“50 for 50� is a new series on Speed51.com that will tell the 50 best stories to have ever come out of the Snowball Derby. The stories will focus on the legendary tales of the event as we prepare for the 50th Annual Snowball Derby on December 3.
Many have tried but only a select few have succeeded at the Snowball Derby. Some of the biggest names in the racing world have failed to win the Tom Dawson Trophy and the list of those who haven’t won the race is almost as impressive as those who have. Below are the 10 biggest names who, despite their best efforts, have never won the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway (FL).
Red Farmer
Starts: 32
Top Fives: 1
Top 10s: 4
Best Finish: 2nd (1987)
Farmer saw the green flag 32 times, but he never saw the checkered flag first in the Snowball Derby. In 1968, he was leading when his car went over the wall. He would have many more chances, but the best he could do was a second in 1987. That just happened to be his only top-five run in the prestigious race.
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David Rogers races with Ross Kenseth during the 2014 Snowball Derby. (Speed51.com photo)[/caption]
David Rogers
Starts: 31
Top Fives: 1
Top 10s: 8
Best Finish: 4th (1979)
Another short track ironman, David Rogers, has hit the 31 mark when it comes to Snowball Derby starts. Rogers was fourth in 1979 which was his best career finish in the race. Over the years, he has logged eight top-10 finishes and he’s still active. Rogers has entered this year’s Snowball Derby and could tie Red Farmer this season for most starts.
Bobby Allison
Starts: 17
Top Fives: 4
Top 10s: 8
Best Finish: 2nd (1968)
One of the founding members of the Alabama Gang, Bobby Allison had 17 starts in the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway. His best run came in the first race when he finished second to Wayne Niedecken in 1968. Despite three other top-five runs and eight top-10 runs, Allison never won the Derby.
In 1975, Allison won the pole for the race but lost a lap after an altercation with Ronnie Sanders; that day his brother Donnie won the race.
Rusty Wallace
Starts: 9
Top Fives: 3
Top 10s: 4
Best Finish: 2nd (1979 and 1985)
1982 pole winner
Wallace was a short track ace before his NASCAR days and the Derby was a perfect example of that. In 1979 and 1985, he came home the runner-up. In all, he had three podium finishes but never ended up at the top of the podium at the Snowball Derby. Wallace was always fast at Five Flags Speedway, and that proved to be especially true in 1982 when he claimed the pole. In 2004, Wallace watched his son Steve win the Snowball Derby, a first for the Wallace family.
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Junior Niedecken is regular at Five Flags, most notably in the Pro Late Model division. (Speed51.com photo)[/caption]
