Snowball Derby Qualifying Guide: How to Make the Biggest Race of the Year

There is only three drivers on the premises who is guaranteed a starting spot in the 53rd Snowball Derby and that comes as a huge relief to defending winner Travis Braden, Southern Super Series champion Stephen Nasse and Five Flags Speedway champion Bubba Pollard.

Due to their accomplishments, the trio will make the field of 36 regardless of their respective qualifying efforts. That means just three of the 53 drivers set to take two timed laps know their Sunday plans.

“This place is like home to us,” Pollard said. “So to have won the championship and have that guaranteed starting spot, it’s a big deal. We hope we don’t need it, but it’s something that we for every year because we want to support the track, but because it’s gives us that extra cushion too.”

For everyone else though, this is the most dramatic time trials session in all of motorsports.

The session will lock-in the top-30 based on qualifications. Two provisional starting spots will also be awarded to the Southern Super Series and track champion, thus Nasse and Pollard. If those two drivers qualify inside the top-30, the provisional will go to the next driver in line in the track and touring series points.

If needed, Braden would make the field as a 37th entry if he is unable to make the show on time.

After that, the final four starting positions will be given to the top four finishers from the 50 lap last chance showdown on Saturday afternoon.

“The most intensity that we’ll feel all weekend may very well be in the couple of hours that precede Friday night’s pole position qualifying,” says Snowball Derby promoter Tim Bryant.

It never fails that every year a surprise driver fails gets bumped. Last year, it was Nasse, who failed to make the show but had his championship points to fall back on.

You can feel the mood in the air. Drivers, typically affable and personable, go stoic and stone-faced as they wait in line and watch the first couple of cars go out.

Not even defending pole winner Derek Thorn is immune to the pressure.

“You go into like a trance,” Thorn said. “I don’t talk to anyone. You just sit in the car and you make sure you’re ready to go. You can’t give up a single tenth – not against this field.”

Daniel Dye entered the Snowflake 100 last year, but this will be his debut appearance in the Snowball Derby. Is he nervous for Saturday night.

“I wasn’t until you asked me, but now I am,” Dye said with a laugh.”I’m not too nervous because I think we have a good car, it’s just up to me, right? Plus I go out near the end so I’ll pretty much know as soon as I get off the track if I’m in or not.

“But I suck at qualifying, especially here, so I have some work to do to make sure that we get in.”

Traditional wisdom states that the later a driver goes out, the cooler the weather is, and the faster a lap time she or he will put down.

However, Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola is unique due the humidity-based mist that films over the track in December. It makes the racing surface greasy and can come and go at any point of the night. For that reason, many drivers want to go out sooner, especially given the way time trials has played out in recent years.

“We’re taking a different approach this year,” Ty Majeski said. “We have the same package as last year. We’ve refined it over the past year or so. We’re working on Q trim, where we usually put all of our focus on race trim. There’s a lot on the line in qualifying this year and we’re going after it.”

Majeski is referring to a series of bonuses if the pole winner can also take home the Tom Dawson Trophy.

Between the Phoenix Construction Back to Front Challenge and the Pit Pay Pole Challenge, this year’s Snowball Derby winner could take home $55,000. The race pays $25,000 to win, while the Pit Pay Pole Challenge offers $5,000 to win from the pole.  The Back to Front Challenge adds another $25,000 if the fast qualifier elects to start from the rear of the field and wins the race.

“You’d be crazy not to take it,” Majeski said of the Back to the Front Challenge. “Obviously, it’s going to be incredibly hard to set fast time against this field. Everything has to go your way. There are so many variables in qualifying. All we can do is get the car as close as we can and for me to do the best job I can, and hopefully the stars align.”

Qualifications for the Snowball Derby begin at 6 p.m. CT and will air on Speed51.TV.

SNOWBALL DERBY QUALIFYING ORDER

1. Michael House
2. Chandler Smith
3. Kason Plott
4. Boris Jurkovic
5. Perry Patino
6. Casey Johnson
7. Augie Grill
8. Connor Okrzesik
9. Chris Davidson
10. Derek Kraus
11. Travis Braden
12. Justin Johnson
13. Dalton Zehr
14. Kyle Sieg
15. Casey Roderick
16. Ty Majeski
17. Mason Diaz
18. Noah Gragson
19. Kodie Conner
20. Derek Griffith
21. Bob Lyon
22. Stephen Nasse
23. Hunter Robbins
24. Carson Hocevar
25. Kyle Plott
26. Kaden Honeycutt
27. Chase Elliott
28. Jesse Dutilly
29. Kyle McCallum
30. Colten Nelson
31. Austin Nason
32. Gabe Sommers
33. Kyle Busch
34. Ross Kenseth
35. Michael Atwell
36. Matt Craig
37. Logan Boyett
38. Kyle Bryant
39. Jake Garcia
40. Paul Shafer, Jr.
41. Cayden Lapcevich
42. Ryan Crane
43. Derek Thorn
44. Jeremy Doss
45. Preston Peltier
46. John DeAngelis
47. Jeremy Pate
48. Bubba Pollard
49. Dan Fredrickson
50. Daniel Dye
51. Sammy Smith
52. Cole Butcher
53. Corey Heim
54. Hudson Halder
55. Grant Enfinger

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