Snowball Derby

The Snowball Derby

Five Flags Speedway
250px
Race Information
Number of times held	54
First Race	1968
Most Wins (drivers)
Most Wins (constructors)
Most Wins (manufacturers)
Circuit Length	0.500 mi (0.804 km)
Race Length	150.00 mi (241.40 km)
Laps	300
Last Race (1968)
Pole Position
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Podium
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The Snowball Derby is a 300-lap super late model stock car race held annually at 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 weekend in December, although in some years it has been run on the second weekend. For the first nine years of its existence, it was the season finale event for the National Stock Car Series. It was later the season finale of the World Stock Car Lites through the 1979 Lites season, after which it moved to independent sanctioning. The NASCT Super Series began sanctioning the event in 2013.

The Snowball Derby continues to have a reputation for attracting some of the bigger names in short track racing, including top series World Stock Car Championship and North American Stock Car Tour drivers (when not in conflict with their year-end banquets) because it is run after most tracks and touring series have concluded their season.

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).

History

The Snowball Derby's origins can be traced back to the Reform Era of stock car racing; with the announcement that all tracks under one-half mile would be dropped from the schedule starting with the 1968 season, Jack Crawford needed a new host for the series finale, which had traditionally taken place at Riverside Park Speedway. Wanting a location in the south to avoid the logistics of planning a championship race around New England winters, he worked with officials at Five Flags Speedway to develop a new event for the series, which would reportedly pay among the top purses of the season to attract drivers from around the country.

Over the years, the race format has varied between 200 laps, 300 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 has traditionally been 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 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. Under NASCT super series sanctioning, it has maintained the USLMRA rules package.

Pole Winners

Year	No.	Driver	Manufacturer	Time	Average Speed

Race Winners

Year	Date	No.	Driver	Sponsor	Manufacturer	Distance
						Laps	Miles (km)
National Stock Car Series/World Stock Car Championship sanctioning
1968	15 December					200	100.00 (160.93)
1969	14 December					200	100.00 (160.93)
1970	6 December					200	100.00 (160.93)
1971	5 December					200	100.00 (160.93)
1972	3 December					200	100.00 (160.93)
1973	2 December					300	150.00 (241.40)
1974	8 December					255	127.50 (205.19)
1975	7 December					300	150.00 (241.40)
1976	5 December					300	150.00 (241.40)
World Stock Car Lites sanctioning
1977	4 December					250	125.00 (201.13)
1978	3 December					250	125.00 (201.13)
1979	2 December					200	100.00 (160.93)
Independent Sanctioning
1980	7 December	28	Norman Keyes		Chevrolet	200	100.00 (160.93)
1981	6 December	14	Patrick Elliot		Chevrolet	200	100.00 (160.93)
1982	5 December	84	Danny Stafford	Chief Auto Parts	Buick	200	100.00 (160.93)
1983	4 December	3	Gabriel Kingsley		Ford	200	100.00 (160.93)
1984	9 December	96	Cameron Yost		Pontiac	200	100.00 (160.93)
1985	8 December	8	Dale Fairclough	Anson Towing and Trucking	Ford	205	102.50 (165.03)
1986	7 December	8	Dale Fairclough	Anson Towing and Trucking	Ford	250	125.00 (201.13)
1987	6 December	15	Lauren Savage	Publix	Buick	250	125.00 (201.13)
1988	4 December	42	Alton Kirby		Buick	304	152.00 (244.72)
1989	6 December	7	Jack Belcher		Chevrolet	300	150.00 (241.40)
1990	2 December	95	Simon Penner		Dodge	332	166.00 (267.26)
1991	8 December	18	Miles Reed	Bradford Farms	Chevrolet	324	162.00 (260.82)
1992	6 December	18	Miles Reed	Bradford Farms	Chevrolet	325	162.50 (261.63)
1993	5 December	11	Duane Cornett		Pontiac	326	163.00 (262.43)
1994	4 December	49	Archer Hawking	Kirk and Joseph Insurance	Oldsmobile	327	163.50 (263.24)
1995	3 December	4	Frank Stafford	Pepsi	Pontiac	328	164.00 (264.04)
1996	8 December	83	Stewart Young	Sunoco	Ford	336	168.00 (270.48)
1997	7 December	4	Frank Stafford	Pepsi	Pontiac	330	165.00 (265.65)
1998	6 December	4	Frank Stafford	Pepsi	Pontiac	308	154.00 (247.94)
1999	5 December	15	Billy Savage	Quaker State	Oldsmobile	306	153.00 (246.33)
2000	3 December	27	Nate Hubbard	Lance Snacks	Dodge	300	150.00 (241.40)
2001	2 December	30	Trevor Richmond	Lycos	Pontiac	309	154.50 (248.75)
2002	8 December	4	Frank Stafford	NAPA	Pontiac	305	152.50 (245.53)
2003	7 December	90	Sheldon Rogerson	Bojangles	Ford	303	151.50 (243.92)
2004	11 December	5	Garrett Wescott	Craftsman	Toyota	300	150.00 (241.40)
2005	4 December	49	Jesse Phillips	Appleby Market	Buick	300	150.00 (241.40)
2006	3 December	19	Reid Tift	Subway	Toyota	300	150.00 (241.40)
2007	2 December	35	Arlo Daniel	Edison Trucking	Toyota	300	150.00 (241.40)
2008	7 December	6CT	Jay Orlov	National MS Society	Chevrolet	300	150.00 (241.40)
2009	6 December	60	Lynn Sawyer	HW Recycling	Honda	300	150.00 (241.40)
2010	5 December	6CT	Jay Orlov	National MS Society	Chevrolet	300	150.00 (241.40)
2011	4 December	6CT	Jay Orlov	National MS Society	Chevrolet	300	150.00 (241.40)
2012	2 December	10	Vincent Scott	Fulller Machine Co	Toyota	300	150.00 (241.40)
NASCT Super Series Sanctioning
2013	8 December	13	Dutch Eads	Ted's Takeout	Chevrolet	300	150.00 (241.40)
2014	7 December	8	Piper Benjamin	McDonald's	Toyota	323	161.50 (260.02)
2015	6 December	75	Zara Trujillo	Spinner Rotors	Toyota	300	150.00 (241.40)
2016	6 December	2	Scott Atkins	SunTrust Bank	Ford	300	150.00 (241.40)
2017	3 December	99	Derek Clay Lawton	Keystone Light	Ford	300	150.00 (241.40)
2018	2 December	16	Julian Lightner	Shortman Hotels	Ford	300	150.00 (241.40)
2019	9 December	3	Kamron Garner	Carrington Construction	Toyota	319	159.50 (256.80)
2020	6 December	24	Drew Stafford	Monster Energy	Mercedes	302	151.00 (243.11)
2021	5 December	6M	Charles Bonnet	STP	Volkswagen	300	150.00 (241.40)

Trivia

• Youngest winner: Danny Stafford, 1982, 16 years, 8 months, 7 days
• Oldest winner: Cameron Yost, 1984, 62 years, 7 months, 10 days
• Most wins: Frank Stafford (4)
• First female winner: Lauren Savage, 1987
• First non-American winner: Nate Hubbard, 2000