Bubba Pollard fans are accustomed to seeing the Senoia, Ga., native sit behind the wheel of a Senneker Race Cars machine. But Pollard has been known to dabble in other programs from time to time.
Pollard’s exploratory ventures aren’t just limited to partnering with different Super Late Model chassis builders, however. Whether it be a venture into dirt late model racing or NASCAR Xfinity Series action, Pollard is a racer’s racer who enjoys getting behind the wheel of virtually anything he can get his hands on.
The veteran’s latest attempt to try something different has been a recent pairing with VanDoorn Racing Development, a Michigan-based chassis builder in the Super Late Model world.
This isn’t the first time that Pollard has worked with VanDoorn. The duo’s first outing together came at the 2020 Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, at a time when VanDoorn cars dominated the Midwest Super Late Model scene.
VanDoorn hoped to capitalize and spread that success into the Deep South. But unfortunately for the pairing, the effort resulted in a 34th-place result in the 53rd Annual Snowball Derby.
With that, the push from VanDoorn into the Deep South stalled. That remained the case until Pollard reappeared in a VanDoorn chassis at the 2025 UARA Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway.
Teaming up with some of VanDoorn’s most noteworthy customers, the VanMeter family, Pollard drove the group’s No. 23 Super Late Model in the event. It’s a car typically ran by Billy VanMeter across both the Midwest and the Deep South.
While Pollard was being purposefully secretive about the origins of this latest venture, it is believed that the motives are fairly similar to those behind the 2020 Snowball Derby partnership – to sell more VanDoorn chassis in the Deep South.
After all, if you want to promote your product, why not partner with one of the most influential Super Late Model racers of the age?
But for the second time, the Pollard/VanDoorn pairing failed to go the way the team hoped. Pollard’s Rattler 250 campaign this year was plagued with an engine issue that caused him to drop out halfway through the event, resulting in a 19th-place finish.
The following week saw Pollard return to the track in a VanDoorn machine yet again, this time in the ASA STARS Sunshine State 200 at Five Flags Speedway. But this time there was another twist. Pollard didn’t wheel one of the VanMeter family’s VanDoorn chassis. Instead he piloted one of his own.
Despite each outing with VanDoorn being slightly different, the bad luck continued. The Sunshine State 200 would see Pollard experience issues behind the wheel once more, suffering what was believed by many to be an ignition issue early on in the contest.
But there was a silver lining to this particular race. After coming down pit road to diagnose the issue, Pollard returned to the race and managed to rally for a ninth-place finish. Not only was it Pollard’s first top ten in a VanDoorn car – it was his first finish at all.
A multitude of questions still linger around the partnership, but there are undoubtedly positives and beneficial takeaways. It’s still unclear whether or not this will be a new full-time adjustment for Pollard, or perhaps just another page in his proverbial notebook. Pollard is slated to return to Super Late Model action when the ASA STARS National Tour travels to Dominion Raceway on Saturday, April 5th, contesting the Appalachian Sucker Punch 250 presented by Jones Utilities.
Regardless, it’s safe to say that if chassis builders or race teams want someone to judge and help improve their equipment, Pollard is the man for the job.
