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By looking at the winners from SpeedFest at Watermelon Capital Speedway at Crisp Motorsports Park you'd think we were back in 2014. Certainly not the case, though. As usual this year's SpeedFest had some major race-changing moments throughout the event.

PLM

John Hunter Nemechek started off the day great with a win in the PLM 125 lap race. Nemechek raced his way to the lead from the tenth spot, he qualified fastest but a drew a ten for the invert. 25 laps into the race Nemechek had worked his way to the third position with Harrison Burton leading. On the restart for incident around the 30 lap mark Nemechek made his move, three wide, to take the lead. Burton would'nt give up and fought back and regained the lead just before a caution flew. Nemechek got a good restart and stole the lead away from Burton again just shy of 50 laps.

On lap 50, Dalton Grindle spun his machine in turn four to bring out another caution. By this time Bubba Pollard had worked his way to third. The restart took place and the top three, Nemechek, Burton, and Pollard, were duking it out up until lap 65 when a motor expired on Joe Ross' machine in turn one to put the race under caution again.

The race restarted but not for long, young Chandler Smith would end up off the racing surface in turn four to bring out another caution. After a few cautions the race went green. Nemechek was leading with 15 laps to go, then it was five, all while being stalked by on of the best late model drivers in the south, Bubba Pollard. Pollard tried everything he could but couldn't get to Nemechek who won the PLM portion for the second year in a row.

Photo Credit: Deep Dixie Racing

Full Results:

1.) #8 John Hunter Nemechek

2.) #26 Bubba Pollard

3.) #12 Harrison Burton

4.) #9 Chris Dilbeck

5.) #18 Korey Ruble

6.) #1 Josh Adkins

7.) #5 Bret Holmes

8.) #6 Matt Wallace

9.) #98 Justin Ashburn

10.) #07 Austin Wayne Self

11.) #43 Justin South

12.) #26 Chandler Smith

13.) #16 David Hodges

14.) #23 Dalton Grindle

15.) #94 Quinnton Bear

16.) #21 Riley Thornton

17.) #61 T.W. Fisher

18.) #17 Marty Wood

19.) #2 Luke Chirstian

20.) #4 Chris Hacker

21.) #30 Fredrick Moore

22.) #4 Kody Evans

23.) #01 Derek Scott, Jr.

24.) #27 Joe Ross

25.) #67 Jay Coen

26.) #24 Christopher Tullis

27.) #3 Jordan McCallum

SLM

Saying that the SLM portion of SpeedFest was eventful would be an understatement. This race had multiple storylines, all that most likely changed the outcome of the race. Bubba Pollard set the quick time but an invert of five left John Hunter Nemechek on the pole for the 200 lapper.

The race started off good. The first ten laps the leaders were racing hard and putting on a great show for the fans. The leaders had a scare early on when a lap car spun right in front of them, they did make it through with no damage. On the restart Nemechek regained the lead while Elliott and Pollard battled hard for second. Another caution would fly for Kyle Bryant spinning on the backstretch. A restart and another cautionset us up for yet another restart. On this restart Elliott muscled is way around the outside of Nemechek to take the lead.

There were a few more cautions for minor spins/off tracks then we had a stretch of green flag racing. Just as the drivers were starting to get into a rythym the same lap car spins in front of leaders and everyone has to react fast. The race restart around lap 90. Nemechek battled Elliott for a lap but Elliott pulled away. The race went green until the lap 100 halfway break. Elliott lead Nemechek, Pollard, Burton, and Kyle Grissom into the pits.

Not much changed, as far as the order, at the front of the field after the halway break. Elliott would restart in the lead to begin the final 100 laps. Here's where the storylines pick up. On the restart, Elliott didn't go. That stacked up the field and totaled Todd Gililand's car. Elliott had a flat right front tire and had to pit. That would send Elliott all the way to the back, Nemechek and Pollard would restart on the front row.

After a lenghty red flag, the race restarted. Pollard worked his way around Nemechek for the lead just before the caution would fly. On the restart Grissom forces his way to the third spot around Burton as Pollard tried to get some distance. By lap 122 Elliott had worked his way to the ninth spot while Pollard began to open the distance between he and Nemechek. On lap 124 Austin Wayne Self and Dominique Van Wieringen get together right in front of Elliott and crash on the front stretch.

On the restart Nemechek really put up a fight to Pollard. The two battled side by side for six laps until Pollard finally cleared Nemechek and started to pull away with 140 laps complete. On lap 145 Elliott cracked the top five and was coming in a hurry when a caution flew on lap 147. The race restarted with less than 50 laps to go and the top five drivers were dueling like it was the white flag and going for a million dollars. By lap 160 everyone got settled in with Pollard pulling away from everyone, Elliott was fourth.

Elliott made his way to third on what was the longest green flag run of the day. The top three, Pollard, Nemechek, and Elliott, were slowly closing back up to each other with ten laps to go, setting up for a good finish. With 9 laps to go Scotty Ellis spun in oil from a blown motor to put the race back under a caution. On the restart Nemechek raced Pollard hard for the lead. The beated and the banged but Pollard came out on top. Nemechek didn't let him get to far, he was on his bumper with five laps to go. With four laps to go, coming off two, Nemechek and Pollard made contact and Pollard spun from the lead. The caution was shown again and under pacing officials sent Nemechek to the rear of the field. There's another storyline.

Four laps to go and Chase Elliott was being declared the leader. On the restart Elliott pulled away and went on to win the SLM portion of SpeedFest for the second year in a row.

Full results: