The LFR Driver Development Groups looks to close out its 2015 season with a win in one of the most famous short track races as the group prepares to compete in the Snowball Derby. Drivers Quin Houff, William Byron and Christian Eckes will represent the group during this year’s trip to Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.
“I look forward to the Snowball Derby each and every year but this year is going to be special for sure,” said Rob Fuller, team owener. “Our drivers and teams have worked hard all year, and now it’s time to close out the year at Pensacola. This’ll probably be the most difficult race that our drivers have entered in their young career so far. I’ve got a lot of confidence in each and every driver and crew, and I look forward to a great result in this year’s Snowball Derby. It has been special for me to watch these young drivers learn and get acclimated to these higher horsepower racecars throughout the season, and now they can apply what they have learned to making the toughest field in motorsports. There will be 80 cars looking to take one of the 30 spots available. It will be a amazing week of short track racing to say the least.”
Quin Houff looks to make his debut start at Five Flags Speedway this weekend in the Snowball Derby. Houff had a successful year racing Super Late Models this season, most recently finishing fourth in the CARS Tour Super Late Model standings with one win, five Top-5s and seven Top-10s. He also participated in a test at Pensacola last week, helping him to get a feel for the track.
“This will be my first time competing in the Snowball Derby,” stated Houff. “We tested at the track a week or so ago and that went really well. The track is tricky in the exits with lots of grip in the corners – it’s really fast. My main goal for the weekend is just to qualify in on time and not have to race my way in on a heat race. With these big events it’s just an honor to make the show, especially when you have people trying every year to make the cut. At the same time, if I were to pull off the win, it would be the biggest stepping-stone in my racing career. It’s the biggest race so far of my career.”
Also competing for the LFR Driver Development Group and making his debut Snowball Derby start is William Byron. Byron, the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Champion, competed in the 2014 Snowflake 100, which he feels has given him a firm understanding for the track.
“I have never competed in the Derby before, but having competed in the Snowflake last year I feel well prepared to go out and be competitive in this year’s big race,” said Byron. “I’m really looking forward to competing for the win in this race. I think we have the resources and team to do it, and we just need to execute all weekend. A Snowball Derby win would rank #1 as far as individual race wins. This is a huge race and it would mean a lot to not only me but also this team if we could get that win.”
Rounding out the LFR Driver Development Group line-up is Christian Eckes. Eckes recently began competing in Super Late Models and earned a Top-10 finish in the CARS Tour final race of the year at Hickory Motor Speedway. He also recently tested at Five Flags Speedway with the LFR team and looks forward to making his debut Snowball Derby start.
“This will be my first Snowball Derby and my first race over 200 laps. I’m really excited!” said Eckes. “I have never raced Pensacola before, but we tested the track last week. The track is very fast, and a lot of fun at the same time. It’s definitely a tire conservation track, so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. I would love to finish in the Top-5 and to not have a mark on the car by the end of the night. At the same time it would definitely mean a lot to win this race. There will be a lot of good cars there, and to win the race everything has to go right. With pit stops in play, it’s a team effort to win. It would surely be a joy.”
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