For Connor Okrzesik on Saturday night at Five Flags Speedway, the only hiccup came after the race.
The Grand Bay, Alabama native dominated the Faith Chapel Outlaws feature to close out racing on the eve of the Snowball Derby, leading 48 of the race's 50 laps. Really, the only thing that wasn't up to par for Okrzesik were his celebratory doughnuts on the frontstrech following the win, eventually settling for a smoky burnout.
"We just won the Derby, boys!" shouted Okrzesik in victory lane. "I'm not very good at doughnuts, I don't win that much, so I don't know how to do them."
Typically, Okrzesik is taking part in Super Late Model racing's biggest event during the first week of December. However, school obligations prevented him from competing in the 54th Annual Snowball Derby presented by Hooters.
Instead, he and his team entered Saturday's Outlaw feature, a decisions which ended with a trip to victory lane.
"Oh my God, we won the Derby. It killed me that I couldn't run the Late Model, I've got school exams, but I wasn't going to miss this race. I had to race at least one, and we got the win."
While Okrzesik led the lion's share of the race, there were tense moments as the finish neared. Timothy Watson, a winner in the division earlier in the year at Five Flags, closed the gap in the closing laps and added pressure for Okrzesik.
"Timothy had a really fast car at the end," said Okrzesik. "He put a lot of pressure on me, but we edged it out and we won."
FAITH CHAPEL OUTLAW SNOWBALL DERBY 50 RESULTS:
1. Connor Okrzesik
2. Timothy Watson
3. Jake Finch
4. Bubba Winslow
5. Conner Sutton
6. Jason Vail
7. Cameron Henderson
8. Kraig Hall
9. Todd Jones
10. Robert Barker
11. Steve Campbell
12. Adam Salter
13. Jonathan Langham
14. Paul Jean
15. Jason Loveday
16. Mike Pollaro
17. Logan Boyett
18. Wayne Niedecken, Jr.
19. Jason Welch
20. Allen Carter
21. Robbie Elledge
22. Nathan Ingersoll
23. Chris Cotto
24. Brandon Gaither
25. Chad Chaffin
26. Jay Jay Day
27. Daniel Webster
28. Stuart Dutton
29. Bill Tutchtone
30. Gary Goodwin
31. Jerry Bohlman
32. Jody Henderson