Late Model Legend Bubba Pollard Fails to Win in 18th Snowball Derby; Trashes Stephen Nasse’s Selfish Approach

Bubba Pollard’s entrance to the duel between Ty Majeski and Stephen Nasse for the lead at the 56th Annual Snowball Derby 300 led fans down an emotional rollercoaster. Reaching its climax with only eight laps to spare, Pollard’s charge ended in heartbreak after he repeated attempts to pass the leader Nasse from the inside. The two short-track racing legends made contact and spun toward the outside wall, ending their night at the half-mile oval in dramatic fashion. Ty Majeski was just far enough to cash in.

More than a dozen late models were aching to make a go for it as the race restarted with 18 laps to spare. Half a lap into the restart, Noah Gragson mistimed a shift which resulted in a massive 15-car pileup. A red flag was issued for what seemed like an eternity. The next 10 laps were the definition of hard racing, not just for the lead but for positions as well. But once Pollard and Nasse took care of each other, Majeski secured his second Snowball Derby win with relative ease. Completing the podium was Gio Ruggiero in second and Travis Braden in third. Whilst luck had favored Ruggiero and Braden after starting down in the midfield, Pollard believes the outcome of his race was decided by more than mere luck.

There was no way out for Bubba Pollard amidst Stephen Nasse’s win-or-crash attitude

When Bubba Pollard’s race ended, the crowd was more concerned with the Late Model racing legend’s health than the glory that slipped away once again. For eighteen years, Bubba Pollard has given the biggest super late model race contenders a run for their money. Much like Dale Earnhardt’s elusive Daytona win, the iconic event at the Five Flags Speedway remains the only missing feather in Pollard’s cap. the man whose Derby fortunes were reshaped by Stephen Nasse is determined to come back stronger next year.

However, Pollard couldn’t help but sense that it was going to be a situation with no positive outcome for the veteran. He shared with Matt Weaver, “I crashed, I got nothing else to say. I mean it is what it is. Put ourselves in position, we had a good race car, and we kind of got off on that second run. We inched away back at it on the third run, got it better, and put ourselves in position, it was where we needed to be for the last one. So it is what it is, I don’t know, I didn’t see a replay or anything but I felt like he chopped me off pretty good because it knocked the wheel out of my hand with a hit so hard. I’m sure it was one of those things—‘If I ain’t gonna win, he ain’t gonna win’ kind of thing.”

Bubba Pollard’s fears regarding Nasse’s approach were in a way echoed by the man himself. Nasse commended Anthony Campi and the crew for giving it their all and helping to secure an excellent qualifying spot. The race leader during the incident added, “Had a good car at the beginning, was able to get the lead there fairly early and kind of set pace there in the race, and I knew, I was telling myself under that long red flag that it was either gonna be me wrecked or me winning.”

Stephen Nasse admitted to crowding Pollard. But he believed the 36-year-old was also playing tricks of his own. Nasse concluded, “He knew what he was doing, and I knew what I was doing. We were racing hard. I think if I’d really done him wrong, he’d be way more upset and have a few words with me by now. But it was just hard racing. It’s unfortunate. I hate it for the both of us. We’ve both been trying to get this win for some time now.”

The 2023 Snowball Derby delivered consecutive plot twists throughout the weekend. Whether it was Carson Kvapil’s disqualification from the Last Chance Qualifiers because of an extra 1/8th inch tread width or Noah Gragson’s rookie mistake, it’s been a year that’s left a lot of drivers itching for more Snowball Derby action already!

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Putting aside 2023 misery, Pollard shifts focus to a Snowball Derby domination next season

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Bubba Pollard is no stranger to missing out on the Tom Dawson trophy with only a few laps remaining. The Georgia native has an impressive track record at the Five Flags Speedway, with 23 wins in a Super Late Model car in the Blizzard Series. Whilst Pollard graced the top step of the Snowflake 100 twice in 2014 and 2017, his eighteen-year-long tenure in the Snowball Derby 300 is yet to pay off!

Reflecting on his 2023 challenger for the big super late model race, Pollard shared, “Yeah, we had a good car. I think in 17 or 18 when Busch had won (2017), we had a chance to win that year. And really we haven’t had a good car capable of winning since then. We kind of looked into it and stuff like that put yourself in the position.” 

The four-time Blizzard Series champion felt things could swing either way between him, Ty Majeski and Stephen Nasse. Whilst it didn’t work out as well for Nasse and Pollard as it did for Majeski, it was a learning lesson that the late model veteran wishes to incorporate into his 2024 challenge.

Pollard concluded his thoughts on the car with a challenge to his competitors for 2024: “There are a lot of things we learned last part of this year and really in honesty, it ain’t peaked yet. There’s more in this race car. I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve made some mistakes. Make sure they better be ready.”

READ MORE: Short Track Legend Bubba Pollard Feels He Is in the Right Place Heading to the 56th Snowball Derby

It’s safe to say that the Snowball Derby holds a special place in numerous late-model veterans’ hearts, including Bubba Pollard. With the 2023 edition mimicking the stormy weather through the mid-race shenanigans, it’s been a massive learning experience for icons and future stars alike. But will the elusive trophy finally find its way to Pollard in 2024?