Ben Rowe Wins Memorable Mason-Dixon Meltdown In Final Lap

One of the most famous quotes of all time came from legendary baseball player and coach Yogi Berra, who once quipped “it ain’t over until it’s over.” And since Berra uttered those words decades ago, they’ve been reprinted and reused over and over in all types of situations.

But no other phrase could’ve described the finish of the 2007 PASS South season any better, from who won the race to who won the championship.

In what was easily the most dramatic finish since the series began in 2006, Ben Rowe earned his first-career PASS South win after multiple second-place finishes by passing race leader Corey Williams coming off of the final corner while the yellow and checkers were waving at the same time.

“This is unbelievable,” said Rowe, who capped off an amazing season after also winning the 2007 PASS North Championship. “To finally come down here and get our first win in the South is great. We’ve finished second about six times down here. I just thought there was no way we were ever going to win one of these races. I thought we were going to come down here and finish second again. Then he gave me that opening.

Rowe passed race dominator and three-time PASS South winner Williams as the white and yellow flags were waving at the same time. PASS South rules dictate that once the leaders have taken the white flag, they race to the checkers unless the track is blocked and officials deem it a red-flag period. Williams came out of the final turn, went low to avoid a spun car and got out of the gas long enough to allow Rowe to jump to the outside and take the checkers in the final 50 feet of the race. Williams recovered and got back in the gas, but lost the drag race to the finish line by 0.976 seconds.

MASON-DIXON MELTDOWN

PASS SOUTH SUPER LATE MODELS

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Concord Motorsport Park

Concord, NC

November 17, 2007

200 Laps

#4 Ben Rowe

#47 Corey Williams

#54 Johnny Clark

#5 Preston Peltier

#29s Trevor Sanborn

#8 Cassius Clark

#33 Richie Dearborn

#98 Adam Bates

#2 Mike Rowe

10.

#22 Perry Brown

11.

#04 Joey Porciello

12.

#18 Bradly McCaskill

13.

#12 Mark Reedy

14.

#60 DJ Shaw

15.

#02 Tim Nooner

16.

#10 Logan Dernoshek

17.

#1 Wayne Bowen

18.

#53 Brad Bischoff

19.

#88 Alan Tardiff

20.

#05 Alex Fleming

21.

#42 Tim Pinion

22.

#25 Chad Martin

23.

#31 Ryan Lawler

24.

#09c Dean Clattenburg

25.

#48 John Batten

26.

#35 Derek Ramstrom

27.

#91x Heath Hindman

28.

#8Q Freddie Query

29.

#62 Mark Gibson

30.

#47R Ryan Moore

31.

#17 Darren Shaw

32.

#76 Logan Ruffin

33.

#79 Chris Bowers

Lead Changes: 14 among 7 drivers

Lap Leaders: Ryan Lawler 1-12, Corey Williams 13-53, Preston Peltier 54-75, Corey Williams, 76-77, Preston Peltier, 78-88, Ben Rowe 89-92, Mike Rowe 93-94, Johnny Clark 95-129, Alan Tardiff 130-134, Corey Williams 135-148, Johnny Clark 149-170, Corey Williams 171-176, Johnny Clark 177-186, Corey Williams 178-199, Ben Rowe 200

Cautions Flags: 13

Fast Qualifier: Ryan Lawler

Dash Winner: Corey Williams

Heat Winners: Johnny Clark, John Batten, Mike Rowe

Consi Winner: Chad Martin

“It was pretty wild there at the end, but the rules are the rules,” added Rowe. “I thought I could run with him on the high side on that last restart. But he got a good jump and kept me back there. I was running 20 qualifying laps there at the end to try and catch him. He was that much better than us. We already went across the line and the yellow came out. You have to race back to the line after that. A couple of years ago, I lost a race or two that same way.

“I know it is tough for him because he had the best car. But my spotter told me there was a car sitting low so I committed to the high side. Once he went low, I knew I had the momentum to get by him. He tried to come up there at the end, but I was already there. I knew there was going to be a big wreck if he kept coming up in front of me. So to win this race is just awesome.”

