The Scoop
PAST SNOWBALL WINNERS BICKLE, MAJESKI LEAD WISCONSIN CONVOY TO 54TH ANNUAL SNOWBALL DERBY
Posted on: Wednesday November 24, 2021
Rich Bickle is looking to wrap up his short track racing career with a bang down in Pensacola, Florida December 2-5.
The Edgerton, Wisconsin native, who’s won the most Snowball Derby races with five victories, leads the Wisconsin contingent of drivers headed to the sunshine state for the 54th running of one of the biggest short track late model races on pavement in the United States at Five Flags Speedway Sunday, December 5.
Joining Bickle in the Wisconsin entourage to Florida is the defending race winner – Ty Majeski of Seymour. Bickle and Majeski are the only two active racers entered in the event who are past winners from Wisconsin.
Bickle’s first Snowball Derby win came in 1990 with his last Snowball victory taking place in 1999.
“Other than paving the front straightaway the track itself really hasn’t changed much over the years,” admitted Bickle. “It’s still the same ‘ol great racetrack that we’ve had a lot of success on.”
Odds are good that there won’t be many other competitors for Bickle to trade paint with at the Snowball who were around when he ran his first Snowball in 1989. “It’s crazy because when I won the Joe Shear Classic at (Madison International Speedway) somebody told me I was the only guy racing that day who actually raced against Joe (Shear) and he passed away in 1998,” Bickle explained. “We’re actually bringing down the same car we won that race with back in May.”
Rich Bickle, the winningest driver in Snowball Derby history, will compete in the 54th annual event at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida December 2-5.
Bickle pocketed a $10,000 payday with the Joe Shear Classic victory and fattened his wallet to the tune of $15,000 with his win at Dells Raceway Park in the Jim Sauter Classic 200. “Honestly though I couldn’t even tell you what this year’s Snowball Derby pays to win,” Bickle confessed. “No matter what it is it won’t compare to the big payday I got down there in ’99.”
Bickle referred to a $100,000 bonus he received after winning the Snowball Derby with a six-figure bonus he collected by winning a preliminary feature earlier that summer at the track. “When we added up all the winnings and contingencies that year winning that race in ’99 we took home something like $142,000 in cash and product,” Bickle recalled. “1999 was a good year for us short tracking.”
The 60-year-old Bickle isn’t shy about his feelings about a few modern-day teenage short track racers, some of whom aren’t afraid to apply the ‘chrome horn’ if it means winning at all costs. However, Bickle has a lot of respect for one of Wisconsin’s own – 17-year-old Luke Fenhaus of Wausau.
Fenhaus, who captured super late model track titles at Slinger Super Speedway and Dells Raceway Park in ’21, also won the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. “I like Luke,” Bickle said. “He drives you clean and shows respect. He could have taken me out this year at Madison this year and he didn’t. I wish all those younger kids would race like Luke does. Problem is nowadays these kids are pulling shenanigans on the track because they know nobody is going to go over and punch them in the nose when they have it coming. Heck in 1989 I lost to Rick Crawford in the Snowball Derby by only three feet at the line. I could have dialed him, but I didn’t. That’s because drivers back then collectively seemed to respect one another more. Short track racing is a much different sport these days and truthfully, I’m glad I’m done with it after this race. I’ve done all I can do. Unless somebody comes up with some big-time sponsors for me or I win the lottery Snowball Derby will be it for me.”
2021 Kulwicki Driver Development Program champion Luke Fenhaus of Wausau, Wisconsin will make his Snowball Derby debut in ’21. (Luke Fenhaus Racing FB page photo)
For Fenhaus, a Snowball Derby win would be the ultimate icing on the cake for one of the Midwest’s hottest short track pavement stars. “Winning the Snowball would be huge and would give us some great momentum heading into the 2022 season,” Fenhaus admitted. “I’ve only been there to watch it. The track itself doesn’t really compare to anything I’ve got a ton of laps on up here in the Midwest. While some teams maybe struggle to find good pit crew help I’m lucky and thankful we surround ourselves with a lot of real good family help, which is what makes our team so special and unique.”
