43rd Annual Snowball Derby Attracting Top NASCAR Talent
The NASCAR season ended on Sunday but that doesn’t mean that the racing has to. In fact, some of the better independent short track races take place after the season. Thus allowing some of NASCAR’s best to take place.
One such race is the Snowball Derby.
It’s considered by many to be the most prestigious short track race in America. And with previous winners named Allison, Wallace, Waltrip and Busch, why shouldn’t it be?
The event has been won by two NASCAR Cup Series champions, five Sprint Cup Series and four Camping World Truck Series race winners.
The 43rd Annual Snowball Derby features Kyle Busch Motorsports (TBA), Steve Wallace, Bobby Gill, Chase Elliott, Ross Kenseth, David Stremme, David Ragan, Landon Cassill and Nationwide Series newcomer Johanna Long.
These drivers and more will compete at Five Flags Speedway, a half-mile oval located in Pensacola, Fla. that has been home to NASCAR, ASA, and USCS sprint car racing.
The track is best known for it’s Bristol-like bumper-car action and high-banked (15°) turns. The straightaways are also banked to the tune of 9°, creating an exciting on-track product.
Kyle Busch won the race last season but is unable to defend his crown for the Dec. 5 event. That’s because he’ll be in Las Vegas attending the Sprint Cup Series Championship banquet. He’s there by virtue of finishing third in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings.
Instead Busch will be represented by two Super Late Model entries with T.J. Reaid as the driver of one car.
Three other former Snowball Derby winners are entered, including two-time race winner Augie Grill, Eddie Mercer and Dave Mader III, who last won the event in 1978.
NASCAR Ranting and Raving will attend Five Flags Speedway all week providing video, images and sound. A raceday open thread will be posted on Sunday Dec. 5 for all interested parties.
Beneath the fold is a list of past winners and the entry list for this week’s events.
Complete List of Past Snowball Derby Winners
* 1968 Wayne Niedecken
* 1969 Friday Hassler
* 1970 Wayne Niedecken
* 1971 Dickie Davis
* 1972 Ed Howe
* 1973 Dickie Davis
* 1974 Pete Hamilton
* 1975 Donnie Allison
* 1976 Darrell Waltrip
* 1977 Ronnie Sanders
* 1978 Dave Mader III
* 1979 Freddy Fryar
* 1980 Gary Balough
* 1981 Freddy Fryar
* 1982 Gene Morgan
* 1983 Mickey Gibbs
* 1984 Butch Lindley
* 1985 Jody Ridley
* 1986 Gary Balough
* 1987 Butch Miller
* 1988 Ted Musgrave
* 1989 Rick Crawford
* 1990 Rich Bickle, Jr.
* 1991 Rich Bickle, Jr.
* 1992 Gary St. Amant
* 1993 Bobby Gill
* 1994 Tammy Jo Kirk
* 1995 Jeff Purvis
* 1996 Rich Bickle, Jr.
* 1997 Bobby Gill
* 1998 Rich Bickle, Jr.
* 1999 Rich Bickle, Jr.
* 2000 Gary St. Amant
* 2001 Wayne Anderson
* 2002 Ricky Turner
* 2003 Charlie Bradberry
* 2004 Steve Wallace
* 2005 Eddie Mercer
* 2006 Clay Rogers
* 2007 Augie Grill
* 2008 Augie Grill
* 2009 Kyle Busch
For more information visit FiveFlagsSpeedway.Com
Matt Weaver is the Sports Editor for the Vanguard (USA) and can be reached at jmatthewweaver(at)aol.com
See More:
