2024 Snowball Derby Under Threat as Mother Nature Casts Dark Clouds On Five Flags Speedway Schedule

With the Nationals now out of the way for this year, much of the focus falls on Late Model Races. This coming weekend will see one of the most popular events in that category, the Snowball Derby. Prominent drivers, even from the Cup Series usually run in the event and 2023 will be no different. However, there is cause for concern as Mother Nature might play spoilsport.

The 56th Annual Snowball Derby to be held at the Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, is the most prolific event in pavement short-track racing. It will feature Super and Pro Late Model races and will have notable entities taking part in it. If everything goes to plan, the 2023 edition promises to be an event that will be nothing short of thrilling.

Unorthodox solution if Snowball Derby falls prey to poor weather

The marquee driver lineup in the 2023 edition of the event will feature Cup Series drivers like William Byron, Erik Jones, Carson Hocevar, and Ryan Preece. Noah Gragson, Ty Majeski, and William Sawalich will also be part of the event, making it an all-star field. With such a high caliber of talent, it is no wonder that the Snowball Derby is one of the most talked-about off-season events.

However, everything could go down the drain and there is nothing anyone can do about it. According to a report in Short Track Scene, the weather forecast for the upcoming weekend does not look good. While it is predicted that the possibility of rain will vary from day to day, a wet weekend is expected which is not ideal for Late Model or any form of racing.

Thankfully, there is a plan in place in case the racing action is forced to be washed out. If the main race cannot take place on Sunday afternoon, it will be moved to Monday night and then Tuesday night, until the official distance set is raced. 

A lot of fans may ask why the race won’t resume on Tuesday morning if it is not completed on Monday. As per Short Track Scene, Five Flags track owner Tim Bryant does not want fans to miss out on the racing action, which won’t be possible if the remainder of the race is held on the morning of a weekday.

There could be a situation where the main race is shifted to the following week if weather and track conditions are found to be too treacherous. That is what happened as recently as the 2018 edition of the Snowball Derby.

Besides, the Snowball Derby isn’t just a competition for racing fans. It has a tremendous impact on the economy of the area, as per track owner Tim Bryant.

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Five Flags Speedway owner reveals economic impact of event

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As per a report in Wear TV, fans from every corner of the country and even from neighboring countries visit the place during the race. They stay in the local hotels and eat from the local eateries and restaurants. This massively helps businesses in these parts, to the tune of a whopping $10,000,000.

“The economic impact on our area is over $10,000,000 for this event. Again we have fans coming from all four corners of the United States. Some from Canada and some from Mexico. Probably even maybe other countries beyond those I don’t know but a lot of folks come. They like our city. They are staying at hotels and eating in restaurants and catching some good racing in the meantime,” Tim Bryant said.

Do you think the Snowball Derby will be an event to remember? Or will poor weather conditions dash racers’ and fans’ hopes? Let us know what you think.

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