• Source: Snowball Derby

      • The Snowball Derby presented by Bayou Fox Hooters is a 300-lap super late model stock car race held annually at the Five Flags Speedway, a half-mile paved oval track in Pensacola, Florida, United States. The race has been contested every year since 1968 and is typically run on the first Sunday in December, although in some years it has been run on the second Sunday.
      The Snowball Derby has a reputation for attracting some of the bigger names in short track racing, including top series NASCAR drivers. For example, the 2009 event was won by NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, and also featured Steve Wallace, Bobby Gill, Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth's son Ross Kenseth, David Stremme, and Cale Gale. The popularity of the race forced NASCAR to move their annual national series prizegiving banquet in 2017 to a date as to not conflict with the Snowball Derby.
      Because of the "all-star" nature of the race, the Snowball Derby is considered by many to be the most prestigious race in super late model racing. Though most drivers entering the race are from nearby states, some drivers travel across the United States to compete, mainly because of the posted awards and super late model rules, which are very similar to each other regardless of track or tours (the United Super Late Model Rules Alliance).
      The Snowball Derby has been won by past and future stars of NASCAR, including five national series champions (one Cup Series, two who won both a Cup and Xfinity Series championship, two Truck Series, total ten national championships), five Cup Series, two Xfinity Series, and seven Truck Series race winners. Tammy Jo Kirk became the first female winner of the race in 1994 which led to her becoming a future NASCAR competitor. Johanna Long would become the second female driver to win the Snowball Derby in 2010. From 2011 until 2014, the Snowball was won by teenage drivers who have since won in NASCAR's national series. In the 2010s, only two drivers (2015, 2019) were in their 20's and one driver (2017) was in their 30's.
      Over the years, the race format has varied between 100 laps, 200 laps, and a unique 300 laps plus additional laps equalling the number of runnings of this race. The format has settled into a straight 300 lap event, though a late yellow flag can create a green-white-checkered finish that extends the race beyond 300 laps.
      The Snowball Derby is an independent event, meaning that it is not officially sanctioned (for a fee) by a racing organization. However, it is associated with both the United Super Late Model Rules Alliance and the Southern Super Series, a series of Super Late Model races in the region including Five Flags Speedway, with officials from that series, most notably Ricky Brooks as chief steward, officiating the race. Most Super Late Model races are run with the USLMRA package, regardless of tracks or regional series (although the track requires Continental AG tires, while some tracks may use American Racer or Goodyear), various series will encourage drivers to attend the event (PASS North and South, Southern Super Series, ARCA JEG'S/CRA, Spears Southwest). In the past the Snowball was sanctioned by Bob Harmon's All Pro organization, and for one year by NASCAR when it acquired All Pro.
      The Snowflake 100 is a 100-lap pro late model race held the Saturday before the Snowball Derby. Held since 1999, notable winners include Chase Elliott and John Hunter Nemechek.
      The Snowball Derby 75 is a 75-lap modified race held since 2018.


      List of Snowball Derby winners


      1968 – Wayne Niedecken Sr.
      1969 – Friday Hassler
      1970 – Wayne Niedecken Sr. (2)
      1971 – Dickie Davis
      1972 – Ed Howe
      1973 – Dickie Davis (2)
      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 (2)
      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
      1991 – Rich Bickle (2)
      1992 – Gary St. Amant
      1993 – Bobby Gill
      1994 – Tammy Jo Kirk (First female driver ever to win the Snowball Derby)
      1995 – Jeff Purvis
      1996 – Rich Bickle (3)
      1997 – Bobby Gill
      1998 – Rich Bickle (4)
      1999 – Rich Bickle (5)
      2000 – Gary St. Amant (2)
      2001 – Wayne Anderson
      2002 – Ricky Turner
      2003 – Charlie Bradberry
      2004 – Steve Wallace
      2005 – Eddie Mercer
      2006 – Clay Rogers
      2007 – Augie Grill
      2008 – Augie Grill (2)
      2009 – Kyle Busch
      2010 – Johanna Long
      2011 – Chase Elliott (Youngest winner in Snowball Derby history)
      2012 – Erik Jones
      2013 – Erik Jones (2)
      2014 – John Hunter Nemechek
      2015 – Chase Elliott (2)
      2016 – Christian Eckes
      2017 – Kyle Busch (2)
      2018 – Noah Gragson
      2019 – Travis Braden
      2020 – Ty Majeski
      2021 – Chandler Smith
      2022 – Derek Thorn
      2023 – Ty Majeski (2)
      2024 – Kaden Honeycutt


      References




      External links


      Official website

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