Robbins Begins Title Defense at New Smyrna Speedway
New Smyrna Beach, FL (Thursday, February 9, 2023) - A new chapter of racing for the ASA
Southern Super Series Presented by Sunoco Race Fuels (SSS) begins on Tuesday with the first
official points race of the 2023 season. One non-points race is in the books thanks to SpeedFest
2023 from Crisp Motorsports Park and Watermelon Capital Speedway. As part of New Smyrna
Speedway’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, the SSS kicks off the season on
Tuesday, February 14th.
A $10,000 check awaits the driver who can cross the finish line and be declared the winner after
100 laps around the half-mile New Smyrna Speedway on Tuesday. The Clyde Hart Memorial will
be the first points-paying race for the SSS under their first season with the ASA branding. Some
of the best SSS drivers and Super Late Model drivers from across the country will battle for a
shot at the $10k.
Bubba Pollard the all-time winningest SSS driver started 2023 with a win last month after a thrilling battle withCorey Heim during the SpeedFest 125 in front of a packed house. The 28-time SSS winner is looking to improve on his runner-up Championship Points Standings finish from 2022 and collect his second SSS championship since 2014.
Meanwhile, Hunter Robbins, who collected the 2022 Title, is looking to begin his title defense
with a strong showing at New Smyrna. Robbins’ lone win on the 2022 campaign came in the
Sunshine State at 5 Flags Speedway in late June. The SSS ran New Smyrna Speedway in July
last season, where Robbins came from 15th to finish 7th. Robbins was the eighth different
champion in the Series’ 10 seasons. Should Robbins put together another Championship
winning performance, he’d become just the second-ever back-to-back champion of the SSS
going back to Casey Roderick in 2018 and 2019.
A Florida native, Stephen Nasse will do battle for the win on Tuesday night as well. The
two-time SSS Champion grabbed three wins with the series in 2022 including two races at 5
Flags Speedway and the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Nasse, a 2018
World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Champion, has 10 wins at the Speedway since 2011,
including a Clyde Hart Memorial win when the race was held in August of 2020.
Other notable drivers expected to unload at New Smyrna include two-time ASA Midwest Tour
winner and Championship runner-up, Gabe Sommers. Donnie Wilson Motorsports’ hot shoe
William Sawalich, All American 400 Champion Matt Craig, Jett Noland, Jake Finch, and Gio
Ruggerio are also among those entered to race on Tuesday.
The Clyde Hart Memorial from New Smyrna Speedway with the Southern Super Series
Presented by Sunoco Race Fuels is Tuesday, February 14th. Advanced tickets are available
here. Practice begins at 1:00 PM with the first green flag of the night at 7:30 PM. Fans who can’t
make it to the Speedway can catch all the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing action
online at FloRacing.com.
Story - Zach Hiser