What’s Happening?

The Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway is one of the highlights of the NASCAR offseason, with top names from NASCAR and grassroots racing going head-to-head to chase short-track racing infamy. So, for NASCAR fans, who are some familiar names to look out for in this year’s race?

What is the Snowball Derby

The snowball derby is one of the most prestigious Super Late Model races in the United States, with top names from across the country and all levels of racing taking to the half-mile Five Flags Speedway with hopes of adding their name to the list of race winners.

Since its first race, many current and former stars of NASCAR have shown up and showed out in the 300-lap event.

Winners of the race include notable NASCAR veterans like Butch Miller, Ted Musgrave, and Johanna Long. The list also includes NASCAR legends like Pete Hamilton, Donnie Allison, and Darrell Waltrip, who won in that order from 1974 to 1976. Recently, top NASCAR stars of today have dominated the race, with Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, and Noah Gragson all bringing home wins in the event.

Last year, ahead of his storied run at the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series Championship, Kaden Honeycutt brought home the win.

Cup Series Regulars

• No. 4 – Erik Jones
• No. 30 – Noah Gragson
• No. 51 – Kyle Busch
• No. 60 – Ryan Preece

This year, three former winners and a short track racing legend represent the NASCAR Cup Series in the Snowball Derby. Erik Jones returns for a shot at his third snowball derby win. Noah Gragson, who won in 2018, hopes to recover from a 19th-place finish in the 2024 event. While Kyle Busch, who won eight years apart (2009 and 2017), hopes to repeat in his return to the derby. Ryan Preece, a short-track racing legend in the modified circuit, is also attempting the derby.

Craftsman Truck Series Regulars

• No. 4 – Bayley Currey
• No. 5 – Johnny Sauter
• No. 21 – Kaden Honeycutt
• No. 26 – Dawson Sutton
• No. 35 – Jake Garcia
• No. 44 – Conner Jones
• No. 91 – Ty Majeski
• No.96 – Spencer Davis

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has a strong showing for the event, with part-timers like Connor Jones and Spencer Davis racing alongside series champions like Johnny Sauter and Ty Majeski. Of this bunch, there are two former winners, Majeski (2020 and 2023) and Honeycutt (2024).

ARCA Menards Series Regulars

• No. 5 – Tristan McKee
• No. 18 – Max Reaves
• No. 27 – Kole Raz

The ARCA Menards Series will have strong representation in this year’s event with Max Reaves of Joe Gibbs Racing, Tistan McKee of Spire Motorsports, and Kole Raz of Ford. McKee and Reaves won their first ARCA races in 2025, with Reaves winning the ARCA Menards Series East season opener at Five Flags in March, a race that Raz finished second in.

Other Notable Drivers

• No. 9 – Derek Kraus
• No. 26 – Bubba Pollard
• No. 28 – Cole Butcher
• No. 51 – Jake Finch
• No. 81 – Carson Brown
• No. 98 – David Gilliland

This bunch of drivers consists of former NASCAR National Series regulars like David Gilliland and Derek Kraus, late model standouts like Bubba Pollard and Cole Butcher, alongside active NASCAR prospects like Carson Brown, who recently signed a developmental deal with Richard Childress Racing.

Where to Watch the 2025 Snowball Derby

The green flag for the 58th Annual Snowball Derby will drop at 1 PM EST on Sunday, December 7, 2025. All 300 laps, plus all preliminary races and on-track sessions, will air live on FloRacing.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinions on Discord or X, and don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.