Dec 05, 2009 - Augie Grill does it again! He wins Snowflake 100!

     Augie Grill continued his domination of Pro Late Model racing this season at Five Flags Speedway, winning the Allen Turner Hyndai Snowflake 100 Saturday night.  But he certainly made it exciting at the finish.

      After leading most the of last half of the race, he was passed by polesitter T.J. Reaid with four laps left before making his own pass for the lead two laps from the finish to win the prestigious Pro Late Model event.

      Now he takes that momentum in Sunday’s 42nd annual Snowball Derby as the two-time defending champion.

      “I believe we’ve got as good a car for tomorrow as we had tonight,” Grill said.  Grill was leading on the restart with five laps left when Reaid ducked low going into Turn 3 and edged into the lead at the start-finish line. That was fortunate because shortly after that, a couple of cars spun, bringing out the caution.  “I didn’t want that caution,” Grill said. “He bumped me and got me sideways and then edged in front of me. I was hoping to be able to get back by him.”

     When the race resumed, it took a couple of laps before Grill went low in Turn 4 and retook the lead. John Bolen then passed Reaid for second going into the final lap.  “He gave me all I could handle,” Grill said. “To be able to come out on top is great.”  Dwayne Buggay finished fourth, while Hunter Robbins was fifth.

     Pensacola’s Johanna Long started second and jumped out to the lead on the opening lap. Kyle Busch passed her for the lead, but then gave it back to Long two laps later.  Reaid then passed Long for the lead on Lap 15.

     Long and Busch were then eliminated on Lap 25. A couple of lap cars spun in Turn 1 in front of Reaid and Long. They both had to slow quickly and Busch piled into the back of Long, heavily damaging both cars.

     Reaid kept the lead until Grill took his first lead of the night on Lap 38. He gave it up on Lap 44 when he and most of the other top cars pitted for fresh tires.  Grill emerged out of the pits in eighth place as seven cars chose not to pit. Bolen had the lead and it took Grill just five laps to regain the lead on fresh tires.  He then held it the rest of the way until the excitement at the finish.

Snowflake 100

Augie Grill; 2. John Bolen; 3. T.J. Reaid; 4. Dwayne Buggay; 5. Hunter Robbins; 6. Ryan Blaney; 7. Kyle Sirizzotti; 8. Paul Kelley; 9. Jimmy Weller; 10. Tyler Millwood; 11. Dillon Oliver; 12. Chase Elliott; 13. Logan Boyett; 14. David Jones; 15. James Kimbrough; 16. Cale Gale; 17. Jake Kruger; 18. Keith Thorpe; 19. Ronnie Smith; 20. Elliott Massey; 21. Jack Smith; 22. Justin South; 23. Brandon Carlson; 24. Dennis Reno; 25. Brandon Odom; 26. Johanna Long; 27. Clay Alexander; 28. Daren Vanderley; 29. Kurt Jett; 30. Ryan Crane; 31. Bubba Pollard; 32. Korey Ruble; 33. Kyle Busch; 34. Scott Patton; 35. Keith English; 36. Wes Burton; 37. Brandon Bendele