Bubba Pollard: One of the Greatest of All Time
February 14th, 2024
The 26 Rolls on Track
As the sun sets over the racetrack, casting long shadows and painting the sky in hues of fiery orange, a figure can be relied upon emerging, one that embodies the heart and soul of grassroots racing. This is the world of Bubba Pollard, a name that resonates with Late Model Racing, the #26, and a Checkered Flag. In the space of short track racing, Pollard isn't just a competitor; he is a living legend, a driver whose face is already etched into Super Late Model's Mount Rushmore, earned on the back of his extraordinary skills and relentless pursuit of victory. Pollard has amassed a formidable; no, nearly untouchable list of victories, across his 100+ total wins in a late model, typically against the best competition around America.
In the world of sports, where hyperbole is as common as the air we breathe, the story of Bubba Pollard stands as one of those tales that is worthy of the emphasis placed on his name as announcers nationwide call him to the stage during driver introductions.
A History of Big Wins
Last night, he won his second straight marquee race to start 2024, and the first race of the 2024 ASA Season - this was just business as usual for Bubba. Those 100+ wins include the prestigious Oxford 250 (on his first try - as an out-of-region visitor - a feat that many didn’t see as realistic, even for Bubba), the physically challenging Slinger Nationals, and the intense Battle at Berlin 250. His victories at SpeedFest, the Rattler 250, the Canadian Short Track Nationals, the Winter Showdown, the World Crown, an ASA win at North Wilksboro, and the All American 400 are the stuff of legend, showcasing his versatility and dominance across different tracks and conditions.
The Reach of Domination
He has won major races in in the Southeast, he has won major races in California. He has won the Crown Jewel of the Northeast, he has won in the Northwest. He has won marquee races in the Midwest, and he has won marquee races in Canada.
He has won the Southern Super Series points championship, and he is the winningest late model driver at Five Flags Speedway, a title that speaks volumes about his talent and consistency.
The Powerful Tactician
Pollard's racing style is a blend of raw power and meticulous strategy. He approaches each race not just as a driver, but as a tactician, reading the track and his competitors with a keen eye, adapting his strategy to the ever-changing dynamics of the race, and carving through lapped traffic, using them for picks to protect the lead, or to complete a pass, with surgical precision. This ability to think on his feet and outmaneuver his opponents, along with the countless hours he puts into his notebook, and working on his equipment (as well as preserving it during the race in a way few else manage as successfully as him), is what sets him apart in the fiercely competitive world of short track racing.
Only Bubba...
Only Bubba... Only when you are Bubba Pollard, does this happen.
2023: Bubba won at least 6 big races.
He won Speedfest at Cordele.
He strategied his way past a particularly elite field at the Battle at Berlin 250.
He won the Rattler 250.
He won in ASA at North Wilksboro, against a field that was legitimately of a Snowball Derby calibre, and was possibly the best entry list of 2023. Sometimes people hype up entry lists as being Derby-like; But in this case, it very literally applied.
He won at Mobile (part of him winning 3 of his 6 SRL National Starts in 2023)
He won at Five Flags Speedway in a Blizzard Series race.
And he was battling for the Derby win at the end, before he and Nasse both took each other out (or however one perceives what took place there).
Only when you are Bubba Pollard would anyone think of you during, and after that year, as struggling, or no longer the same racer, or as having a bad year. Bubba is so good, that we sometimes forget how good he still is, because we expect him to win every marquee race and every crown jewel, every year. Bubba is so good, that he is still winning 5+ marquee races in a season, and is already on the Mount Rushmore with retired legends as the best to ever do it. The #91 of Ty Majeski took over the title of best Super Late Model driver in the world at some point in recent years. But Bubba is #2, and if Majeski ever slows down, Bubba may be there waiting. Or maybe Bubba will just heat up so much, that he steals that title back.
The Heart of Grassroots Racing
Bubba Pollard's story is more than a tale of victories and trophies. It is a narrative of passion, resilience, and an unwavering dedication to the sport he loves. His journey is marked with heart-wrenching setbacks, especially in the Snowball Derby, but he consistently puts on a fresh masterclass in strategy, skill, and execution at the first moment anyone thinks he might be starting to decline; it is a symbol of his enduring spirit of competition.
In an era where the dollar sign decimal points often overshadow the essence of pure competition, Pollard remains a beacon for aspiring racers. He's a reminder of the sport's roots, of the countless hours spent tinkering in garages, of the sacrifices made for the love of racing. He has chosen to remain for his career at the grass roots, short track level, and fans of that discipline are very fortunate for this.
With his dad on his team, and his sister spotting for him, we look to the future, as Bubba Pollard's legacy in short track racing continues to grow. His story, like the timeless tales of sports heroes past, is predicated upon the unyielding commitment to excellence. In the end, Bubba Pollard's greatest victory is not just in the races he has won, but in the way he has won them, and in the spirit of his undying love for the sport.
