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Spears’ Lifelong Dream Comes to Fruition Friday at Five Flags with Vintage Cars Feature

By Chuck Corder

Ben Spears’ ties to Five Flags Speedway aren’t unlike most drivers who test their mettle at Pensacola’s high-banked oval.

Thirty years ago, his father was one heck of a hotshoe and Spears spent those weekend nights hoping his throaty roars would guide his dad into Victory Lane.

At 12, he competed on the abrasive speedway in the annual children bicycle races.

But unlike most drivers that eventually chase checkered and track championships through Five Flags’ slick turns like retrievers cornering treed prey, Spears never had an opportunity to mold his childhood dreams into a reality.

That is until this Friday night when the 35 year old will lead a field of 1932 and ’34 Ford and Chevy open-wheeled coupes and trucks for a special exhibition feature.

The Southern Vintage Racing Association cars will be joined by the Modifieds, Super Stocks, Sportsmen and Bombers, four classes that are rapidly approaching the white flags on their respective seasons.

Once again admission is $5 for all ages except children 5-under. The little guys and gals get in for free.

“I’m excited to get out there and make some laps,� said Spears, who won the inaugural SVRA championship this year. “It has always been a dream of mine to get out there. It’s a dream come true just to be on the track with all the legends that I’ve seen out there. It’s hallowed ground for racers.�

Spears is intimately aware of the lore and prestige that goes into competing at the 60-year-old speedway.

In the late 1980s and into the early ’90s, his family leased the track.

“It’s always been a part of my life,� he said. “I’ve sold popcorn, peanuts, put up light poles in the infield, painted the walls — you name it.�

It’s why making his first (and long overdue) appearance, much less as a champion, in a vintage car creates a special affinity for Spears to stir the echoes of Five Flags.

Forming in March, the fledgling SVRA has quickly struck a chord with racing fans of any age.

“The old timers love seeing the cars that they remember racing and the new kids love seeing ’em because it’s something different,� said Christine Rovito, the SVRA’s “Girl Friday,� who acts as the club’s secretary, treasurer, social media manager and new membership coordinator.

“It’s brought a lotta cars outta the wood work.�
The SVRA cars have only raced on dirt this year at nearby bullrings Flomaton (Ala.) Speedway, Deep South in Loxley, Ala., and Northwest Florida Speedway in Baker.

The 2,600-pound vehicles ride on 8-inch tires, which conspire to help deliver instant returns on a nightly entertainment investment.

“They’re a blast,� said Spears, who believes the cars will get up to 120 mph on the straightaways this Friday. “Being on dirt is a challenge in itself. A lotta people that try to drive ’em, say it’s too hard. To a racer, that’s what’s fun about ’em. The bigger the challenge, the better the experience.�

Spears certainly rose to the occasion this first season.

Despite never winning a feature race, his consistency with numerous second- and top-five finishes helped earn him the championship.

That’s not to say that Spears and Co. didn’t experience some growing pains along the way.

“We flipped a car on Memorial Day,� Spears shared. “We had a flat coming off Turn 4, and spun down across the track where another driver hit us. That popped both tires and the rims dug into the dirt and away we went.�

The scary barrel roll did nothing to curb his enthusiasm.

“(Race officials) asked me if I was all right,� Spears recalled. “I said, ‘What’s the car look like and can I keep going?’ �

“It’s all about the camaraderie,� he continued. “There are a lotta good people in this class that enjoy racing. Whether we run over each other on accident or it’s good clean racing, we can get outta the car and joke about it.�

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