For the first time in the six year history of the SCRL, it was decided by the SCRL officials that it would host the first ever SCRL Snowball Derby at the historic Five Flags Speedway. The Snowball Derby is a 300-lap super late model stock car race that is held annually at the Five Flags Speedway, a half-mile paved oval track in Pensacola, Florida, United States. After the qualifying and the Snowflake 100 was held on Saturday, the 31 car field was set for the Main Event on Sunday.
In Qualifying, Nick Kennedy would write his name in the SCRL history books by winning the pole with a time of 23.060 while Vargas would easily lock himself into the field as well with a time of 23.420, 0.360 seconds off Kennedy's pole winning time, which placed Vargas 8th. After the qualifying race was complete, starting last on the field would be the #112 ARP Chevrolet of Daniel Bouchard, who would lock himself into the field by taking the final transfer spot.
On race day, Bouchard would trail for only the first two turns before he would knock the #34 Sears, Sand and Gravel Toyota of Stephen White, who would trail for the first lap around the half mile track before he would make a move down the backstretch, knocking the #12 Dex Imaging Toyota of Ronald House, who would trail for the next two laps, before he knocked the #36 Larve Industries Toyota of Austin Hiller into last on Lap 4. Hiller would also trail for two laps before he would knock the #9 Aaron's Ford of Brad Michalec who would fall back to last on Lap 6. The next time around it was the #20 Duke's Mayonnaise / Kroger Ford of Derek Greene who would trail for the next four laps until he finally was able to get a run and knocked the Hiller into last on Lap 11.
Hiller would trail for the next four laps before knocking the #10 Beaulac Trucking / Groupe EDS Chevrolet of Clay Myers, who would assume last on Lap 16 and would trail for two laps until Lap 19 when Greene took the final spot back. Greene would remain in last for three laps before knocking Myers back into last on Lap 22. Myers would remain in last himself for the next three laps when he knocked Hiller into last on Lap 26, who would remain in last for three laps before knocking the #35 Dick's Last Resort Chevrolet of Brian Fields into last on Lap 30. Fields would be in last for only two laps before Hiller would retake the final spot on Lap 32, as he would struggle over the next ten laps to gain any spots around the abrasive Pensacola track surface.
On Lap 42, Vargas, who had fallen back to 14th place, was racing down the frontstretch when his car started to smoke as Vargas pulled his car to the top of the track to try and allow the other drivers to move around him, but the #99 TM Ranch / Car Crushers, Inc. Ford of Winnie Calhoun slammed into Vargas's stalled car, as well as the #21 Eastern Shore Toyota of Roger James would also run into Vargas's car, bringing out the race's first caution. Vargas's car would be forced to be towed back to the garage as the team looked over his car to see if the problem could be fixed, but it was decided the problem was terminal, the car being listed as "out" on Lap 50.
The next two spots would by filled up fourteen laps later when the race's second caution would fly for a three car wreck in Turn 1 when the #11 TM Ranch Chevrolet of Chad Myers was hit by the #63 Everidge Motor Sales Chevrolet of Sun Mao Keys, sending Myers up the track and into the #7 Graham Trucking Ford of Jake Thomas, sending both cars up the track and nearly head on into the concrete wall, before sliding the track right in front of the path of the #01 Clarence Steakhouse Chevrolet of David Haas, who slammed right into Thomas's front half of his car. Myers was able to continue on with no problems, while Thomas and Haas would limp back around before pulling behind the wall, their night done after 62 laps.
Finishing 28th was the unsponsored #59 Chevrolet of Tyler Ferris, who had led 6 laps earlier in the day, lost the lead to engine problems and was limping around the track one lap behind the leaders, when on Lap 194, Ferris would suffer more mechanical problems as Ferris would stall in Turn 2 bringing out the race's 5th caution. Ferris's car would be towed back to the garage as the team would look it over and found that this time the damage would be terminal, with the official cause being listed as a broken valve.
Rounding out the Bottom Five was the #63 Everidge Motor Sales Chevrolet of Sun Mao Keys, who would suffer tire problems late in the race and would trail by two full circuits when the checkered flag waved.
Taking the checkered flag on the historic night would be Daniel Bouchard, who worked his way from last to first in 97 laps and would go on to lead 201 of the event's 300 laps and scored a dominating win over Snowflake 100 winner Ryan Pritchard.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #100 has finished last in the Snowball Derby.
*This was the first time the #100 has finished last in the Snowball Derby.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
31) #100-Christian Vargas / 46 laps / engine
30) #7-Jake Thomas / 62 lap / crash
29) #01-David Haas / 62 laps / crash
28) #59-Tyler Ferris / 194 laps / valve led 6 laps
27) #63-Sun Mao Keys / 298 laps / running
31) #100-Christian Vargas / 46 laps / engine
30) #7-Jake Thomas / 62 lap / crash
29) #01-David Haas / 62 laps / crash
28) #59-Tyler Ferris / 194 laps / valve led 6 laps
27) #63-Sun Mao Keys / 298 laps / running
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