Every year after the Phoenix race in November, NASCAR tends to slow down for a bit. Drivers kick back, take some time off to relax, go on vacation, or hang out with family. But not everyone is ready to stop racing. Take Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson, for example—both jumped into some USAC events during the off-season. And then, there’s the Snowball Derby, one of the most iconic races of the year! Over the years, plenty of NASCAR drivers have gotten behind the wheel at this race, including big names like Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, and Chase Elliott. In fact, Chase’s rise to fame started with this race, and he became the youngest driver ever to win it.

But the Snowball Derby isn’t just any race. It’s a 6-day festival where drivers from all sorts of racing disciplines come together to battle for the legendary Tom Dawson trophy in a grueling 300-lap race. For some drivers, like Noah Gragson, this race is more than just a race—it’s a personal tradition. Gragson even said, “It’s bigger than the Daytona 500.” So, why do NASCAR drivers keep coming back to the Snowball Derby?

Why the Snowball Derby?

This race has earned its place as one of the top short-track events in the country. It’s been around for over 50 years and has seen some of the biggest names in racing. But it’s not just about the race—it’s a week-long celebration of motorsports. From Tuesday to Saturday, Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, is buzzing with qualifying, practice sessions, and heat races, all leading up to the big event on Sunday. Drivers have to nail their time trials, with the top 30 cars making it to the main race. If you’re not fast enough, don’t worry—you’ve got one last chance to qualify through a heat race, where the top 4 finishers get a shot at the main event.

When FloRacing recently asked drivers why this race is so special to them, the answers were all over the place, but they had one thing in common: it’s an event like no other. For Noah Gragson, it’s a combination of history, nostalgia, and the chance to reconnect with old friends from his late model racing days. He shared, “There is so much history there. I missed this race in 2020 and I came here like 3 hours before the race and I’d had to park 2 miles down the road, there’s pickup trucks lined up all the way down the road. I wasn’t around during the 90s Cup races, we heard stories about them, and it felt like that. The atmosphere is incredible here on top of that there are a lot of friends I have made over the years at the Snowball Derby and I don’t get to see them as often.”

With 47 drivers chasing the $50,000 prize on the challenging short track at Five Flags, winning this race is no easy feat. As Gragson put it, “It’s the hardest race to win.” And while Noah Gragson might be a rookie in the Cup Series, he’s no stranger to stock car racing—remember, he won 8 Xfinity Series races in 2022. He’s been through the Snowball Derby grind before, so he knows what he’s talking about. And Noah isn’t the only one who loves the challenge of the race.

Ty Majeski, the defending Snowball Derby champ and fresh off a Truck Series title, can’t get enough of the competition here. He said, “I love coming down here just because of the competition level. It’s a challenge. You can be the defending champion or you could have won how many ever times, it doesn’t matter. You come in here and it’s a new challenge every single year. And I think that’s the thing I like most about it. It pushes all of us to be better and it’s a challenge.” Majeski is part of an elite group of two-time Snowball Derby winners, and he’s got his eyes set on another victory.

Alongside the veterans are some up-and-coming drivers, like Sammy Smith. Sammy barely missed the main event last year after a tangle with Carson Hocevar during qualifying. But this year, he’s ready to make a bigger impact. For Sammy, the Snowball Derby is just a fun way to stay active during the off-season. He said, “I just enjoy super Late models, something I grew up doing and you get this month after Phoenix and you are kind of bored and kind of wanna go racing. It does..I wish I could do more super late model races but it’s super fun, we have been able to test the last couple of days…so I’m enjoying it.”

Well, the event has now wrapped up it day four with the qualifying.

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Who’s starting where in the Snowball Derby?

As of now, Ty Majeski has had an impressive year, coming off a championship high, and he’ll start on the pole position, giving him a great shot at defending his title. Majeski is also the track’s record holder, who set a qualifying time of 16.175 seconds. Kaden Honeycutt had topped the leaderboard for most of the session, but Majeski came through when it mattered most to grab that front-row spot, with Honeycutt starting in P2.

Next up is William Sawalich, the 18-year-old ARCA Menards Series East champion, starting in P3. He’s a racing prodigy who’s already lined up a ride with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2025 Xfinity season, but before he makes that jump, he’s got his eyes set on winning the Snowball Derby. A P3 start is a solid position to do just that, especially after some drama in practice with Gragson.

And speaking of Gragson, he’s not having his best Snowball Derby, first, he finished 13th and 24th in practice and now he’s qualified in P28. Gragson is on a redemption journey to finally win the trophy cleanly. Back in 2018, His Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate, Raphael Lessard, led the most laps that day but suffered an engine failure, giving Gragson the lead for 16 laps and eventually the checkered flag. Well, from P28 to P1 is going to be an uphill task.

Other big names in the Derby include Late Model legend Bubba Pollard, who’s starting in P8, Chandler Smith starting in P10, and David Gilliland in P12. So, who do you think has the best shot at winning the Snowball Derby this year? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!