Majeski will be debuting something brand new at the Snowball – the first ever Toby Car designed and built by his crew chief Toby Nuttleman. “It will be dubbed chassis number 001,” Majeski explained. “Previously we always took Lefthander chassis down there. But this car is something we built in our shop from the ground up. We’ve got our own frontend geometry built into it. The goal is to continue selling that chassis brand in the future.”
Ty Majeski, posing here with crew chief/car builder Toby Nuttleman, will debut a brand new Toby Car at the ’21 Snowball Derby. (Brian Schmitt photo)
The defending race champion relishes the competition he’ll face at the Snowball. “This race really is the Super bowl of short track racing,” Majeski said. “To me it carries the most prestige and also draws a lot of NASCAR drivers to it too.”
Majeski’s take on track surface itself? “Being so close to the beach you get that sand that is in the air and over time it wears on the surface,” Majeski explained. “The weather wears the pavement down to seashells and rocks. It’s not filled in with any pavement. So, no other short track really compares to it.”
The field of drivers is as diverse as you can find. Bickle may be one of the elder statesmen in the field at 60, while there will be teenage racers as well. Other grizzled, short track veterans like Waterford’s Jeff Storm admits he’s not getting any younger. It’s the prestige of the big event that draws Storm to sunny Florida in December for this big event. “I’ve been to this race a few times and my car owner really wanted to give this one a shot,” Storm admitted. “The expense involved is pretty high for us though.”
According to Storm the tire bill alone to run the Snowball Derby can reach $6,500 for 12 sets of tires total. “Throw in travel, lodging and dining and I’m really afraid to add it all up,” Storm joked. “We basically have a brand-new car for the Derby we’re throwing together.”
Another one of the Badger state’s top asphalt pilots in recent years – Casey Johnson – boasts a most impressive resume with multiple track and series titles under his belt. Adding a Snowball Derby title is one notch the Edgerton driver would love to put in his proverbial championship belt. “The Snowball Derby is like the Daytona 500 to a short track racer like me, so not only would it be huge for the season it would be a career win no doubt,” Johnson said. “I’ll be running for Travis Dassow. We’ve raced together the last couple years and Travis has built a brand-new Reed racecar to take to the (Snowball) Derby.”
In recent seasons Johnson has battled against many of the same southern state-based pilots he’ll face at the Snowball Derby. “I wouldn’t say the styles are a ton different and everything meshes well for the most part when we race against each other,” Johnson pointed out. “As far as the track at Five Flags goes its more of a mix of Madison with the grip level of Plover after a few laps anyway after the tires wear off.”
For John DeAngelis of Cedarburg, the commitment to run the Snowball Derby is one that involves not only quite a bit of money but also time away from work. “It takes a lot of funding because you’re away from work for five or six days,” DeAngelis pointed out. “The race alone calls for four sets of tires not including practice sets, race fuel, lodging food etc. To break even you pretty much must win the race. If anyone says they are doing it cheaper than that I’d like to see it when everything gets factored in.”
According to DeAngelis, the car rules are fairly like what he runs in the Midwest with a handful of minor differences. “Up north we run two barrel (carburetors) and down south we run four barrels,” DeAngelis explained. “I wish we had run four barrels up here and make the cars faster and put more work into the driver versus just the car itself.”
Many feel the driving styles differ among the short track ranks when you cross the Mason-Dixon line. “At a track like Five Flags it’s a tougher driving style because you have to hit the perfect mark lap after lap,” DeAngelis said. “The racing surface is super abrasive and eats tires up so throttle control and car control is huge down there. It doesn’t compare to any track really in the Upper Midwest in my opinion.
This show brings the toughest and most competitive drivers together throughout the entire nation. Top drivers from California, Canada, the Northeast and the Midwest all capable of winning the race. And in the end, there is only one winner. But just making the race is an accomplishment itself.”
Stratford, Wisconsin native and NASCAR truck series regular Derek Kraus is another Badger state racer who’ll throw his hat in the ring at the Snowball Derby. “I estimate I’ve got maybe 1,000 laps of racing at Five Flags,” said Kraus, who will field a Chevrolet owned by Todd Nagel.
