The 2023 winter season has delivered another hail storm for NASCAR’s festive plans! And it is just like last year’s weather shenanigans at the Snowball Derby. The Snowflake 100, which was to be held this Saturday, has been postponed along with the qualifying round and the Last Chance race.

Thankfully, on the other hand, the 56th Snowball Derby Last Chance Qualifier and the Derby 300 will take place as scheduled on Sunday at 12:30 pm and 2 pm Eastern Time respectively. In what can only be described as déjà vu, the weather gods have decided to rain on NASCAR’s winter parade once again, quite literally.

An unexpected hiccup for the 2023 Snowball Derby

With thunderstorms predicted for much of Saturday, the action that was supposed to get underway on the 2nd of December has been shifted to Monday. To the disappointment of those who can’t escape their jobs on a Monday, the weather could be a cause of concern.

The pits will be open on Sunday at 7 AM local time for team members, followed by the drivers meeting around 9 AM. Once the tech inspections are done, the Last Chance Qualifier for the Snowball Derby shall take place at 12:30 PM.

Once the 2023 Snowball Derby Class Photo has been taken and the driver introductions have been put to the side, the 56th Annual Snowball Derby will take place around 2 PM local time. Ending the day on a high note, the Park Snowflake 100 Haulers will treat the fans to an action-packed evening from 8 PM to 10 PM.

Moving onto Monday, the drivers meeting shall take place at 9 AM followed by the Snowflake Qualifying at noon. After the Last Chance race at 1:30 PM, the Outlaw Practice Group Qualifying will go ahead before the Allen Turner Snowflake 100 and the Outlaw 50 seal the weekend.

Whilst the drivers are gearing up to end the season on a high note with the Snowball Derby, the untameable beast has thrown another curveball at the competition. As we head into a weekend packed with star drivers, who is the one likely to come out on top?

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Amongst the top contenders after the Snowball Derby qualifiers, Ty Majeski and Noah Gragson delivered brilliant performances to seal the top three. Whilst Derek Thorn took the pole for the fourth outing in five years, the difference between Majeski and Gragson was a mere tenth. However, a certain Cup Series star was missing from the top ten, a man who dearly loves the Snowball Derby.

Can William Byron add to the Snowball Derby history books?

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After a brilliant season in 2023 with six wins and finishing third in the points table, William Byron was all set to unleash his wrath on the opposition on race day at the Snowball Derby. Looking to mimic his sixth-place finish in 2022, Byron faces a major hurdle after the qualifying left him just shy of the top ten in 13th.

Byron was quoted by NASCAR.com ahead of the qualifiers, “The Snowball Derby is important just because I enjoy giving back to that aspect of the sport. I feel like it’s very competitive, and there’s plenty of competition at that level, just like there is at the Cup level.”

Speaking on the importance of the Super Late Model event, the Hendrick Motorsports driver reflected on the level of grandiosity that brings out even the biggest names every year.

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Joining the esteemed list of Snowball Derby winners remains at the top of Byron’s holiday wishlist. But can he improve from 13th spot in the race?