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The last time we saw Dalton Armstrong — after a fourth-place finish in October’s Winchester 400 — the Hoosier was left frustrated and eager to move up the racing ladder.

“I can’t wait until I can move up so I don’t have to race with all of these assholes,” Armstrong said.

If Armstrong truly wants to catch the eye of a car owner and move up, Sunday’s Snowball Derby might be his best chance to shine.

Armstrong will travel to 5 Flags Speedway to attempt his first start in the 300-lap Super Late Model crown jewel this weekend, joining the 70-car entry list with Scott Neal Racing.

While Sunday could be Armstrong’s first Snowball Derby start, it won’t be his first attempt. The Indiana native was one of 60 drivers to make a qualifying attempt in 2015, but fell just short of qualifying for the event on speed with a 33rd-place result in time trials. Armstrong was given another chance to make the event in the last chance qualifier, but ultimately proved unable to race his way into the 300-lap feature.

In the year since, Armstrong has risen from a Super Late Model prospect to a true contender courtesy of a successful season in the ARCA/CRA Super Series.

Riding a wave of momentum from a 2015 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour title, Armstrong stepped up to the Super Series to immediate results in 2016, notching a victory in the first points-paying race of the season at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville.

The rookie’s early success blossomed into a strong season. Armstrong scored his biggest win to date in Anderson Speedway’s Redbud 300, claimed the $100,000 Super Late Model Triple Crown Series bonus and pushed NASCAR prospect and eventual series champion Cody Coughlin to the final race of the year before settling for a runner-up finish in the points.

In the end, the results were strong enough to earn Armstrong Rookie of the Year honors in the Super Series.

Still, the 22-year-old wants more.

Armstrong’s plans for 2017 are unknown at this time, making the Snowball Derby one of his last planned starts.

The Hoosier’s comments after the Winchester 400 came amid frustration from losing both the race and championship ship by heartbreakingly-close margins. However, if Armstrong truly wants to take the next step in his career, the Snowball Derby presents his best opportunity to impress a potential car owner.

It was just four years ago that then-underdog Erik Jones outmaneuvered NASCAR star Kyle Busch for a surprising Snowball Derby triumph. That result led to a litany of opportunities for the Michigan native, culminating in his upcoming step up to the Cup Series in 2017.

If Armstrong wants to earn similar opportunities, hoisting the legendary Tom Dawson trophy on Sunday would be a significant step in the right direction.

Aaron Bearden is a contributing writer for Short Track Scene. Having grown up watching NASCAR and IndyCar, Bearden began following short track racing during his high school years before starting a blog about racing in college. A writer for Frontstretch and Motorsports Tribune, Bearden also covers NASCAR, IndyCar and other forms of open wheel racing.

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