Brian Ickler Disqualified from 41^st Annual Event Win, Giving Title to Grill Again

 

PENSACOLA, FL (December 8, 2008) – Augie Grill won his second straight Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida on Sunday night.  Grill actually finished the 41^st annual edition of the race in the second position, but was awarded the victory after Brian Ickler’s car was found to have unapproved tire cooling fans.

 

Grill started the race in the 38^th position and steadily worked his way through the pack to become a race contender.  He led the middle stages of the race, but found himself with some ground to make up after the final pit stops.  During the last dozen laps of the race, Grill gained ground on Ickler on the racetrack, but came a little bit short of catching him.

 

Approximately two hours after the race, Grill received word of his victory and celebrated with a small group of fans, family, friends and crewmembers as the trophy was placed on top of his car in the technical inspection area at Five Flags Speedway.

 

The Alabama driver, who is the son of famed car builder Frankie Grill, has secured a place in the history books by becoming only the eighth multi-time winner in the history of the Derby.  Grill joins Rich Bickle, Gary St. Amant, Freddie Fryar, Wayne Niedecken, Dickie Davis, Bobby Gill and Gary Balough on that list.  Only Bickle, who won the event in 1990, 1991, 1998 and 1999, has won the race in back-to-back years like Grill now has.

 

“That is unbelievable,” said Grill.  “I think that only Rich Bickle has done that before, so it is pretty neat.  It is very special for sure.”

 

Grill had plenty of competition for the race victory.  More than 60 cars entered the Derby this year, so just making the show was an accomplishment.  Once the green flag dropped, there were only six different drivers that led laps during the actual 300-lap race.  Grant Enfinger started on the pole position and led the first 71 circuits.  Other leaders were Ickler, Eddie Mercer, Heath Hindman and Wayne Anderson.

 

With the change in technical inspection, Enfinger now moves up to second place in the finishing order.  He was followed in the rundown by Matt Hawkins, Shane Sieg, Bubba Pollard, David Rodgers, Hunter Robbins, Dennis Schoenfeld, Heath Hindman and Paul Kelley.

 

The 41^st Annual Snowball Derby concludes the 2008 racing season at Five Flags Speedway.

 

For more information on the Blizzard Series and the 41^st Annual Snowball Derby event, contact Matt Kentfield at (704) 788-2134 x 5 and visit www.fiveflagsspeedway.com and www.snowballderby.com

 

Official Results

1st) #112 - Augie Grill

2nd) #82 Grant Enfinger

3rd) #22 Matt Hawkins

4th) #52 Shane Sieg

5th) #26 Bubba Pollard

6th) #11 David Rodgers

7th) #6 Hunter Robbins

8th) #43 Dennis Schoenfeld

9th) #91 Heath Hindman

10th) #23 Paul Kelley

11th) #2 John Bolen

12th) #51H Alex Haase

13th) #54 Johnny Clark

14th) #51 Ryan Preece

15th) #98 Justin Wakefield

16th) #0 David Hole

17th) #31 Tyler Millwood

18th) #21 Scott Carlson

19th) #66 Benny Gordon

20th) #7 Gary St. Amant

21st) #82W Donnie Wilson

22nd) #38H Josh Hamner

23rd) #70 Joey Senter

24th) #72 Scott Hantz

25th) #84 Wayne Anderson

26th) #39 Ryan Sieg

27th) #94 Mitch Cobb

28th) #44 Gary Helton

29th) #10L Johanna Long

30th) #27 Jason Young

31st) #1 Eddie Mercer

32nd) #11L Donald Long

33rd) #49 Stanley Smith

34th) #1M Tim Martin

35th) #67 Jeff Fultz

36th) #41 Chris Davidson

37th) #10C Ryan Crane

38th) #90 Tim Curry

39th) #99S Casey Smith

40th) #02 Matt Smith

DQ) #15 Brian Ickler