Drivers Gearing Up For 45th Annual Snowball Derby

Chase Elliott enters Sunday’s 45th annual Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway as the defending champion of legendary short track event. Photo courtesy 5 Flags Speedway

It’s a tradition that’s as natural to some as turkey on Thanksgiving.

The spotlight this weekend is on Pensacola, Florida, as the venerable half-mile speed plant known as 5 Flags Speedway is set to play host to the 45^th annual Snowball Derby.

Over the past 45 years, the Snowball Derby has established itself as one of the top short track races in the country, drawing Super Late Model drivers from all over the country to compete for the chance to stand in victory lane.

Wayne Niedecken scored the win in the first Snowball back in 1968.  From there, the names of the winners read like a who’s who of American short track racing.  Pete Hamilton, Donnie Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Ronnie Sanders, Freddy Fryar, Gary Balough, Butch Lindley, Jody Ridley, Rich  Bickle and Kyle Busch are just a few of the big names to land in victory lane over the years.

Last year, it was Georgia racing phenom Chase Elliott who scored the victory.  Elliott edged D.J. VanderLey to win by less than a quarter of a second.  The 0.229 margin of victory was the closest in the event’s history.

This year’s Snowball Derby is a star studded event.  Among the entries going into race week are NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch, David Ragan, Cale Gale, Chase Elliott, Ben Kennedy, Nelson Piquet, Jr., and Johanna Long, along with Late Model aces Bubba Pollard, Mike Garvey, Augie Grill, Paul Kelley, Ross Kenseth, Spencer Davis, Kyle Grissom, John Hunter Nemechek, Clay Alexander, and Daniel Hemric.  In all, 71 entries are set to do battle for the chance to run the Snowball.

In recent years, the lead up to the Snowball has become almost as important, with as many drivers coming out to compete in Saturday’s Allen Turner Snowflake 100 Crate Late Model feature.

Last year, Alabama’s Augie Grill took the win, the latest driver to score the Snowflake victory.  It was the second victory for Grill in the event, which has also seen drivers such as Chase Elliott, Ryan Crane, Matt Hawkins, David Hole, Dave Mader III, Pete Orr and Mike Alexander score victories since the first event back in 1986.

Among those expected to compete in Saturday’s Snowflake are Mike Garvey, Johanna Long, Brandon McReynolds, Kenzie Ruston, Augie Grill, Bubba Pollard, Thomas Praytor, Anderson Bowen, Brady Boswell, Spencer Davis, Dwayne Buggay, Steve Wallace, Kyle Benjamin, Chase Elliott, Mason Massey, Ben Kennedy, and Russell Fleeman.  57 total entries are set to do battle to get into Saturday’s event.

The race weekend officially gets underway this morning with the parking of rigs, followed by tech.  Thursday’s action includes the first practice sessions for the Snowball Derby and the Snowflake, along with feature events for the Bomber and Sportsmen divisions.

Friday sees WXBM Snowball Derby qualifying, with feature events for the Super Stock and Modified divisions.

Saturday will see the running of the Allen Turner Snowflake 100 for the Pro Late Models.

Sunday, the Super Late Models take center stage for the 45th annual Snowball Derby.

For more information or for ticket info, visit 5 Flags Speedway online at 5flagsspeedway.com.

