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Augie Grill Taking Different Routes to This Year’s Snowball Derby & Snowflake 100

Grill Not Running His 112’s, Putting Ruston in the Defending Snowflake Winning Car

The common thread meshing all of those accomplishments together was that Grill did them all in his own No. 112 Grand American Race Cars machines. He builds his own cars and those GARC chassis for drivers such as last year’s Snowball Derby winner Chase Elliott, Bubba Pollard and many other front-runners in the Deep South.

When Grill gets to Five Flags for the 45th Annual Snowball Derby weekend later this month, he will buck the trend of success in his own No. 112 cars by competing for other car owners in both the Allen Turner Hyundai Snowflake 100 and the Snowball Derby.

Grill will vacate the seat of his defending Snowflake-winning No. 112 and will have Oklahoman Kenzie Ruston piloting it in the December 1st event, while Grill will drive for Mississippi’s Bragg Racing Group, operated by racer and crew chief Josh Bragg, in this year’s Snowflake 100. Then on Sunday, December 2nd, Grill will run Stanley Smith’s No. 49 Super Late Model in the 45th Annual Snowball Derby.

Even though he has so much success in his own No. 112 cars, Grill’s entries in both races will still be GARC chassis and will allow him more time at home and in his Alabama shop to prepare customers’ rides for Snowball weekend.

“I talked with a guy who works for Stanley Smith about a month and a half ago and he kind of threw out an opportunity to drive Stanley’s car at the Snowball,� said Grill. “At the time, we were planning to run our own car, so I shot him down. Over the next couple days, I thought about it some more and the better it sounded.

“Last year leading up to the Snowball, for about six weeks I worked about 10 or 11 hours a day, seven days a week. I didn’t want that to happen again this year. I didn’t get to see my son at all for six weeks. I just know leading up to the Snowball we’re going to get busier and busier, so I’m just preparing myself for that. I’m not going to have my own car for the Snowball or the Snowflake, but i’m going to be in just as good of equipment as I would if it was my own.�

Grill had been a friend and a business partner to NASCAR team owner Steve Turner over the years and Grill, through Grand American Race Cars, had built cars for Turner Motorsports’ Late Model efforts. Grill worked a deal to run a Turner Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry at Iowa Speedway earlier this year. In exchange, Turner was going to put NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point leader James Buescher in Grill’s Pro Late Model for the Snowflake 100.

A scheduling conflict will prevent Buescher from competing in the Snowflake, but it opened the seat up for Ruston.

“Steve threw Kenzie’s name out there and I thought it’d be a great idea,� added Grill. “She’s going to be driving some bigger-car stuff for him next year, so it’s going to put her in hopefully a winning car for the Snowflake. She seems really excited. We’ll put her in a good piece and she’ll have just as good of a shot as I’d have.

“The car was new at the Snowflake last year and we’ve run seven or eight races with it this year and won I think four. It’s an awful good car. She’ll have as good of an opportunity as anybody to win that race.�

Ruston is expected to announce her 2013 plans soon, but in the meantime will be pulling double duty during Snowball weekend. She’ll pilot her usual No. 39 Super Late Model in the Snowball Derby in addition to the Grill No. 112 Snowflake entry.

“Ever since I started racing, Augie has always been one of the main guys to beat on the race track," said Ruston. "To be able to work with him and get behind the wheel of his car is a true honor. I can’t thank Steve Turner enough for this opportunity. To have him believe in me to make this opportunity happen means a lot to me and my career.�

With Ruston in his usual car, Grill will be able to race against his regular ride in the Snowflake 100 in the Bragg's Pro Late Model.

“The day we finalized my Truck race opportunity, they happened to be at the shop that day. Right off the bat, they said, ‘Why don’t you run our Pro car?’ Lo and behold they just came in, we shook hands and I’m driving their car.�

Like Grill’s, Ruston’s opportunity in this year’s Snowflake will be a departure of the norm.

“There’s definitely a lot of pressure getting behind the wheel of the defending Snowflake-winning car," said Ruston. "I’ve never driven a GARC car before, but every time we’ve shown up to Pensacola, they are the ones to beat. To have the oppoturnity to drive not only a GARC car, but their ‘house car’ for the Snowflake is a true honor and I can’t thank everyone enough.�

By not running his own cars in Pensacola this Snowball Derby weekend, Grill will be able to spend a few more hours at home with his wife Courtney and young son Owen, but he will still spend his shop time getting his customers’ rides ready for success if he can’t get it himself behind the wheel.

“It’s not really any different than what I’ve normally done," added Grill. "Before I started driving, that’s all I ever did was prepare cars. I’ve been going to the racetrack more with people this year just trying to stay up on things. I want us to be on top of things that we need to be on top of.�

The 45th Annual Snowball Derby weekend kicks off with Speed51.com’s Snowball Derby Kickoff Party at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s on Mobile Highway in Pensacola, Florida on Tuesday, November 27th. Five Flags Speedway’s track activities begin Wednesday, November 28th with the Green Flag Party in the infield, Snowball Derby and Snowflake 100 tech and the qualifying draw. On-track action kicks off Thursday, November 29th with practice, kicking off a busy weekend that leads up to the Allen Turner Hyundai Snowflake 100 on Saturday, December 1st or the 45th Annual Snowball Derby on Sunday, December 2nd.

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