NASCAR Cup Series

Elliott wins prestigious Snowball Derby

Published Dec. 5, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The next generation of racing talent took over at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., Sunday in the 44th Snowball Derby.

Chase Elliott, the 16-year-old son of NASCAR champion Bill Elliott and a development driver for Hendrick Motorsports, took the victory in a hard-fought battle at the track. He held off 19-year-old Daren Vanderley by .229-second, the closest finish in the prestigious Late Model race’s history, according to the Snowball Derby web site.

Ross Kenseth, the 18-year-old son of NASCAR champion Matt Kenseth, finished third. NASCAR part-time Sprint Cup driver Landon Cassill and Heath Hindman rounded out the top five.

Past winners of the race include current NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch and Steven Wallace as well as past racer Donnie Allison and NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Darrell Waltrip.