Both Sammy Smith and Carson Hocevar will not be advancing to the 56th Annual Snowball Derby, after getting together during Sunday’s Last Chance Qualifier at Five Flags Speedway.
The incident occurred with 30 laps remaining in the 50-lap shootout, as Augie Grill, Carson Hocevar, and Sammy Smith all battled for the final two transfer positions. As Hocevar, driving the No. 14, entered the corner, contact was made with Grill, sending both drivers up the racetrack.
.@sammysmithSS and @CarsonHocevar wreck battling hard for the final transfer spot to the 56th Annual Snowball Derby. Watch the Last Chance Qualifier now on https://t.co/S4MfBeKHSa. pic.twitter.com/GXrt2AGvUj
— Racing America (@RacingAmerica) December 3, 2023
Sitting just behind the battle for third, Smith stuck his nose inside of Hocevar, resulting in the two NASCAR stars making contact at the exit of the fourth corner, slamming the No. 22 into the inside wall.
Whether it was mechanical, frustration, or just physics, the contact continued further down the frontstretch, as the drivers continued to beat and bang, further damaging both cars, and their chances at advancing to the main event.
Ultimately, the damage and track position was too much to overcome, as both drivers finished outside the top-10 in the Last Chance Qualifier and will therefore officially miss the 2023 Snowball Derby.
With the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) complete, now just the Snowball Derby remains for Sunday’s on-track broadcast coverage – which you can find exclusively on Racing America.
