Chase Elliott lifts the Tom Dawson trophy as the winner of the 48th annual Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway Sunday. Photo by Eddie Richie/Turn One Photos/Loxley, AL
In 2013, Chase Elliott was flagged the winner of his second Snowball Derby, only to see the win taken away in post-race tech.
Sunday night, he got one back.
Christopher Bell, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports – the team that inherited the 2013 Derby win – dominated the late stages of Sunday’s Super Late Model classic at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL, and crossed under the checkered flag first.
But then came post race tech inspection and, for the second time over the weekend, Bell’s mount was disqualified. The first took away the pole for the event.
This time, it was far more costly.
Elliott, who had charged late to finish second, inherited the win, his second in the famed Snowball Derby. After his car cleared post-race tech, he was handed the coveted Tom Dawson trophy.
The Dawsonville, GA speedster led only two laps all day – the third and fourth laps early on. But, as has been said many times over the years, in short track racing, the race isn’t over until everyone passes tech.
Ty Majeski, who inherited the pole after Bell’s disqualification in qualifying, led the field of 37 starters down to the green flag, with Elliott and Lawrenceville, GA’s Casey Roderick in tow. Elliott would take the lead briefly on lap three, only to see Majeski motor past again a few laps later.
Christopher Bell was flagged the winner of Sunday’s Snowball Derby, but had to give the win back after his car failed post-race tech inspection. Photo by Eddie Richie/Turn One Photos/Loxley, AL
Majeski would continue to pace the field over the first 65 laps of the 300 lap race. The first break in the action came on lap 65, when the cars of Kyle Grissom, two-time Derby winner Augie Grill and Bret Holmes tangled in turn three, bringing out the first caution of the day.
The leaders hit pit road, with John Hunter Nemechek beating everyone out. Meanwhile, several cars made the decision to stay out, moving Preston Peltier to the lead, with Dalton Sargeant, Donnie Wilson, Bell and Senoia, GA’s Bubba Pollard in fifth.
On the restart, Peltier would move out to the lead, while Nemechek powered from an eight place restart position to third in four laps, with Zane Smith in tow.
Five laps later, Smith would take third from Nemecheck, then move around Bell for second. On lap 90, Smith powered past Peltier to take the lead, with Bell following into second.
Meanwhile, Majeski worked his way back through the field, and by lap 100, was running solidly in fifth position.
The caution would fly again on lap 120 when Garrett Jones spun on the backstretch. With the yellow out, Bell, Peltier and Pollard all hit pit road, while Smith stayed out to hold the lead.
Chase Elliott crossed the finish line in second place, but was the winner following Christopher Bell’s disqualification. Photo by Eddie Richie/Turn One Photos/Loxley, AL
On the restart, Smith and Derek Thorn raced side-by-side, with the two making contact. That allowed Thorn to take the top spot, with Majeski moving to second and Nemechek in third. Smith then worked to hold off Elliott for fourth.
As the race reached the halfway point, Majeski closed on Thorn, and began stalking him for the lead. Behind the leaders, Bell bypassed Smith to take third, and began working to reel in the leaders. A few laps later, he would move around Majeski to take the runner-up spot, with Smith in tow.
A spin in turn two by Marietta, GA’s Kyle Plott brought out the caution on lap 170, and sent most of the leaders to the pits. Pollard made the call to stay out, handing him the lead.
On the restart, Nemechek drove around Peltier to take second, then set his sights on Pollard. His charge was haltered momentarily for a crash in turn four that gathered up 2010 Derby winner Johana Long, Scotty Ellis and Jerry Artuso.
On the restart, Nemechek used the outside line to take the lead from Pollard, with Bell moving to second.
Over the next ten laps, Bell stalked Nemechek around the half-mile speedway, and on lap 201, moved alongside the leader. Bell would take the position off of turn two, with Nemechek and Pollard giving chase.
The caution flew again on lap 265, this time for a competition yellow slated to come out after 75 laps of green flag racing.
With the end of the race in sight, all the lead lap cars hit pit road for their final stops of the day. Bell would beat Nemecheck and Casey Smith off pit road.
On the restart, Bell and Nemechek battled for the lead, but saw the fight cut short that same lap when a multi-car crash broke out off turn four. Wilson, Derek Kraus and Noah Gragson were all involved. Race officials brought out the red flag to allow for track clean up.
When racing resumed with 25 laps to go, Nemechek put on a power move that saw him take the lead over Bell after the two made contact. But Nemechek’s car began trailing smoke, which at dissapaited at first.
Flames shoot out from under John Hunter Nemechek’s Chevy as he tries to finish Sunday’s Snowball Derby. He was forced to pit with five laps remaining. Photo by Eddie Richie/Turn One Photos/Loxley, AL
With 19 laps to go, Bell was all over Nemechek. Bell nudged Nemechek off turn four, then made the pass for the lead in turn one, with Zane Smith and Elliott in pursuit.
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Back on track, Bell moved away in the lead, while Elliott wrestled second away from Smith. When the checkered flag flew, it appeared that Bell had won his first Snowball Derby.
But then came post race inspection in head tech inspector Ricky Brooks’ famed “Room of Doom.”
Officials discovered a weight issue on the left side of Bell’s car, and he was disqualified. It marks the fourth time in the last ten runnings of the Snowball Derby that a driver flagged the winner has lost the race in post tech inspection. It’s also the second time in eight years that Kyle Busch Motorsports has been disqualified from the win.
About an hour later, Elliott’s car passed inspection, and he was handed the Tom Dawson trophy for his second career Snowball Derby win. The first came back in 2011.
Zane Smith moved to second, with Majeski in third, Sargeant in fourth, and Pollard in fifth.
Casey Smith, Peltier, William Byron, Thorn and Daniel Hemric rounded out the top ten finishers.
For more information on the Snowball Derby and 5 Flags Speedway, visit 5FlagsSpeedway.com.
5 Flags Speedway – Pensacola, FL
Snowball Derby – Dec. 6, 2015
1. 9 Chase Elliott
2. 77 Zane Smith
3. 91 Ty Majeski
4. 5S Dalton Sargeant
5. 26 Bubba Pollard
6. 99 Casey Smith
7. 48 Preston Peltier
8. 9B William Byron
9. 43 Derek Thorn
10. 5H Daniel Hemric
11. 3 Kaz Grala
12. 17 Quin Houff
13. 11 Logan Boyett
14. 7 Corey LaJoie
15. 67 Clay Jones
16. 13 Cassius Clark
17. 5 Jerry Artuso
18. 29 Caleb Adrian
19. 83 Scotty Ellis
20. 21 Johanna Long
21. 38 John Hunter Nemechek
22. 15 Christian Eckes
23. 2W Donnie Wilson
24. 9K Derek Kraus
25. 8G Noah Gragson
26. 12 Harrison Burton
27. 51N Stephen Nasse
28. 7 Casey Roderick
29. 45 Kyle Plott
30. 2 D.J. Vanderley
31. 42 Chad Finley
32. 1 Garrett Jones
33. 31 Kyle Grissom
34. 112 Augie Grill
35. H2 Bret Holmes
36. 20 Spencer Davis
DQ: 51B Christopher Bell
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