Kevin Harvick Enters Late Model Races at Five Flags, North Wilkesboro
Jun 4, 2024
Connor Okrzesik Looking for Return to Form at Pensacola
Connor Okrzesik knows all too well the importance of seat time at a track like Five Flags Speedway.
Racing is all about repetition. Throughout a season a driver who has turned 1,000 laps is going to fare better than a driver who has only turned 50 laps. Knowing how the car will react and handle it throughout a race is the secret of running well and winning.
Connor Okrzesik knows that all too well. From 2017 to 2021 the Grand Bay, Alabama driver ran nearly 6,000 laps with the ASA Southern Super Series. During that time he won a pair of races and had 17 top-five runs and 27 in the top 10.
After a few years of limited starts, Okrzesik is running more with the Southern Super Series in 2024 to get laps for the season-ending Snowball Derby. Some might not see a June Blizzard Series race as a tune-up, but Okrzesik says every lap at Five Flags at full speed is testing for the Derby.
WATCH THE BLIZZARD SERIES ON RACINGAMERICA.TV
“Our goal is to run well in the Snowball Derby,” said Okrezsik. “We use the rest of the year like a test session at Five Flags. “Most people do the same thing. We ran well there in March. The first ASA (Blizzard) we ran second and third most of the race. We got a better finish in the second race, but we were trying some stuff that didn’t work out. We are ready to get back at it.”
Okrzesik has made 23 starts at Five Flags in a Super Late Model outside of the Snowball Derby. He has six top-five runs and 13 in the top 10 in the Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series.
“Five Flags, not only is it a tough track, but it brings all the best cars in the country,” added Okrzesik. “I mean, everybody that's there that will be competitive in the Snowball Derby will be there pretty much all the time. So it's just very difficult to win.”
Recently Okrzesik ran the combination ASA STARS / Southern Super Series race at Hickory. After a rough outing in time trials, he charged from 25th to post a ninth-place run on the lead lap. It’s his second top-10 in the last three races.
For more information on the upcoming Blizzard 100 log on to 5FlagsSpeedway.com or SouthernSuperSeries.com to learn more. The Blizzard 100 will pay $10,000 to the winner. The Sportsman, Pure Stocks, and Crown Stocks will also be in action, and as icing on the cake, the sky will light up with a gigantic fireworks display.
-ASA Southern Super Series Release
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy, Racing America
