Matt Hawkins Scores Another Podium in Snowball Derby

Hawkins Races Up Front for 300 Laps for Third Place Finish in Pensacola, FL

Before Matt Hawkins made a name for himself national touring series’ such as the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series and the ARCA RE/MAX Series, he was a standout in the Super Late Model ranks of the Southeastern part of the country.

Hawkins is a former champion of the now-defunct Southern All-Stars Tour.  He’s won in both Super and Pro Late Model series’ and is a former winner of the prestigious Snowflake 100 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. 

But there is still one race that Hawkins wants to add to his resume – the Snowball Derby at Five Flags.  The Snowball Derby is arguably the toughest short track race in the country, but it’s one that Hawkins has fared well in during previous attempts.

Hawkins finished second in the 2007 Snowball Derby, leaving him hungry for victory in the 41st Annual event on Sunday, December 7th.  Hawkins gave the Derby everything he had, but he had to settle for a third-place finish to cap off his 2008 season.

“It feels good to know you have the car to beat,” said Hawkins.  “This weekend was tough.  Even though we finished third, we overcame so much with the sour motor in practice.  We had to change it before the race.  To come from the back was fun, but our car was definitely better last year.”

Hawkins leads a pack of hungry drivers in the 41st Annual Snowball Derby.  (Jamie Williams Photo)

Hawkins’ race almost was over before it started on Sunday, as engine problems earlier in the weekend left the Jani-King #22 team scratching their heads in search of some luck.   

With a new engine for the main event, Hawkins was a contender for the win from the drop of the green flag.  With engine problems in the rear-view mirror, Hawkins was focused on avoiding the crashes and overcoming bad luck late in the race for his podium finish.

“We came here and we wanted to win the race, we had a good car but we think a shock broke later on in the race.  At the end of the race we weren’t bad, but we weren’t a winning car at all.

“Everybody did a good job on pit stops and stayed out of the mess.  We had good car that lasted and another lap there at the end we would have finished second.  (Second-place finisher Grant) Enfinger got into me when he went by.  I caught him and I was getting ready to set him up for a pass (for second), but we were just a little short.”

Stay tuned to MattHawkins.net for updates on Matt Hawkins’ 2009 schedule.