“I wouldn’t say I’m retired from Late Model racing. I could get the itch and go race next week. But I don’t plan on it.” Kyle Larson said this after winning the High Limit race at Lawrenceburg Speedway early in the season. This was a surprise because the HMS star rarely misses an opportunity to compete in dirt late-model races.

While the off-season is a perfect time for Larson to enjoy his non-NASCAR racing, he certainly cannot compete at all the marquee races. In fact, the HMS star driver is likely to miss the Snowball Derby. As mentioned above, his plans for the year were already locked in, and he certainly couldn’t commit to another event. These plans include participating in an international event at the end of the year!

Here’s why Kyle Larson won’t compete at the Snowball Derby

As much as Larson likes to compete on the dirt track, he also has ownership commitments with the High Limit Racing series. Having competed at the USAC National Midgets races in November, Larson will now focus on his big event overseas. Joining Jason Pryde Motorsports for the three-day event at Perth Motorcomplex, Larson will be flying to Australia and competing in races from December 28-30.

Larson was recently competing at the Turkey Night Grand Prix at the Ventura Raceway. A P20 finish isn’t what the driver expected out of the race. But after trading blows with rising star Corey Day and sustaining damage to his racing machine, he had to settle for this result. Now, traveling to Florida from California is indeed a task in itself, which is why Kyle Larson decided to optimize his race schedule.

The festivities of the Snowball Derby will kick off on December 2, followed by qualifying races the very next day. So, even if Larson made it, he wouldn’t have been able to be at his 100% to compete in the race. Given there’s a gap of around a month until his international trip, where is he expected to race next? Well, he is likely to spend some time with his wife Katelyn, and his kids before heading to Australia.

There won’t be a lack of star power for the iconic race at Five Flags Speedway. Notable NASCAR drivers will be lining up in hopes of taking home a $50,000 cash prize along with the Tom Dawson Trophy. However, Yung Money will have to miss out on this cash prize.

NASCAR drivers competing at the 57th Annual Snowball Derby

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Former SHR driver Noah Gragson will be back in the hopes of repeating his historic feat from 2018. Gragson will be piloting a Super Late Model entry fielded by Rette-Jones Racing. In his last three starts at the Snowball Derby, he has either failed to qualify or finished no better than 20th. This only goes to show how tough this race is, and he will be determined to make an impact this time around.

Cup Series part-time racer Derek Kraus will extend his Snowball Derby appearances to 10, having made his debut back in 2015. However, despite multiple efforts, a 15th-place finish in 2020 stands as his best result from this event. Joining the list is rookie JGR Xfinity Series driver William Sawalich, as he will look to improve on his 10th-place finish from his debut appearance a year ago.

Meanwhile, Chandler Smith, who is still in a hunt for his next NASCAR ride, will look to continue on his good track record at Snowball Derby. Smith won the 2021 edition of the historic event, and he has never finished worse than seventh in his six attempts at the Derby. A win would certainly grab the attention of potential suitors at the NASCAR level, thus making this event more important for the driver.

Carson Kvapil, another rookie Xfinity Series driver, will return for his second Debry appearance. Meanwhile, you also have the likes of Ty Majeski, Kaden Honeycutt, Jake Garcia, and Conner Jones making the lineup. Keep an eye out for veteran David Gilliland, who will be hoping to better a 27th place finish in his first Snowball Derby start.