If there’s one thing Bubba Pollard is consistent at, it’s overcoming obstacles and finding ways to win no matter the circumstance.
The 2025 season has been an up-and-down year for Pollard. The short track ace from Senoia, Ga., saw his year get off to a hot start with a SpeedFest victory at Cordele Motor Speedway. But the majority of the season since hasn’t proven to be as consistently successful as those early spring months.
Perhaps the biggest challenge that Pollard had to overcome was an adaptation to a brand new chassis from VanDoorn Racing Development. It was a move that shocked the short track community, leading to equally perplexing results during the first few months of the partnership.
A plethora of mechanical issues and bad luck left Pollard and crew with several questions and uncertainties. A breakthrough ASA Southern Super Series win at Mobile International Speedway in April seemed like a potential game-changer for the team. But despite the huge hurdle cleared with that win, Pollard slumped back to subpar runs relative to expectation heading into the summer stretch.
It wasn’t until recently, in the late summer months, that a revitalization of Pollard’s season began to unfold. Since the beginning of August, Pollard has taken home a handful of crucial victories. The 38-year-old rallied off two-straight ASA wins in August, with a Southern Super Series victory at Mobile International Speedway and an ASA STARS National Tour victory at Michigan’s Owosso Speedway.
Throw in Pollard’s most recent victory in Southern Super Series competition at Cordele Motor Speedway on Sept. 5, and it appears Pollard is starting to perform at the top of his game when it matters most.
While Cole Butcher is dominating the ASA STARS standings, ASA-affiliated regional competition is an entirely different story. Pollard currently sits atop the ASA Southern Super Series standings with just three races remaining. While the math hasn’t been fully updated yet, Pollard should come out of last weekend’s doubleheader at Cordele with a bountiful points lead.
Pollard not only picked up a victory, but ran two races that Butcher wasn’t in attendance for. The veteran already held the points lead heading into Cordele, and an absence from his main championship rival should work out nicely in his favor.
This success is coming at the right time. While the regular season is winding down for Super Late Model racing, Crown Jewel season is just arriving. Events like the Winchester 400, All American 400 and Florida Governor’s Cup are coming up on ASA STARS and Southern Super Series schedules. The discipline’s most prestigious race, the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, follows in December.
As we’ve seen nearly all year long with the untouchable pace of Butcher and Wilson Motorsports, when these teams get momentum, that status can stay with them for months on end. It’s a cyclical phenomenon, and these cycles often last for longer periods of time than you might think. Pollard is finally hitting his stride with a collection of Crown Jewel races just around the corner.
A year’s worth of notes and experiences with the new VanDoorn chassis could prove to be beneficial for Pollard, who is no stranger to Crown Jewel success in the SLM world. As a former winner of the All American 400, Florida Governor’s Cup, Slinger Nationals, Oxford 250 and several more Super Late Model events, few people are scarier to their competitors than Pollard. This is only exaggerated when the Georgian is on a streak like he is right now.
Time will tell if it bears fruit, but Pollard is making his name known as one to watch out for as things wind down in 2025. It’s not the first time Pollard has been a threat during Crown Jewel season. It likely won’t be the last.
Pollard’s next race will be this weekend’s ASA STARS National Tour Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway. The race will be streamed live on TrackTV with a tape-delayed broadcast to follow on the RACER Network.