Williams was able to cross the line for second. Williams had thought he had still won the race and proceeded to do a burnout on the front stretch while Rowe drove around the track with the checkered flag flying from the driver’s side door. Williams didn’t learn he had finished second until climbing from his car.

“I don’t know, we did everything we could to play it right,” said Williams. “We had a great car tonight. I don’t think we could have done anything more out there. There was a wreck on the front stretch and a car was spun low. I slowed down because the caution was out and there was a car on the front stretch. I will bite my tongue right now. We had a good car. People in the stands know that we had a good car. That is all I can really say.

“I was just cruising out there. I was sizing up Johnny (Clark). I knew he wasn’t as good as we were. It feels great to know that we had the car to win this race and that I’ve got the support behind me. This is just discouraging not to win it.”

PASS North competitor Johnny Clark stormed through the field after getting tires and led the race up until lap 186, when Williams was able to get back by on a restart. Clark sputtered on the restart, allowing Rowe to slide into second and chase down Williams.

Clark fell back to fourth in the final laps, but was also able to make up one position coming to the checkers as the caution was out as well. Clark’s third-place didn’t show the true strength of his car.

“I lost a race in 1999 to Jerry Babb coming out of turn four,” said Clark. “I took the white and yellow together and I slowed down and he still won the race. That was a valuable lesson to me, and I said it would never ever happen again. When the leader takes the white flag, I don’t care what series you’re in, you race back to the finish.

“The car just wouldn’t get into gear on that late restart. Every restart it was just getting harder and harder. The car went away really bad at the end. I don’t know. It was a crazy finish, but we still got third.”

Hometown driver Preston Peltier finished fourth and Trevor Sanborn rounded out the top five. Seven of the top-10 finishers in the race represented PASS North.

Ryan Lawler was able to clinch the 2007 PASS South Championship despite falling out of the event on lap 93 after contact with another car caused Lawler to slam into the turn one wall, knocking him out of the event. Fortunately, Lawler’s closest competitor in the point standings, Heath Hindman, wrecked out of the event earlier. Both Tim Nooner and Peltier had a shot at catching Lawler in the standings, but each came up short.

“This championship means a lot to me and this whole team,” said Lawler, who won two races en route to his championship. “This is awesome. Last year, going into the Mason-Dixon Meltdown, we had a shot at the title and had a day like this. It is rough coming into the last race knowing you have a shot to win the Championship and not close the deal. We didn’t close the deal today. Everything just played out and we still won the Championship. I can’t say enough about my guys. They work hard and give me these great cars week after week. There wasn’t anywhere we went this year we weren’t fast. I just love the PASS South Series.”

Unofficially, Peltier finished second in the points, with Nooner third and Hindman fourth.

The PASS South Super Late Models were not the only cars competing in the 2nd Annual Mason-Dixon Meltdown at Concord on Saturday. Billy Morris won the PASS/Rolling Thunder Modified 50-lap race. Michael Cooper, the 2007 Allison Legacy Series Champion, continued his dominance by winning the 50-lap Allison Legacy event. Jesse Bunnell took the checkered flag in the 25-lap Thunder Roadsters race.

There was also action at the quarter-mile track at Concord on Saturday morning, as the Legends and Bandoleros competed in an event that was postponed from Friday evening. Christian PaHud grabbed first place in the Legends Semi-Pro Division, while the winner’s check in the Pro/Masters Division went to Clay Hair. In Bandolero action, Robert Poole won the Young Guns race, while John Holleman won the Bandits Division event.

The 2008 PASS South Super Late Model schedule will be released in the coming week.

For more information on the PASS South Series, contact Jeremy Troiano at (704) 788–2134 and be sure to visit www.racewithpass.com for all your PASS South news. For technical and rules information on the entire PASS tours, contact Scott Reed at (207) 625-3230.