Augie Grill Claims Ninth Career Snowball Derby Weekend Win in Outlaw 50

For the ninth time in his career - and the first time in the Faith Chapel Outlaws - Augie Grill is a winner on Snowball Derby weekend.

A two-time winner of the premier Super Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway, Grill took the lead on a late restart from Carter Taylor, then held off Logan Boyett in the closing laps for an emotional victory. Along with adding to his impressive Derby resume, Grill returned to victory lane after sharing earlier this season he had been diagnosed with cancer in June.

Despite all of that, and a trying Saturday that saw him miss out on a last-minute attempt to make the Snowball Derby and finish 26th in the Snowflake 100, Grill had plenty of reason to celebrate at the end of the night.

“I have to thank Sam [Parsons] a lot," said Grill in victory lane. "He’s actually trying to sell this car, and I told him it might be a good idea if we came down here and won the race. It might could sell. We did the first part, hopefully we can get it sold for him.

“The thing wasn’t that good at the start. It was really bad, actually. I think I fell back to eighth there. We just kept chugging along, and it finally started to come to me. That last run there was the best it was the whole race.

“It caps off a disappointing weekend for us, but this makes it better.”

Saturday's win gives Grill nine total Derby weekend wins. Along with the two Snowball Derby wins, he is also a three-time Snowflake 100 winner and three-time Modifieds winner.

“Winning a race down here on this weekend in four different kinds of cars is kind of cool. I don’t think anyone else can say they’ve done that. That’s nine wins now on Snowball weekend. That’s a pretty good accomplishment, I think.”

Like Grill, Boyett felt his car wasn't very strong until the end of the race. He hoped to give Grill more of a challenge for the win, but was also thrilled to see the veteran celebrating.

“The best thing that happened to us was that restart on the outside in fourth place," said Boyett. "This thing just woke up. I like being on the outside, anyways.

“I hoped I wouldn’t have slipped as much as I did on the outside of Augie. That would have been really great to run those last five laps like that. It’s great racing together like that. It’s been a long time since he and I have gotten to race like that. He means a lot to me, as he does to everyone else in this pit area. Glad to see him out here.”

Bubba Winslow finished third, followed by Gary Goodwin and Carter Taylor.

-Photo credit: Will Bellamy, Racing America

Faith Chapel Outlaws Snowball Derby 50 Results