Article from Five Flags Website/Top 2 DQ'd

[Snowball]

Clay Rogers takes Snowball Derby® win from third after Brazier and Gill DQ'd

 

Snowball Derby® winner Johnny Brazier and runner-up Bobby Gill were disqualified in postrace inspection following the race Sunday night at Five Flags Speedway.That gave the victory to Clay Rogers, who had finished third.

 

Rogers was the USAR Hooters ProCup champion.

 

Brazier led the final 83 laps to take the checkered flag. He led four times for 122 laps.

 

With the DQs, Steven Wallace, the 2004 winner, finished second, Panama City's Ryan Crane was third, Jeremy Rice was fourth and Shaun McWhirter was fifth.

 

Incredibly, the final 70 laps were run under green-flag conditions, something that has never happened in a Snowball Derby® in recent memory. Most drivers still had a set of new tires that they never had a chance to put on.

 

Brazier last pitted for fresh tires on Lap 172. He took the lead for good on Lap 219, passing Cassius Clark. The final caution came out two laps later, but most of the lead-lap cars stayed on the track.

 

When racing resumed, Brazier lapped 14 different cars over the final 70 laps.

 

Only nine drivers finished on the lead lap. Brazier led the first 12. Cale Gale passed him for the lead. The first caution came out on Lap 33 when two lap cars spun in front of Gale. Pensacola's Donald Long, who was running fifth at the time, crashed trying to avoid the spin and finished 38th.

 

Brazier moved back to the front, passing Gale. One lap later, Gale's rear end broke as Brian Scott and Wayne Niedecken were passing him. Gale hit Scott, who turned into Niedecken, who suffered heavy front-end damage and still finished 20th.

 

When Brazier pitted on Lap 72, Josh Hamner took the lead and held it for seven laps until Clark took the lead.

 

Clark held the lead until Lap 110 when Gill, the Snowball Derby®'s alltime lap leader, passed him. Brazier grabbed the lead again, passing Gill on Lap 151. Then Brazier made what turned out to be his final pit stop on Lap 172, giving the lead to Wallace, who stayed out.

 

Wallace, who started last in the field, held the lead until Rogers took the point on Lap 185.

 

Four laps later, a caution that took out Mercer, brought out pit stops by Rogers, Gill and Wallace. That put Joey Senter on the point, with Brazier in sixth. It took 18 laps for Brazier to race from sixth to first.

 

On the final restart, Rogers was sixth and moved to second with 50 laps left. With about 30 to go he closed in on Brazier, who was busy lapping cars. Then Rogers tires went away and Brazier pulled away.

 

39th Snowball Derby®

1. Clay Rogers, Mooresville, N.C., 300

2. Steven Wallace, Mooresville, N.C., 300

3. Ryan Crane, Panama City, 300

4. Jeremy Rice, Royston, Ga., 300

5. Shaun McWhirter, Mount Forest, Ontario, 300

6. Joey Senter, Jefferson, Ga., 300

7. Jeff Fultz, Mooresville, N.C., 300

8. Brian Scott, Boise, Idaho, 299

9. Scott Carlson, Pensacola, 299

10. Johnny Clark, Farmingdale, Maine, 299

11. Jay Middleton, Lake City, 299

12. Randy Gentry, Easley, S.C., 299

13. Chris Gabehart, Indianapolis, 299

14. Grant Enfinger, Montrose, Ala., 299

15. Cassius Clark, Farmington, Maine, 299

16. Jack Landis, Edgerton, Ohio, 299

17. Ryan Foster, Lowell, Ark., 298

18. Wayne Niedecken Jr., Pensacola, 298

19. David Hole, Cumming, Ga., 298

20. Jason Young, Magnolia, Texas, 298

21. Jeff Choquette, Loxahatchee, Fla., 298

22. David Rogers, Orlando, 298

23. Dwayne Buggay, Woodstock, Ga., 263

24. J.R. Norris, Mulga, Ala, 226

25. Dave Mader III, Irvington, Ala., 219

26. Tim Curry, Allegan, Mich., 219

27. Stanley Smith, Chelsea, Ala., 209

28. Josh Hamner, Chelsea, Ala., 195

29. Eddie Mercer, Pensacola, 191

30. Augie Grill, Birmingham, Ala., 179

31. Tim Martin, Amite, La., 169

32. Clay Jones, Goldsboro, N.C., 149

33. Hunter Robbins, Montgomery, Ala., 73

34. Cale Gale, Irvington, Ala., 67

35. Ryan Sieg, Tucker, Ga., 43

36. Donald Long, Pensacola, 34

37. Buckshot Jones,Royston, Ga., 33

Johnny Brazier, Lickskillet, Ala., DQ

Bobby Gill, Concord, N.C., DQ

 

Race statistics: Margin of victory 4.846 seconds; cautions: 12 for 106 laps;

time of race: 2 hours, 38.02 seconds; Fastest lap: Johnny Brazier 17.696 on Lap

225; 11 lead changes among 8 drivers; lap leaders: Brazier 1-12; Gale 13-58,

Brazier 59-74; Hamner 75-81; C.Clark 82-109; Gill 110-150; Brazier 151-171;

Wallace 172-177; Rogers 178-191; Senter 192-216; Brazier 217-300