Defending winner Thorn on Snowball Derby pole
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Circumstances certainly felt different Friday, but you could still cut the tension with a knife.
Qualifying for the 56th annual Snowball Derby presented by Hooters and Safe Locator at Five Flags Speedway was pushed up to the afternoon instead of the traditional Friday night fracas with inclement weather looming in the Pensacola area all day.
Despite the change, the all-too-familiar Derby drama defined the battle to see who would grab the pole for Sunday’s 300-lap Super Late Model race, the crown jewel of short-track racing.
Fifty drivers took their shots. When the last car qualified, an all-too-familiar name was at the top of the heap.
Defending champion Derek Thorn posted a fast time of 16.501 seconds to claim his fourth career Derby pole. That ties him with Pensacola’s Eddie Mercer for most poles in Derby history.
“It’s crazy to believe that 12 years ago we blew three motors and flipped during the race,” Thorn said. “This car is special. Tires are gonna be a big thing this week. At the end of the day, we’ll make the most of what we’ve got and play the cars we’re dealt.”
Thorn will be joined by the sport’s elite hotshoes. Thirty drivers punched their tickets on time. NASCAR Cup stars William Byron, Erik Jones, Ryan Preece all made the show and avoided being relegated to Saturday’s last-chance qualifiers. Billy VanMeter and Jett Noland earned the two available Derby provisionals thanks to their top-10 finishes in the regular season for the Blizzard Series and Southern Super Series, respectively.
Two-time Derby champion Augie Grill and Sammy Smith are among the notables forced to battle in the last-chance race for the final four Derby spots. Former Derby polesitter Preston Peltier also got pushed to the last-chance race after a blistering qualifying lap. His third-fastest time was tossed out after his team made an illegal body modification in post-qualifying technical inspection.
Kole Raz was the last driver that had to sweat out the end of qualifying, barely making it in on the bubble position.
“I tell you one thing: I don’t want to go through that again,” Raz said. “Making our first Derby feels incredible. We’ve got work to do, but we’re going racing on Sunday.”
SNOWBALL DEBRY QUALIFYING RESULTS
1 7 Derek Thorn, Bakersfield, CA
2 91 Ty Majeski, Neenah, WI
3 48 Preston Peltier, Johnstown, CO
4 30 Noah Gragson, Mooresville, NC
5 26 Bubba Pollard, Senoia, GA
6 26 Luke Fenhaus, Wausau, WI
7 69 Michael Hinde, Hernando, FL
8 5 Johnny Sauter, Deforest, WI
9 51 Stephen Nasse, Pinellas Park, FL
10 14 Connor Okrzesik, Grand Bay, AL
11 32 Treyton Lapcevich, Grimsby, ONT
12 7 Jackson Boone, Franklin, TN
13 12 Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH
14 24 William Byron, Charlotte, NC
15 54 Matt Craig , Concord, NC
16 16 Jacob Gomes, Manteca, CA
17 44 Jeremy Doss, Upper Lake, CA
18 18 Hunter Robbins, Pensacola, FL
19 55 Haeden Plybon, Deer Park, WA
20 32 Caden Kvapil, Mooresville, NC
21 21 Travis Braden, Wheeling, WV
22 4 Erik Jones, Byron,MI
23 44 Conner Jones, Fredericksburg, VA
24 51 Jake Finch, Lynn Haven, FL
25 1 Michael House, Columbia, TN
26 8 Jace Hansen, Berthoud, CO
27 2 William Sawalich, Eden Prairie, MN
28 62 Ryan Preece, Berlin, CT
29 28 Cole Butcher, Hansport, NS Canada
30 63 Kole Raz, Lake Oswego, OR
31 22 Gio Ruggiero, Seekonk, MA
32 50 Jett Noland, Groveland, FL
33 22 Sammy Smith, Johnston, IA
34 9 Derek Kraus, Stratford, WI
35 35 Carson Kvapil, Mooresville, NC
36 54 Conner Sutton, Pensacola, FL
37 74 Ryan Moore, Mooresville, NC
38 58 Johnny Aramendia, New Braunfals, TX
39 112 Augie Grill, Hayden, AL
40 28 Timothy Watson, Panama City, FL
41 14 Carson Hocevar, Portage, MI
42 33 Dustin Smith, Mobile, AL
43 2 John Bolen, Jasper, AL
44 38 Jake Garcia, Monroe, GA
45 18 Chase Burda, Lapeer, MI
46 23 Billy Vanmeter, Indianapolis, IN
47 32 Stuart Dutton, Tallahassee, FL
48 33 Albert Francis, Painesville, OH
49 27 Travis Rodewald, Manitowoc, WI
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