Finch Secures Allen Turner PLM Season Opener

By Chuck Corder

5flagsspeedway.com reporter

Pensacola’s high banks bit back Friday night.

The famed half-mile asphalt of Five Flags Speedway left drivers in several divisions perplexed, as the outside lane was slower and routinely brought out cautions.

Steven Davis and Adam Salter had no issues. The Alabama wheelmen each won their respective features—the Gulf Real Estate Group Pro Trucks and Story and Bleich Crown Stocks—with relative ease.

But the Allen Turner Pro Late Model season opener saw the 16-car field struggle to get a firm grasp on where the track’s best grip stood.

Jake Finch outlasted the competition to collect the checkered flag for the first of four Allen Turner PLM 100 races this season. Finch got his weekend started off on the right foot as he looks to defend his ARCA Menards Series title at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday morning.

“It’s super cool to come here and run the (No.) 18 car,” Finch said of the famed Ronnie Sanders’ Late Model. “I had a good racecar. Hopefully, we’ll get the job done tomorrow, too.”

The Lynn Haven 19-year-old started eighth and quickly went to work climbing toward the front. He was third by Lap 32, briefly held the lead just past halfway and reclaimed it for good at Lap 73.

Finch’s win makes it three straight PLM races, including the Snowflake 100, in which a Florida driver has won. That’s the first time that has happened since 2016.

Mobile’s Dustin Smith, who started ninth, finished runner-up and John Bolen (11th) finished third.

“We had a good car tonight, but we got tight at the end,” Smith said.

Bolen: “All my guys kept working hard and didn’t give up when I kept telling ’em I needed more. It’s my job to drive and make it go fast. We ran outta time. But it was a good race overall.”

Aidan Potter and Cole Williams, the front row, set a blistering pace from the drop of the opening green flag. Williams was the fast qualifier (16.735 seconds) and had to withstand an onslaught from Seth Christensen and Zack Dixon for the second position as Potter pulled away early.

But yellow flags started stacking up and Potter finally flinched on a restart with 33 laps complete. He spun his tires and Williams pounced at the opportunity.

Williams led for 38 of the next 40 laps before Finch blew by him and never looked back.

Finch split his Friday between Talladega and Pensacola on Friday, getting a few practice laps in at the iconic Alabama superspeedway before arriving at the iconic Florida short-track just a bit before qualifying got underway.

“I roll off 6,” Finch said of the General Tire 200 at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. “I’m excited to get there.”

The next event for the Roger-Dabbs Pro Late Model Series will be May 17th at Montgomery Motor Speedway.