Joe Gibbs Driven

CONCORD, NC (September 29, 2008) - For the 2008 season, 21-year-old Josh Hamner put all of his efforts into succeeding at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, in the Blizzard Series Super Late Model events there with the hopes of winning the most prestigious short track event of them all this December, the 41st Annual Snowball Derby.

Instead of a heavy touring schedule, Hamner focused on Five Flags, and the determination for success there paid off when the young driver scored the victory in the first of five Blizzard Series races in April. Top-five finishes rolled in from there, including a fifth-place run in the Blizzard finale on Friday, September 26th.

The consistent strength of Hamner and his #38 team has now paid off with the driver’s first Blizzard Series Championship, providing him a guaranteed starting spot in the Snowball Derby this December.

“We won the championship, and we raced hard all year,” said an excited Hamner following the Blizzard finale. “The only time we didn’t finish in the top five was when we got tore up in a late-race race mess a few weeks back. A first, a second, a fourth and a fifth is a really good season.

“We have won everything here – well, except for the Snowball Derby. Hopefully we are on our way to get that."

Consistency was Hamner’s key to the championship over rival and defending Blizzard Champion Scott Carlson. Even on nights when Hamner did not have a winning #38 Chevrolet, nights such as in the Blizzard finale, he pushed the limits of his racecar on the tough Five Flags track to get every position – and every point – possible.

“I am super happy we won the championship, but I am really disappointed of how we raced tonight. In practice (on Friday night), it was a rocket ship, but tonight it was anything but. We have to figure out why it’s so sensitive to weather changes, day-to-night or whatever it is. At the same time, Derby weather is a lot more consistent than it is this time of year. It’s crazy that I am blaming this on weather, but it has a lot to do with the car.”

While Hamner did his job behind the wheel, the young driver is also quick to point out that his Panhandle Motorsports team did their part to get him to the championship on pit road Friday night.

“I am pretty extreme on everything I do with our setups, and I know my crew will be ready every time we go to the track. They got me a bunch of spots on pit road tonight, and I think we are going to pull it off come the Derby.”

The 2008 Blizzard Series Championship is the young driver’s second major Late Model track championship. Hamner was the BAMA Super Series titlist at Montgomery Motor Speedway back in 2005. His Blizzard Series win at Five Flags earlier this season added to his mantle that already included an ASA Late Model feature win at the Pensacola track in 2006. He even made his debut in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series last month at Bristol Motor Speedway to add to his impressive resume.

But all of those accomplishments combined would not equal the feeling Hamner would get by winning the race he has dreamed of winning for so long – the Snowball Derby.

The Hamner family (minus brother Justin) were all in attendance for Hamner's big night at Five Flags.

“This car will be ready for the Derby,” added Hamner. “I ran this car hard in practice last night, and I thought I had all the bugs worked out of it. We worked it and we worked, but it just wasn’t meant to be tonight. But we will be ready for the Derby.”

Hamner’s next event will be the 41st Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, December 4th through 7th.