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John Hunter Nemechek Readies For Snowball Derby

16-Year-Old Would Love To Claim First Win On Short Track's Biggest Stage
51 Sports / Snowball Derby PR

John Hunter Nemechek has been doing his best to carve his own niche in the stock car racing industry. With a Super Late Model track championship in 2013 and his first foray into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series under his belt in 2013, Nemechek has emerged as one of the top young stars in the sport.

Still, Nemechek hasn't scored that elusive Super Late Model victory yet. What better time and place than in the 46th annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway on December 8?

Nemechek believes he can do it.

"We've been really good, really strong all season long," said Nemechek, the son of longtime NASCAR racer Joe Nemechek. "We can show up anywhere and be fast and competitive. But man I didn't know that getting our first win would be so hard. We're still hunting it down though.

In only his second full season in a high powered Super Late Model, Nemechek has been oh-so-close so many times, but a trip to victory lane has eluded him thus far. He scored the Miller Lite Series track championship at the half-mile Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, the sister track to Pensacola, Florida's Five Flags Speedway. He parlayed the success at Mobile into a third-place finish in the Southern Super Series presented by Sunoco standings. His best finish was a runner-up showing twice at Mobile as well as two third-place finishes at Five Flags.

In the 2012 Snowball Derby, Nemechek, an Allison Legacy Series graduate, made everyone stand up and take notice when the then 15-year-old led on three different occasions for a total of 56 laps. While finishing 10th in the race, Nemechek laid the ground work for a competitive run in the 46th edition of the Derby this December.

"Leading the Snowball Derby was awesome," said Nemechek. "We had a great car last year, great pit stops all day. That was only about my eighth race ever in a Super (Late Model). We worked so hard that weekend, but wished we could've finished where we wanted to, but that doesn't always happen.

"I really look forward to going back. Hopefully we'll have a good run like last year. Winning the Snowball Derby would make all of these near-wins worth it. It's the win that we're going after. We've already got a title, but the win is what matters most. It would be amazing to add my name to the list. It's just a part of history that you want to be a part of."

In addition to his Super Late Model events, Nemechek has also made two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He scored a best finish of 16th in October in his series debut at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway in Virginia.

"It's a different feeling between a Super Late Model and the NASCAR Truck. Going from one to the other, the truck is heavy, very top heavy and the Super you can run as hard as you want. They're two totally different things and you have to know what you have to do when you're in each one of them."

Entry forms for the 46th Annual Snowball Derby presented by JEGS and the Allen Turner Hyundai Snowflake 100 are currently available on the official website of the Snowball Derby, www.snowballderby.com.

The 46th Annual Snowball Derby presented by JEGS weekend kicks off on Wednesday, December 4 with the Cat Country / WEAR TV 3 Green Flag Party at Five Flags Speedway. On-track action begins Thursday, December 5 with practice for the Snowball Derby Super Late Models and the Snowflake 100 Pro Late Models as well as feature action for the Five Flags Butler U-Pull-It Bomber and Beef-O-Brady's Sportsman divisions.

Friday, December 6th is WXBM 103.7 Pole Night for the Snowball Derby cars as drivers try to lock themselves into Sunday's starting field. More practice for all Late Model cars and feature events for the track's Super Stock and Modified divisions.

Saturday holds qualifying and the main event for the Allen Turner Snowflake 100 as well as the first-ever appearance of the Pro Truck division during Snowball Derby weekend.

It all leads up to the most prestigious asphalt short track race in the country, the 46th Annual Snowball Derby presented by JEGS on Sunday, December 8. The Snowball Derby will pay $22,500 to the winner, plus additional available bonuses.

For ticket and camping information, a detailed Snowball Derby weekend schedule and more, visit www.snowballderby.com

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