Melvin, Sutton Top Snowball Modifieds, Super Stocks Friday

It felt like one of those seminal moments Snowball Derby and Five Flags Speedway fans have are accustom to.

Bubba Pollard locked in a duel for the ages with 15-year-old Bayley Currey, who was poised to make a late-race pass at the Pensacola, FL speed plant.

This is where Pollard would pass the baton to Currey, a rising Modifieds star.

Instead, veteran Billy Melvin — a collapsed lung and all — surprised them both on a restart and pulled away from the pair in the closing laps to win his first career Modifieds Derby crown.

“I’ve led this thing six or seven times with five laps left and lost the same way,” Melvin said. “I said, ‘You know what? Let’s win one.

“This is a great accomplishment and I’m proud to be here. This is where you come to race the best.”

For much of the 50 lapper, the Pollard-Currey battle was the story.

The two were bumper to bumper down the stretch until another yellow in a caution-filled race flew with 46 laps complete.

On the restart, Pollard was tardy in hitting the gas and it allowed Melvin to make the most of the opportunity.

Instead of waving off the restart, which was what Pollard was expecting, race officials kept the race green.

While Melvin drove off into the crisp night, Pollard recovered to finish second and Currey third, as neither had enough time to chase down Melvin.

“The leader’s supposed to start the race,” Pollard said when asked what occurred on the finale restart.

There were many unexpected incidents Friday. Who could’ve ever anticipated a 10-car crash on the second lap that wiped out most of the 34-car field?

But that’s exactly what transpired moments in.

And who could’ve expected a teenager giving a ’shoe like Pollard all he could handle.

But time and time again, Currey pushed Pollard for the lead. He was there on Pollard’s inside on lap 44 with a blistering run out of turn 2.

But Pollard closed the door and continued to his marks before the fateful, final caution.

Super Stocks

In 45 years, the Snowball Derby has seen quite its share of fairytales.

It bore witness to yet another one Friday.

After a five-year absence, Milton resident Gary Sutton made a long overdue return to Five Flags Speedway and amazingly captured the Super Stocks 50-lap Derby championship.

“This just doesn’t happen,” said Sutton, who seemed just as stunned as everyone in the grandstands. “You take five years off and you’re supposed to look like junk.”

Hardly on this night.

The 31 year old managed to avoid the mess of two huge crashes and took the lead 30 laps in.

Sutton withstood a late charge from reigning track champion Randy Thompson down the stretch to pull off the improbable.

“Fast cars don’t always win, but it did tonight,” Sutton said.

Dustin Rowell couldn’t have been any prouder. The car owner won a track championship last year with Bubba Winslow steering the No. 44.

“This is awesome,” Rowell said. “All this car does is win.”

Ten days ago, in desperate need of a driver, Rowell reached out to Sutton, who jumped at the chance.

They tested it not long after and Sutton admitted his driving skills had greatly diminished since his time away

“We worked and worked and got this thing strong,” he said. “Car had no cobwebs on it; I was just rusty.”

Sutton has no plans to drive a car next season, but he also wasn’t planning on winning the Snowball Derby.

“I’m not going to turn a ride down, especially one like this,” Sutton said. “We talked about this being a one-shot deal. Now, I want to be here every week. Racing’s like drugs.”

The race saw a pair of vicious collisions that collected much of the 25-car field.

The first saw came with eight laps completed and five drivers were involved, including Natalie Decker. The 15 year old had made the long trip down from Eagle River, WI, only to see her first Derby spoiled.

Twelve laps later, six cars came to a standstill at the top of turn 3 when some fluid was put down on the track.
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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.

5 Flags Speedway – Pensacola, FL
45th Annual Snowball Derby Weekend
Modified Feature – Nov. 30, 2012

1. 145 Billy Melvin
2. 07 Bubba Pollard
3. 05 Bayley Currey
4. 88 John Sarppraicone Jr.
5. 05 Nathan Davis
6. 9 Bradley Reithmeyer
7. 13 Ian Webster
8. 131 Jeff Letson
9. 66 Korey Ruble
10. 54 Todd Jones
11. 71 Josh Goodwin
12. 7 Scooter Grice
13. 9 Chris Wagner
14. 66 Jerry Symons
15. 9 Kurt Jett
16. 14 Mike Maddox
17. 99 Brandon Howell
18. 00 Brandon Curren
19. 1 Kip Whitehead
20. 39 Mark Chrudimsky
21. 112 Augie Grill
22. 17 Chris Cotto
23. 33 Steve Buttrick
24. 8 Donnie Hamrac
25. 18 Steve Williams
26. 599 Donald Crocker
27. 91 Jim Wall
28. 64 Dustin Knowles
29. 33 Jason Morman
30. 8 D.J. Hoelzle
31. 32 Ricky Otts
32. 79 Kevin Bennett
33. 7 Terry Malone
DID NOT START: 03 Matt Merrell

Super Stocks Modified Feature
1. Gary Sutton
2. Randy Thompson
3. John Shuffler
4. Okie Mason
5. J.R. Skipper
6. Kurt Guillot
7. Jessie Reid
8. Brandon Harris
9. Jeff Belt
10. Roger Cain
11. James Patrick
12. Chad Robinson
13. Matt Taylor
14. Dayton Sidner
15. Darryl Rudd
16. Tony Jones
17. Bubba Winslow
18. Paul Jean
19. Scotty Anderson
20. Ricky Johnson
21. Ricky Haugen
22. Corbitt Moseley
23. Darin Matthews
24. Natalie Decker
25. Mike Moore