Eckes Prevails in Snowball Derby Thriller
Christian Eckes Crowned Snowball Derby 2016 Champion
A year before reaching its historic milestone, the 49th Snowball Derby was beset with the worst weather in event history. It forced an unprecedented two-day delay with the race, originally scheduled for a Sunday start, to wait until yesterday for the green flag.
However, for winner, sixteen-year-young Christian Eckes, a New York native and JR Motorsports prodigy, the agonizing delay produced elation.
“I can’t even believe I’m standing here right now,” Eckes said in Victory Lane. “I thought our day was over when we had that incident down the backstretch. Man, I just can’t believe this. This is the Snowball Derby and this is just crazy.”
Eckes made an inside move to pass fellow rising star, nineteen-year-old John Hunter Nemechek, exiting Turn four on the second-to-final lap Tuesday. He then won a nose-to-nose duel at the finish line to pull off a stunning victory at Five Flags Speedway.
These two talented drivers switched leads four times the final two whirls around the famed, half-mile oval. Nemecheck won the 2014 Snowball Derby at age of seventeen.
“He made the crossover move pretty much one corner earlier than I did,” Nemechek said. “I should have backed off and held him to the outside and he wouldn’t have got to me. But heck of a race. I can’t thank all the fans enough for coming out on a Tuesday. This is awesome to be able to put on such a close finish for you guys. That’s how you win a race right there. He showed what he could do and rubbin is racing.”
The separation was 0.017 of a second, the closest in Snowball Derby history. The previous blink-of-eye finish was 1998 when five-time Snowball Derby winner Rich Bickle Jr. held off Gary St. Amant. Bickle is the only driver to win it five times.
Thrilled for @christianeckes and the Eurys on the #SnowballDerby win! The two Tonys know how to get it done.— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) December 7, 2016
#SnowballDerby: @christianeckes couldn't even stand after winning the Snowball Derby. On-demand recap on 51: https://t.co/PnxD1wrKEu pic.twitter.com/WzzmUHcNO7— Speed51.com (@speed51dotcom) December 7, 2016
— Christine Spears (@catsbluedoor) December 7, 2016
49th Annual Snowball Derby Official Results
Five Flags Speedway – Pensacola, Florida
Pos
|
#
|
Driver
|
1
|
15
|
Christian Eckes
|
2
|
8
|
John Hunter Nemechek
|
3
|
91
|
Ty Majeski
|
4
|
2W
|
Donnie Wilson
|
5
|
26S
|
Chandler Smith
|
6
|
7
|
Casey Roderick
|
7
|
82
|
Grant Enfinger
|
8
|
77
|
Zane Smith
|
9
|
5G
|
Noah Gragson
|
10
|
99L
|
Raphael Lessard
|
11
|
26
|
Bubba Pollard
|
12
|
43T
|
Derek Thorn
|
13
|
14C
|
Connor Okrzesik
|
14
|
99
|
Casey Smith
|
15
|
29
|
Spencer Davis
|
16
|
07
|
Corey LaJoie
|
17
|
4D
|
Dalton Armstrong
|
18
|
55
|
Dalton Sargeant
|
19
|
01
|
Derek Scott, Jr.
|
20
|
42
|
Chad Finley
|
21
|
51N
|
Stephen Nasse
|
22
|
9B
|
William Byron
|
23
|
98
|
Daniel Hemric
|
24
|
3
|
Kaz Grala
|
25
|
9K
|
Derek Kraus
|
26
|
97
|
Cole Anderson
|
27
|
112
|
Augie Grill
|
28
|
5
|
Jerry Artuso
|
29
|
9C
|
Jeff Choquette
|
30
|
83
|
Scotty Ellis
|
31
|
14
|
Chris Davidson
|
32
|
51
|
Christopher Bell
|
33
|
11
|
David Rogers
|
34
|
12
|
Harrison Burton
|
35
|
4
|
Kyle Plott
|
36
|
16
|
Brandon McReynolds
|
Related Posts:
- Snowball Derby Set to Start at 5 PM Today
- William Byron Takes Pole for 49th Annual Snowball Derby
- Rain Delays the Start of the Snowball Derby
- The 49th Snowball Derby Past Winners
- Short Track Champions and Winners Make Up Deep Snowball Field
- 49th Annual Snowball Derby Entry List
- 49th Annual Snowball Derby Live
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