12/1/2012
Five Flags Speedway
Third Time the Charm? Ragan Takes Pole for 45th Annual Snowball Derby
By Chuck Corder
David Ragan seems to be straightening out his learning curve at Five Flags Speedway.
In two previous trips to Pensacola for the annual Snowball Derby, the NASCAR veteran didn’t crack the top 15 and watched another driver celebrate in Victory Lane.
Ragan took a giant leap closer to short-track racing’s most prestigious prize by grabbing the pole for the 45th running of the 300-lap Super Late Model race at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Georgia native, who now lives in Concord, N.C., turned a fast time of 16.485 seconds to better 59 other drivers during Friday night’s qualifying.
“It’s just gratifying to come down and run with the best of the best,� said Ragan, whose run was two-tenths off the track record (16.290) set by Bubba Pollard during last year’s qualifying.
“It gets harder on Sunday.�
He knows that all-too well. Ragan finished 27th in his first appearance at the 2010 Derby when hometown driver Johanna Long hoisted the Tom Dawson trophy on a memorable Sunday.
Last year, he finished a distant18th while watching Chase Elliott outduel D.J. VanderLey for the checkered flag.
“The first two (trips), I learned a lot and I have a good feeling we’re getting better and better,� Ragan said. “We had some good preparation before we got down here.�
Ragan and 29 others punched their tickets into the Derby while another 27 were left to compete in Saturday’s last-chance races, which begin approximately at 4 p.m.
Steven Wallace, the son of NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace, was outside the top 30, but will likely avoid any anxious moments Saturday and use his provisional as a past champion (2004) to slip into Sunday.
Mike Garvey and Logan Boyett, a pair of local drivers, earned two other provisional spots by posting top-10 finishes in the Blizzard Series points standings during the regular season.
Long, who recently completed an impressive rookie season in the Nationwide Series, seemed content with her qualifying run (21st).
“We’re in the race, and that was the main thing,� she said. “There’s a lotta good guys here, so we feel fortunate to be in the race. My guys gave me a good piece to qualify in.
“We’ve got a little work to do, but we should be good.�
Elliott the defending champion hopes to be in prime position to repeat after posting a top-five lap.
The 17-year-old son of “Million Dollar� Bill Elliott is looking to become the first driver to win back-to-back Snowballs since Augie Grill did it in 2007-08.
Speaking of Grill, who qualified 13th on Friday, the fan favorite is eyeing more history tonight with a second consecutive Snowflake 100 title for the Pro Late Models tonight.
Bubba Pollard, another familiar face at Five Flags, had a fast lap of 16.592 seconds that was good enough for seventh.
But Pollard, who won the Blizzard Series track championship this season, knows the hard part begins Sunday.
“I’m glad it’s over with,� he said of qualifying. “The biggest thing is to put yourself in the top 10 and try to stay outta trouble. That was a good start to a long weekend.�
45t Annual Snowball Derby
Pole Qualifying Results
Super Late Models
Friday at Five Flags Speedway
(Top 30 are in; *earned past champion provisional; ^earned 2012 Blizzard Series provisional)
| 1 | 77 | David Ragan | 16.485 |
| 2 | 8 | John Hunter Nemechek | 16.524 |
| 3 | 41R | T.J. Reaid | 16.535 |
| 4 | 51 | Kyle Busch | 16.578 |
| 5 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 16.579 |
| 6 | 4 | Jeremy Pate | 16.587 |
| 7 | 26 | Bubba Pollard | 16.592 |
| 8 | 98 | Daniel Hemric | 16.623 |
| 9 | 4J | Erik Jones | 16.630 |
| 10 | 51N | Stephen Nasse | 16.631 |
| 11 | 0 | Brad Rogers | 16.644 |
| 12 | 22 | Hunter Robbins | 16.651 |
| 13 | 49 | Augie Grill | 16.657 |
| 14 | 29C | Jeff Choquette | 16.662 |
| 15 | 45 | Dwayne Buggay | 16.673 |
| 16 | 77 | Chuck Barnes Jr | 16.677 |
| 17 | 71 | Kyle Benjamin | 16.685 |
| 18 | 96 | Ben Kennedy | 16.695 |
| 19 | 84 | Clay Alexander | 16.703 |
| 20 | 10D | Steve Dorer | 16.721 |
| 21 | 10 | Johanna Long | 16.723 |
| 22 | 99S | Casey Smith | 16.745 |
| 23 | 5 | Nelson Piquet Jr | 16.748 |
| 24 | 2W | Donnie Wilson | 16.755 |
| 25 | 25 | Ross Kenseth | 16.765 |
| 26 | 2 | D.J. Vanderley | 16.770 |
| 27 | 11 | David Rogers | 16.793 |
| 28 | 41 | Chris Davidson | 16.797 |
| 29 | 21J | Kyle Jones | 16.802 |
| 30 | 36 | Grant Enfinger | 16.808 |
| 31 | 20 | Brian Campbell | 16.810 |
| 32 | 1 | ^Mike Garvey | 16.811 |
| 33 | 10K | Paul Kelley | 16.830 |
| 34 | 29T | Austin Theriault | 16.835 |
| 35 | 83 | Landon Cassill | 16.844 |
| 36 | 47 | Allen Karnes | 16.845 |
| 37 | 1MC | Stephan McCurley | 16.850 |
| 38 | 42 | Dennis Prunty | 16.851 |
| 39 | 56F | A.J. Frank | 16.857 |
| 40 | 29B | Anderson Bowen | 16.858 |
| 41 | 10B | Danny Bagwell | 16.860 |
| 42 | 11 | ^Logan Boyett | 16.862 |
| 43 | 23G | Dalton Grindle | 16.877 |
| 44 | 66 | *Steven Wallace | 16.921 |
| 45 | 67 | Jeff Fultz | 16.932 |
| 46 | 31 | Kyle Grissom | 16.937 |
| 47 | 73 | Cole Powell | 16.938 |
| 48 | 43 | Dennis Schoenfeld | 16.938 |
| 49 | 99 | Wayne Niedecken Jr. | 16.956 |
| 50 | 29 | Spencer Davis | 16.957 |
| 51 | 21 | Scott Carlson | 16.981 |
| 52 | 1M | Tim Martin | 17.055 |
| 53 | 39 | Kenzie Ruston | 17.058 |
| 54 | 88 | Roger Reuse | 17.064 |
| 55 | O2 | Matt Smith | 17.100 |
| 56 | 7 | Erik Darnell | 17.103 |
| 57 | 9W | Brandon Watson | 17.170 |
| 58 | 811 | Mason Mingus | 17.218 |
| 59 | 17 | Chuck Tuck | 17.242 |
| 60 | 92 | Ron McDonald | 17.773 |