (Credit: PASS Tour photo.)
In the early 2000s, the ranks of Super Late Model racing in the southeast were shrinking. The few tracks that featured the division, which included Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, NC, were eliminating them and there was not a series for teams to follow. By the winter of 2005, Pro All Stars Series (PASS) President Tom Mayberry decided to take a big risk in expanding his sanctioning body that was already finding success in New England.
When the inaugural PASS South Super Late Model season was announced in 2006, the second race that inaugural year was at Southern National and was won by the legendary Freddie Query. Now, 11 years later, PASS South continues as the oldest and most successful Super Late Model sanction in the region, and fittingly, returns to Southern National for the first time in two years, along with the NASCAR Late Model Stocks, for the Dogwood 300 on Saturday afternoon, March 4.
One of the drivers who came on board to support PASS virtually from the beginning was Knightdale, NC’s Bradley McCaskill. In 2008 and 2009, McCaskill competed for the championship, with a best point finish of 10th in 2009. As he settled down to start a family, he stepped back to compete closer to home in the Limited Late Model and Late Model Stock divisions. But, with his own graphics business that worked closely with many PASS teams, McCaskill was never too far from the series that he got his start“I love the series, it has a lot of great people involved and a lot of great teams, and PASS has always had really strong competition,” said McCaskill.
Following a serious accident last summer that left him with major burns to his hands, McCaskill and his family made the decision to return to the Super Late Model ranks in 2017. In his first race back with the series in the PASS National Championship event at Dillon Motor Speedway earlier this month, McCaskill ran with the leaders all day and finished a career–best third following a thrilling battle with four-time national title holder, Ben Rowe. Now, he looks forward to returning with PASS to his hometrack, Southern National, as he seeks his first win and with the unlikely honor of being the series point leader.
“Honestly, we had no idea on the points, we take them one race at a time and focus on just getting the best outcome we can at each event,” says McCaskill. “It was very important to start the year off with a strong run like we had at Dillon and give our little team the momentum we needed to go to Kenly. We’re really looking forward to running at Southern National.”
Joining McCaskill among the early entrants will be fellow championship contenders Matt Craig, Spencer Davis, Kodie Conner, and Kyle Desouza. British Columbia’s Sarah Cornett-Ching and Ontario’s JP Josiasse will also be in action at Southern National representing Canada.
All the action gets under way for the Dogwood 300 on Friday, March 3 at Southern National Motorsports Park with rotating practice for all divisions from 3 – 6 PM. On Saturday, March 4, practice will begin at 10 AM with qualifying starting at 12:15 PM and Twin 150s going green at 2 PM for the PASS South Super Late Models and NASCAR Late Model Stocks.
Source: Alan Dietz/PASS Tours Tours PR
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