12/7/2024
Five Flags Speedway
Chuck Corder Looks at Wins by Stickler, Salter on Friday.
Night 2: Stickler Accomplishes Snowball Derby First; Salter Swipes CS Invitational
By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter
History is made every night at the Snowball Derby.
Cody Stickler left a legacy Friday on Night 2 of the 57th annual Snowball Derby presented by FloSports. Stickler became the first driver in Derby history to capture four consecutive titles across all divisions when he successfully defended his Modifieds of Mayhem Derby 75 crown.
“Four in a row feels great,” the Central Florida driver said from Victory Lane. “It’s funny. Five years back, we were just trying get a win. Now, we’re getting fast racecars anywhere we go. These guys (his team) make me look good and make it easy on me.”
A hammer-down onslaught has been his modus operandi since his first win in 2021. This edition with a 31-car field was no different. Stickler won the pole (17.313 seconds) by nearly two-tenths of a second. After the redraw pushed him back to fourth, he shot to second when Billy Melvin struggled to get going from his outside Row 1 position as the opening green flag dropped.
Stickler took over P1 when then-leader Kaden Honeycutt—running his second of four races during Derby Week—experienced mechanical failures immediately following the 75-lapper’s first caution.
Stickler had challengers, beginning with Derrick Griffin and ending with Kyle Purvis. Both drew within a car’s length of Stickler each time the leaders encountered lapped traffic. Like clockwork, Stickler deftly maneuvered through his obstacles and maintained his advantage.
Purvis finished runner-up and Kevin Peel rounded out the podium. Griffin, the last driver to win the Modifieds Derby before Stickler began his streak, had a heroic fourth-place finish after an up-and-down night.
“We had a good hotrod,” Purvis said. “Just not as good as they were. We struggle to qualify down here, but we always have a good race piece.”
Stickler now has 15 career victories for the Modifieds of Mayhem, a touring series that annually compete at the southeast’s most iconic speedways. That number is one shy of Augie Grill’s 16 for the all-time mark.
Story & Bleich Crown Stock Invitational
There’s a new Alabama Gang just north of the Conecuh National Forest.
The Bare Minimum Racing boys took the Story & Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks division by storm in 2024 at Five Flags Speedway. The Salter Brothers from Andalusia, Ala., spearhead BMR and won three features during the regular season at Five Flags.
It seemed fitting Friday night at the 57th annual Snowball Derby presented by FloSports that the siblings could each bask in winning Story & Bleich Crown Stock Invitational.
Adam Salter, driving brother Chris Salter’s car, led nearly all 25 laps en route to the victory.
“It was hooked up,” said Adam Salter, who has now won three of the last four Crown Stocks features at Pensacola’s high banks. “We showed everybody what we’re made of tonight. We’ve had fun all week.”
Braeden Kitchen finished second and Hunter Lambert came home third.
With Adam Salter winning by more than 6 seconds, much of the attention late in the race was the battle between Kitchen and Lambert for that runner-up spot. The pair of Pensacola drivers battled door-to-door down the stretch until Kitchen was able to clear Lambert on the final lap.
“I had a blast,” Kitchen said. “Those last five laps, I thought, was the best part of the race. These Crown Vics put on a good show.”
Lambert added: “It’s always good to race somebody and race each other clean.”
Article Credit: David Kranak Photos
