PENSACOLA, FL :: Each December, Christmas comes early to the Florida Gulf Coast in the form of the annual Snowball Derby, a Super Late Model race that continues to capture the imagination of the racing world during its traditional off-season.
Taking place at historic Five Flags Speedway – an abrasive and uniquely-shaped half-mile — the 300-lap Snowball Derby is inarguably the most prestigious pavement short track race in the world.
The event has traditionally featured the best Super Late Model teams in that discipline but is also popular for drawing interest and entries from drivers who compete in all three NASCAR national touring divisions as well.
Due to the crossover, the event often receives attention from casual fans who otherwise would not give a second glance to Super Late Model racing. So what does a casual fan need to know in order to follow and appreciate the Snowball Derby? Here are some handy items that will introduce you to the Super Bowl of Short Track Racing.
Is this a NASCAR race? Do NASCAR drivers participate?
In short, this is not a NASCAR-sanctioned event. The staff of Five Flags Speedway is the Sanctioning Body and promoter of the Snowball Derby and oversees every aspect of the event. It takes place on the first weekend of December each year, thus making it convenient for NASCAR drivers to participate during their off-season while they still have a racing itch to scratch.
For NASCAR fans, several familiar names from that scene have participated in the Snowball Derby over the past decade, including Kyle Busch, Steven Wallace, Johanna Long and Erik Jones — all former winners of the prestigious Tom Dawson Memorial Trophy. Other former entrants include David Ragan, Ben Kennedy, John Hunter Nemechek and Dakoda Armstrong.
READ MORE: Snowball Derby and Snowflake 100 Entry List
What kind of car is this?
The Super Late Model is the most widely used Late Model throughout the United States and is used in a variety of tours, including the Pro All Stars Series, Southern Super Series, ARCA CRA Super Series and ARCA Midwest Tour.
Supers are a straight rail chassis which automatically differentiates them from NASCAR Late Model Stock Cars and the Truck/Nationwide/Sprint Cup machines which all use a perimeter rail chassis. The minimum weight for Super Late Models this week will be 2,750 lbs. in comparison to the 3,300 lb. Generation-Six Sprint Cup car.
What does the winning team receive?
The winner on Sunday will earn $22,500 while the worst finishers will take home roughly $1,500 for their efforts. The winner also receives a pricey pendant designed by local jeweler Ken Jernigan. Race-contending teams will spend up to $20,000-$30,000 for tires, fuels, pit crews and the likes, making the Snowball Derby a high-risk/low-reward event for those intending to reach Victory Lane.
But most importantly, as the race has grown in stature, so too has the value in winning it. Long, Elliott and Jones are three most recent winners and have all used Snowball Derby victories as a springboard into the NASCAR Trucks and Nationwide Series. While the winnings are not nearly enough to fund a car at the next level, it certainly is a note on the resume that carries a tremendous amount of weight within the garage.
But more to the point, winning the Snowball Derby is all about pride. The list of previous winners includes names like Kyle Busch, Rick Crawford, Ted Musgrave, Darrell Waltrip, Donnie Allison and Pete Hamilton. The Snowball Derby is simply a race that stock car drivers grow up wanting to win, regardless of what else they have obtained in NASCAR.
READ MORE: List of Former Winners
Is the race on television?
While the race is not televised, the entire Snowball Derby week of events will be made available for live internet streaming on Speed 51’s Pay-Per-View service — 51TV. This is the first time the event will be broadcast flag-to-flag and the pricing scheme is as follows:
Friday Only — Snowball Derby Qualifying, Super Stock Race, Southern Modifieds Race: $14.99
Saturday Only — Snowflake 100 Pro Late Models Qualifying and Last Chance Race, Trucks Race: $19.99
Sunday Only — 47th Annual Snowball Derby Super Late Model Race: $24.99
Thursday-Sunday Package, including Practice and Local Races: $54.99
Race22.com will also have a team of reporters live on-site throughout the week, led by tenured Super Late Model and NASCAR columnist, Matt Weaver. Follow him on Twitter @MattWeaverSBN.
What is the Schedule for the Snowball Derby?
A complete day-to-day schedule can be found here but the breakdown goes a lot like this:
Wednesday: Technical Inspection and Qualifying Order Pill Draw
Thursday: Late Model Practice and Races for the Popular Local Bomber and Sportsman Divisions
Friday: Late Model Practice, Snowball Derby Qualifying, Races for Super Stocks and Modified Divisions
Saturday: Snowflake 100 Qualifying and Race day, Snowball Last Chance Race, Race for Super Trucks
Sunday: Snowball Derby Super Late Models (300 laps) 3 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. CT
Other Notes
Erik Jones has won the past two Snowball Derby races. He is looking for three in a row this week and is driving for powerful Kyle Busch Motorsports. Wayne Niedecken, Sr., Friday Hassler, Dickie Davis, Gary St. Amant and Gary Balough all won the Snowball Derby in their first starts. Additionally, Erik Jones has now won the race in each of his first two starts. Chase Elliott holds the track record, having qualified a 16.133 last year. Teams are practicing below that mark in tests this week. Legendary short tracker and NASCAR notable Rich Bickle holds the record for most Snowball Derby wins, with five in his 11 starts – a 0.454 winning percentage. Three flagged winners have been disqualified in post-race technical inspection since 2006 – Johnny Brazier (2006), Brian Ickler (2008) and Chase Elliott (2013).
Infographic (Click for Higher Resolution)
