Five Must-See Winter Racing Events
By Alex Herbst
Snowball Derby
Arguably one of the most prestigious races in all of late model racing, the Snowball Derby has become more like an All-Star clash than a traditional season-ending affair. The race, held at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, attracts some of the top talent in short track and stock car racing each December.
Started back in 1968, the Snowball Derby has increasingly grown in stature with each running. The race typically is run the first or second weekend of December, in an effort to avoid clashing with NASCAR’s end of season banquets and championships at local tracks. By avoiding these, top drivers like Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek, and Chase Elliott have been able to compete in recent runnings.
Of course, racing history has been made many times at the Snowball Derby as well. The winter race has seen two female winners, Tammy Jo Kirk in 1994 and Johanna Long in 2010. The race has also seen a Sprint Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series champion win, all occurring since 2009. The 2016 event, won by Christian Eckes, helped lead Eckes to a ride with Venturini Motorsports in ARCA for 2017.
The 2018 Snowball Derby will certainly be one to watch as well, with the potential for future NASCAR competitors and champions coming from the field.