Gragson Brings Home a Top 10 Finish at 49th Annual Snowball Derby

After two days of grueling rain delays, the green flag finally dropped on the 49th running of the Snowball Derby winter classic in Pensacola, Florida. Las Vegas superstar Noah Gragson managed to avoid several multi-car pile ups to bring home a very respectable 9th place finish. 16-year-old Christian Eckes, a JR Motorsports developmental driver, pulled a late-race pass on John Hunter Nemecheck to capture the checkered flag.

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NEWS

The separation of just 0.017 of a second is the closest finish in Snowball Derby history. The ability to squeak out a win over Nemecheck came as a total surprise to the young driver. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. This is crazy!” said Eckes, as he exited the car in Victory Lane. The surprising win came as an even bigger surprise due to Eckes not having the best car all night and only being scored for leading one lap (the final lap).

49^th Snowball Derby

Top 10

1)Christian Eckes
2)John Hunter Nemecheck
3)Ty Majeski
4)Donnie Wilson
5)Chandler Smith
6)Casey Roderick
7)Grant Enfinger
8)Zane Smith
9)Noah Gragson
10)Raphael Lessard

SPEEDVEGAS is the award-winning 100-acre motorsports complex. Guests experience the world’s most sought-after muscle cars and exotic supercars from Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, McLaren and more. The $30 million SPEEDVEGAS experience features an impressive 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Formula One-inspired racetrack comparable to top circuits in the world, and includes 12 sweeping turns, 20-degree banked turns, 60 feet of total elevation change and a half-mile straightaway. The track at SPEEDVEGAS is the only track of its kind in the world designed specifically so the public can enjoy supercar driving experiences. In addition, the 20,000-square-foot, 2-story welcome center features indoor and outdoor observation decks, food and beverage selections at a well-appointed café, meetings and event space and much more. SPEEDVEGAS is located just minutes south of the world-famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.