Landon Cassill fails to qualify for Snowball Derby, Field of 37 is set with Saturday’s last chance race
Landon Cassill will not compete in the 45th Annual Snowball Derby.
Following a faulty tire during Friday qualifying, Cassill found himself having to compete in a last chance race to make the Snowball Derby and was unable to race his way into the field. That distinction belonged to Paul Kelley, Brian Campbell, Austin Theriault and Jeff Fultz.
Cassill was the most prominent driver outside of a transfer spot at the conclusion of the 50-lap dash. Despite starting fourth, Cassill lost his transfer spot on lap 33 when Jeff Fultz nudged him out of the groove and sent him to sixth. He would remain there for the rest of the race and watched as his dream of winning the Snowball Derby slowly vanished.
“This race pretty much summed up our entire weekend,” Cassill said. “It just didn’t go our way. It’s very disappointing to come all the way down here and not even make the race. I had no forward bite coming off the corners at the end of the race and by lap 25 I completely lost whatever I had.
“Honestly this race pointed out some flaws and showed me that we never really had it.”
Cassill had one of the fastest cars all weekend and was hoping to improve on his two-consecutive fourth-place finishes since returning to the Snowball Derby in 2010. Instead, he’s going home on Saturday night and looking forward to the opportunity to try again in 2013.
“This just makes me appreciate this race even more,” he said. “We’ll be back.”
Justifying the notion that the Snowball Derby is one of the hardest races in the country to make, Cassill joins several national champions who also failed to make the field of 37. That list also includes, Dennis Prunty (Slinger Speedway), Kyle Grisson (PASS Series South), Anderson Bowen (CRA JEGS Rookie of the Year), Spencer Davis (Gresham Speedway), and Brandon Watson (OSCAAR).
The race results officially complete the starting lineup for Sunday’s Snowball Derby with David Ragan set to lead a field of 37 that also includes NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch (fourth), Chase Elliott (fifth), Jeff Choquette (14th), Johanna Long (21st) and Nelson Piquet Jr. (23rd)
Here’s the starting lineup for Sunday’s Snowball Derby:
- David Ragan
- John Hunter Nemechek
- T.J. Reaid
- Kyle Busch
- Chase Elliott
- Jeremy Pate
- Bubba Pollard
- Daniel Hemric
- Erik Jones
- Stephen Nasse
- Brad Rogers
- Hunter Robbins
- Augie Grill
- Jeff Choquette
- Dwayne Buggay
- Chuck Barnes Jr
- Kyle Benjamin
- Ben Kennedy
- Clay Alexander
- Steve Dorer
- Johanna Long
- Casey Smith
- Nelson Piquet, Jr.
- Donnie Wilson
- Ross Kenseth
- D.J. Vanderley
- David Rogers
- Chris Davidson
- Kyle Jones
- Grant Enfinger
- Paul Kelley
- Brian Campbell
- Austin Theriault
- Jeff Fultz
- Mike Garvey
- Logan Boyett
- Steve Wallace
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