Despite Front End Damage, Grill Pulls Away Late to Score First Snowball Triumph

Augie Grill has been around the Snowball Derby since the first time he was carried into Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL as a one-month-old son of Derby car owner Frankie Grill in 1976.  He had been to victory lane in the Snowball Derby two times with family-owned cars, but both times as a crew member on Wayne Anderson and Butch Lindley's efforts.

But in the 40th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags on Sunday, December 2nd, it was finally time for the now-31-year-old Dolomite, Alabama native to make it to victory lane as a driver of the 300-lap race.  Grill took the lead for the final time on lap 267 from defending Snowball Derby Champion Clay Rogers and checked out from the field late in the race, even despite front bumper cover damage suffered early in the going, to take the laurels as the 30th different winner of the prestigious short track event.

Grill started 14th and suffered damage to the front end of his #112 as he worked through the 39-car starting field.  Even with the damage, Grill still had a stout racecar that he was able to maneuver into the top-five.  Once up front, he was a fixture there.

Grill pulled away from the pack in the final laps while Matt Hawkins and Jeff Fultz battled for second behind him.  Hawkins, a former winner of the Allen Turner Snowflake 100 at Five Flags, edged Fultz in the last 10 laps for the runner-up spot.  Eddie Mercer, 2005 Champion of the Snowball Derby, finished fourth, while Rogers rounded out the top-five.

Josh Hamner finished sixth, while Michigan's Brian Campbell came home seventh with Ryan Foster, Scott Hantz and Jeff Choquette completing the top 10.

40th Annual Snowball Derby
Five Flags Speedway - Pensacola, FL
December 2, 2007 - Official Results

1)  #112 Augie Grill
2)  #22 Matt Hawkins
3)  #67 Jeff Fultz
4)  #72 Eddie Mercer
5)  #2 Clay Rogers
6)  #38 Josh Hamner
7)  #47 Brian Campbell
8)  #70 Ryan Foster
9)  #72H Scott Hantz
10) #92 Jeff Choquette
11) #31 Ryan Lawler
12) #17 Chris Gabehart
13) #82 Grant Enfinger
14) #14 Ken McFarland
15) #86 Mike Fritts
16) #54 Johnny Clark
17) #73 Korey Ruble
18) #12 Justin Drawdy
19) #44 Gary Helton
20) #24 J.R. Roahrig
21) #99L Dale Little
22) #27 Jason Young
23) #81 Roger Reuse
24) #30 Dave Mader III
25) #48 Cecil Chunn
26) #1 Tim Martin
27) #18 Hunter Robbins
28) #99s Casey Smith
29) #84 Wayne Anderson
30) #10 Ryan Crane
31) #21 Scott Carlson
32) #83 Cale Gale
33) #8 Cassius Clark
34) #91 Heath Hindman
35) #11 Donald Long
36) #39 Ryan Sieg
37) #98 Bill Tutchtone II
38) #7 Gary St. Amant
39) #5 Bobby Gill

Race statistics: Average speed of race 56.015 mph.
Cautions: 16 for 121 laps.
12 lead changes among 8 drivers.
Lap leaders: Hawkins 1-58
Mercer 59-96
Rogers 97-155
Crane 156-163
Hawkins 164-179
Fritts 180
Hantz 181-188
Hawkins 189-214
Grill 215-247
Enfinger 248-260
Rogers 261-264
Grill 265-300