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. For those not familiar with the event, 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. The event had never come across the SCRL until early 2020 when league driver AJ Jones suggested the offer of running another event, that being the first ever SCRL Chili Bowl event that will be coming in January. The talks would soon move over to holding another event, that being the Snowball Derby, and unlike many other leagues who do a version of the event, the SCRL decided that if they were going to hold it, it would be done right, and so the distance of the race would be the full 300 lap event.
A league record 50 drivers signed up for a chance to compete in the first ever event, with Casey Russel being one of them, looking to write their name in the SCRL history books. The rules of the event stated that in qualifying the first 20 drivers would automatically lock themselves into the main event, while the remaining 30 drivers would battle in a qualifying race, known as the Snowflake 100, with the top 11 transferring to the main event. Casey would struggle in qualifying, posting the slowest time, a 37.312, 14 seconds behind Nick Kennedy's pole winning time, after Casey had actually spun out on the backstretch during her attempt, with her chance of making the field being only to come from the back and make it inside the Top 11 in the 30 lap qualifying event.
When the race started, Casey would quickly make a move as she knocked the #18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota of Dalton Holmes into the final spot after the first lap while the next lap Holmes would knock the #58 Hebert Excavation Chevrolet of Cody Russell Jr. into last on the second circuit. Russell would remain in last for only one circuit as well as the next time around he would knock the #25 Bondy's Scon Chevrolet of Paul Hogan, who would trail for the next two laps when the battle for last and the transfer spot took a hit. While battling for 15th, the #16 CitiFinancial Ford of Christian Elder made contact with the #50 Southern Piping Company Chevrolet of Brandon Miller, sending Miller down the track and into the #46 Z-Line Designs Toyota of Dylan Bryan, sending both cars nearly head on into the concrete wall. Miller would be sent up the track and was almost hit by the unsponsored #0 of Ignazio Alberti, before it was hit by the unsponsored #07 of Chase Miller before Brandon's car would come back down the track right in front of Casey's car. With no time to react, Casey slammed into the back of Brandon's car, severely damaging the front end of Casey's car and the backend of Brandon's car.
Both Casey and Chase would limp around the track before pulling behind the wall, their night done and the chance of racing in the biggest event was over after just four laps before they would be joined just one lap later by Brandon.
The remaining Bottom Five would struggle and would actually lose a lap during the event during the final laps of the event; 27th was the #14 Keystone Light Beer Chevrolet of Harry Loughran and 26th was the Ariat Harrisons Chevrolet of Lee Mitchell.
SCRLASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #05 has finished last in the Snowflake 100.
*This was the first time the #05 has finished last in the Snowflake 100.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
30) #05-Casey Russel / 4 laps / crash
29) #07-Chase Miller / 4 laps / crash
28) #50-Brandon Miller / 5 laps / crash
27) #14-Harry Loughran / 29 laps / running
26) #31-Lee Mitchell / 29 laps / running
30) #05-Casey Russel / 4 laps / crash
29) #07-Chase Miller / 4 laps / crash
28) #50-Brandon Miller / 5 laps / crash
27) #14-Harry Loughran / 29 laps / running
26) #31-Lee Mitchell / 29 laps / running
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