45th annual Snowball Derby
Driver Entry List

Car No Driver Location
7 – Landon Cassill – Charlotte, NC
0 – Brad Rogers – Blufton, SC
02 – Matt Smith – Houston, TX
1 – Mike Garvey – Pensacola, FL
1 – Stephan McCurlely – Humble, TX
1 – Tim Martin – Amite, La
10 – Johanna Long – Pensacola, FL
10 – Paul Kelley – Pendergrass, GA
10 – Steve Dorer – Lakeland, FL
11 – David Rogers – Orlando, FL
11 – Logan Boyett – Pensacola, FL
16 – Brandon Odom – DeFuniak Springs, FL
17 – Chuck Tuck – Athens, AL
2 – D.J. Vanderley – Mobile, AL
20 – Brian Campbell – Wyoming, MI
21 – Kyle Jones – Germantown, OH
21 – TBA
22 – Hunter Robbins – Montgomery, AL
23 – Dalton Grindle – Flowery Branch, GA
25 – Ross Kenseth – Mooresville, NC
26 – Bubba Pollard – Senoia, GA
28 – Thomas Praytor – Mobile, AL
29 – Allen Karnes – Sharpsburg, GA
29 – Anderson Bowen – Suwanee, GA
29 – Austin Theriault – Fort Kent, ME
29 – Jeff Choquette – West Palm Beach, FL
29 – Spencer Davis – Dawsonville, GA
31 – Kyle Grissom – Concord, NC
33 – Brandon Jones – Atlanta, GA
36 – Grant Enfinger – Concord, NC
39 – Kenzie Ruston – El Reno, OK
4 – Erik Jones – Byron, MI
4 – Jeremy Pate – Pensacola, FL
40 – Tyler Miles – Pulaski, TN
41 – Chris Davidson – Pearland, TX
41 – T.J. Reaid – Acworth, GA
42 – Dennis Prunty – Knowles, WI
43 – Dennis Schoenfeld – Van Buren, AR
45 – Dwayne Buggay – Canton, GA
49 – Augie Grill – Hayden, AL
5 – Nelson Piquet, Jr.
51 – Kyle Busch – Mooresville, NC
51 – Stephen Nasse – Pinellas Park, FL
53 – Boris Jurkovic – Manhattan, IL
54 – TBA
56 – A.J. Frank – Bluffton, SC
61 – Johnny VanDoorn – Coopersville, MI
66 – Steve Wallace – Mooresville, NC
67 – Jeff Fultz – Mooresville, NC
7 – Erik Darnell – Davidson, NC
Thus during any injury and impact, the body will suffer injuries which cialis without may not heal fast. These symptoms will cause urines flowing back to prostate glandular tube, and then brings to chemical or immune inflammation, inducing dysfunctions or appearing tadalafil for sale cheap chronic pelvic pain, such as burning, urgency and frequency of urination, and pain in the pelvic region. As a disc loses water frankkrauseautomotive.com commander levitra content it begins to lose height and the vertebra get closer together compromising the space for the exiting spinal nerve root. It has all the qualities which a levitra from india person wants in an anti-impotent. 71 – Kyle Benjamin – Easley, SC
72 – Scott Heckert – Ridgefield, CT
73 – Cole Powell – Mt. Brydges, Ontario
77 – Chuck Barnes, Jr. – Louisville, KY
77 – David Ragan  -Concord, NC
8 – John Hunter Nemechek – Mooresville, NC
80 – Blake Jones – Sevierville, TN
811 – Mason Mingus  -Brentwood, TN
82  -Donnie Wilson – Oklahoma City, OK
83 – Cale Gale – Winston Salem, NC
84 – Clay Alexander – Franklin, TN
84 – Scott Mulkern – Falmouth, ME
88 – Roger Reuse – Alabaster, AL
89 – Matt Tifft – Hinckley, OH
9 – Brandon Watson – Stayner, Ontario
9 – Chase Elliott – Dawsonville, GA
95M – Chris Muhler – Brighton, CO
96 – Ben Kennedy – Dawsonville, GA
98 – Daniel Hemric – Kannapolis, NC
99 – Casey Smith – Austin, TX

Allen Turner Snowflake 100
Driver Entry List

Car No Driver Location
02 – Matt Smith – Houston, TX
03 – Brandon Kelley – Porter, TX
07 – Kevin Donahue – Wildwood, MO
1 – Cody Coughlin – Delaware, OH
1 – Mike Garvey – Pensacola, FL
1 – Stephan McCurlely – Humble, TX
10 – Matt Montineri – Fleming Island, FL
11 – Johanna Long – Pensacola, FL
112 – Kenzie Ruston – El Reno, OK
12 – Brandon McReynolds – Mooresville, NC
121 – Joseph Meyer – Mt. Juliet, TN
14 – Carl Smith – Hockley, TX
14 – Corey Deuser – Lanesville, IN
18 – Steve Williams – Silverhill, AL
2 – Brady Boswell – Watkinsville, GA
2 – D.J. Vanderley – Mobile, AL
22 – Augie Grill – Hayden, AL
24 – Kyle Wolosek – Wi Rapaids, WI
26 – Bubba Pollard – Senoia, GA
28 – Thomas Praytor – Mobile, AL
29 – Anderson Bowen – Suwanee, GA
29 – Austin Theriault – Fort Kent, ME
29 – Jeff Choquette – West Palm Beach, FL
29 – Spencer Davis – Dawsonville, GA
30 – Rusty Sanford – Seminary, MS
30 – Tim Baker – Moss Point, MS
33 – Weston Griffith, Jr. – Crown Point, IN
36 – Rodney Benefield – Flowery Branch, GA
4 – Donald Long – Pensacola, FL
4 – Elliott Massey – Lucedale, MS
4 – Erik Jones – Byron, MI
4 – Kyle Plott – Marietta, GA
40 – Tyler Miles – Pulaski, TN
41 – Chris Davidson – Pearland, TX
43 – Justin South – Cropwell, AL
45 – Dwayne Buggay – Canton, GA
5 – Chase Miller – Canton, GA
56 – Gus Dean – Bluffton, SC
6 – Austin Luedtke – Adell, WI
6 – Brandon Bendele – La Vernia, TX
64 – David Jones – Mobile, AL
66 – Korey Ruble – Headland, AL
66 – Steve Wallace – Mooresville, NC
66 – TBA
71 – Kyle Benjamin – Easley, SC
77 – Bryan Silas – Concord, NC
79 – Kyle Bryant – Navarre, FL
81 – Brandon Odom – DeFuniak Springs, FL
83 – Scotty Ellis – Forsyth, GA
88 – Garrett Jones – West Palm Beach, FL
89 – Bobby Reuse – Hoover, AL
9 – Chase Elliott – Dawsonville, GA
9 – Mason Massey – Douglasville, GA
91 – Zachary Hausler – Tomball, TX
96 – Ben Kennedy – Dawsonville, GA
98 – Russell Fleeman – Dacula, GA
99 – Jr. Niedecken – Milton, FL