MONTGOMERY, Alabama (March 6, 2022) – In front of a packed grandstand and sold out infield, two Montgomery natives put on a show as they capitalized on tire strategy to finish first and second in the 58th Alabama 200. Hunter Robbins scored his first win at Montgomery Motor Speedway since 2015 and John Bolen continued to build on momentum gained with another Show Me the Money Series top five, finishing second.
Watching the pair of Alabama drivers rocket up through the field in the late stages of the race was kind of like watching Batman and Robin, two superheroes racing to battle the “villainous Nasty Nasse” for the race lead. In all reality, Nasse, who was no villain but indeed the class of the field, gave this “dynamic duo” a hard fought run to the checkers.
“Yeah, I did for a while for sure (feel like a superhero),” said Robbins after the race. “Then once we got up to about third, it was absolutely all I had to get close enough to make a move. It was fun, but it was way tougher than it looked.”
Bolen echoed the sentiment, referring to many years that he and Robbins have raced together, dating back to the early 2000s.
“He knew the same thing I knew,” said Bolen. “We’ve run this race a lot, and kind of knew how it all worked. We saw those guys pit early and just knew it was too soon.”
“It was tough coming up through there,” he continued. “I actually thought it’d be easier. We had to really work but he (Robbins) did most of it and we just followed instead of trying to pass early. We just followed and let him pick all the holes and if we got to the front we’d hash it out then. It worked out pretty good; just come up a little short.”
The final run was set up much earlier after Nasse, who led the majority of the race, pitted just past halfway during a yellow along with most of the other leaders, save Robbins, Bolen and 2020 Alabama 200 winner Jake Garcia. Garcia would assume the lead on the ensuing restart.
The event’s sixth yellow flew for a multi-car crash at the end of the frontstretch that restacked the field and on the following lap 118 restart, Robbins passed Garcia to take the lead.
Nasse worked his way from the back of the pack, utilizing his fresh tires and made a daring pass from third around second place Matt Craig and leader Robbins to retake the top spot on lap 125. Robbins would begin to fade backwards on his worn rubber.
On lap 161, a spinner in turn one gave those that had not yet pitted the chance to dive down pit road and dawn their “superhero capes” as Robbins, Bolen and others made stops.
A final yellow on lap 184 setup a ten lap dash to the finish. Nasse cleared second place Craig, who felt the urgency of Robbins behind him as Robbins made contact with Craig just after the restart, which was the door Robbins needed to get by, bringing Bolen along for the ride.
With three laps remaining, Robbins and Bolen made their way by Nasse then cruised to the checkers.
“Hunter just did what he had to do to get around me,” said Nasse. “I was rolling through the center on the bottom trying to come off the (turn) nice and low but he was able to get me off my line and got around me. I really think if I had the same tires… fresh tires, it wouldn’t have happened that way but that’s what makes this racing fun. Everybody gets on different strategies. We’ve been on the short end and been on the end and it’s just one of them deals where you have to try. We took the gamble and came in early and it bit us. They made the gamble and it worked out.”
For his efforts, Hunter Robbins and the Ronnie Sanders Racing team take home a very ornate wooden bear trophy and a check for a cool $10,000. Oh, and Robbins is atop the 2022 Show Me the Money points standings, which holds it’s next event at Montgomery on April 30th.
Before we get there, however, the Southern Super Series ramps up in one week at South Alabama Speedway for the 46th Rattler 250. Many of the drivers from the Alabama 200 will make the trip to Opp, Alabama including race winner Hunter Robbins.
OFFICIAL RESULTS, ALABAMA 200 March 5, 2022:
- Hunter Robbins
- John Bolen
- Stephen Nasse
- Jake Garcia
- Christopher Tullis
- Hunter Wright
- Giovanni Ruggiero
- Justin South
- Matt Craig
- Cody Hall
- Evan Shotko
- Jim Wall
- Gage Rodgers
- Timothy Watson
- Brittney Zamora
- Jolynn Wilkinson
- Cole Williams
- Jeff Dawkins
- Bryson Shaffer
- Nick McFarland
- Zach Johnson
- Chase Spradlin
- Kaden Honeycutt
- Jordan McCallum
- John DeAngelis
- Justin Bonnett
- Chris Davidson
- Jeff Cambell
- Michael Hinde
- Dustin Smith
- Jack Smith
- Stacy Crain
- By: Daniel Vining, Twitter: @danielvining
- Photo: Daniel Vining/PixelatedSPEED
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