SNOWBALL DERBY NOTEBOOK – Grand Marsh’s Ted Musgrave captured the Snowball Derby in 1988 and is the only other Wisconsin native to win the traditional December race. Johnson and DeAngelis will both be pulling double duty as the pair are also entered in the Snowflake 100 for Pro late models. Lomira’s Nick Egan is also entered in the Snowflake 100. The track opens for pit haulers Wednesday, December 1 with practice beginning Thursday, December 2 and preliminary events and support divisions competing Friday and Saturday nights December 3 and December 4, respectively. The winner of the 300-lap feature will receive a prize of $25,000. The event will be broadcast via pay-per-view on Speed51.tv. You can learn more about the event at the website 5flagsspeedway.com.
Snowball Derby® Winners Roster
1968 Wayne Niedecken
1969 Friday Hassler
1970 Wayne Niedecken
1971 Dickie Davis
1972 Ed Howe
1973 Dickie Davis
1974 Pete Hamilton
1975 Donnie Allison
1976 Darrell Waltrip
1977 Ronnie Sanders
1978 Dave Mader III
1979 Freddy Fryar
1980 Gary Balough
1981 Freddy Fryar
1982 Gene Morgan
1983 Mickey Gibbs
1984 Butch Lindley
1985 Jody Ridley
1986 Gary Balough
1987 Butch Miller
1988 Ted Musgrave
1989 Rick Crawford
1990 Rich Bickle Jr
1991 Rich Bickle Jr
1992 Gary St Amant
1993 Bobby Gill
1994 Tammy Jo Kirk
1995 Jeff Purvis
1996 Rich Bickle Jr
1997 Bobby Gill
1998 Rich Bickle Jr
1999 Rich Bickle Jr
2000 Gary St Amant
2001 Wayne Anderson
2002 Ricky Turner
2003 Charlie Bradberry
2004 Steven Wallace
2005 Eddie Mercer
2006 Clay Rogers
2007
2008 Augie Grill
2009 Kyle Busch
2010 Johanna Long
2011 Chase Elliott
2012 Erik Jones
2013 Erik Jones
2014 John Hunter Nemechek
2015 Chase Eliott
2016 Christian Eckes
2017 Kyle Busch
2018 Noah Gragson
2019 Travis Braden
2020 Ty Majeski
2021 Snowball Derby Entries:
08 – Jace Hansen
1 – Michael House
9 – Brandon Watson
10 – Ryan Crane
12G – Derek Griffith
13 – Cassius Clark
14 – Carson Hocevar
14 – Connor Okrzesik
18 – Chase Purdy
18 – Hunter Robbins
2– John Bolen
21 – Jeff Choquette
21 – Jesse Love
21 – Derek Kraus Stratford, WI
22 – Mike Garvey
25 – Casey Roderick
25 – Jeff Storm Waterford, WI
26 – Bubba Pollard
26 – Chandler Smith
26 – Jack Smith
32 – Grant Enfinger
35 – Jake Garcia
36 – Dan Fredrickson
4 – Erik Jones
4 – Kyle Plott
4 – Luke Fenhaus Wausau, WI
43 – Daniel Dye
43 – Derek Thorn
45 – Kodie Conner
45 – Rich Bickle Edgerton, WI
48 – Preston Peltier
5 – Casey Johnson Edgerton, WI
51 – Jake Finch
51 – Sammy Smith
51 – Michael Atwell
51 – Stephen Nasse
53 – Cole Butcher
53 – Boris Jurkovic
54 – Matt Craig
62 – Lee Tissot
69 – Michael Hinde
6cr – Ryan Preece
7 – John DeAngelis Cedarburg, WI
7 – Paul Shaffer Jr.
75 – Jeremy Doss
78 – Corey Heim
79 – Kyle Bryant
81 – Jett Noland
88 – Perry Patino
91 – Ty Majeski Seymour, WI
96 – Kaden Honeycutt
99 – Casey Smith