Brief look at the drivers competing in the Snowball Derby/Snow Flake
November 28th, 2023,
Banner Drivers
On my facebook page, I shared a picture of a banner image, featuring many of the headline names for the Derby. I did a small write-up about each driver featured on it, and decided to make an article with what I wrote. I also covered some stand-outs from the remainder of the Snowball line-up, and the Snowflake line-up. There are many good drivers I left out. For the Canadian Drivers, please refer to my article on Canadian Drivers, and the separate article on Nicholas Naugle, Cole Butcher, and Kyle Steckly. Articles Click Articles to view.
William Byron - Byron had a brief time running Super Late Models on his way to NASCAR. In that short time, he grabbed some poles for some crown jewel races, and had some good performances. After making it to NASCAR, it didn't take him long before he found himself in the former Jeff Gordon car, and after a few years of improvements, this year he had 6 wins in the Cup Series, and made it to the final 4 for the playoffs. In just about every other format ever used in NASCAR, Byron would win the championship this year, and by a large margin in many formats. But, everyone knows and races for the playoffs, and it is what it is, he finished behind one of the other 3 cars he needed to be ahead of at the end of the race.
After coming back to Supers, first for Donnie Wilson, and now Anthony Campi, Byron has been one of the best, if not the best Super Late Model drivers. He has been on fire, and has won many big features.
Erik Jones - Jones was a force as a kid in a Super Late Model, on his way to NASCAR. He won the Winchester 400 3 times, and won the Snowball Derby twice, 2012 & 2013, in his first two tries. He was 16 for the first win. Third place in 2012? Kyle Busch. This put Jones on the the radar, and ultimately influenced him finding himself racing for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He has since won the Southern 500 twice, a crown jewel in NASCAR Cup racing.
Ryan Preece - Preece has had a respectable career in the top NASCAR touring series', and works very hard. This year he was the car involved in the one of the biggest flip/rolls in NASCAR history, at Daytona. If you haven't seen it, search Ryan Preece Daytona crash. He has 2 starts in the Derby, 2008 and 2021. 2021 was a rare asphalt Super Late Model race for Preece. He started 12th, and finished 4th. Enough said.
Noah Gragson - Was strong in trucks, strong in Xfinity, and worked his way up to the cup level. Gragson has had several starts and showed promise since returning to Super Late Model racing after a few years off. What was his last race before taking time off for NASCAR focus? Winning the 2018 Snowball Derby, the last time it was run with live pit stops.
Carson Hocevar - Hocevar dominated most of the IWK 250 at Riverside International Speedway, Antigonish this summer. He has also ascended to the Cup series, where he will start next season. He just started his own Super Late Model driver development team, and signed a Quebec driver, who will be at the Derby to watch and learn. Hocevar hasn't really had an inactive period from Supers, and has won the Money in the Bank 150 twice at Berlin, Michigan, won the Winchester 400, and won the Redbud 400. Hocevar is definitely a threat to win, despite his young age still.
Travis Braden - Recently made a return, after dedicating all of his time and life to his partner who had cancer. Braden won the wild Snowball Derby 2019, where Stephen Nasse crossed the line first, but Ricky Brook's Room of Doom tech shed DQ's Nasse. In all odds, the cause of DQ wasn't known to Nasse, and didn't offer a competitive advantage. But, rules are rules, and Ricky Brooks is notoriously strict. Either way, Braden had to cross that line second after a wild race.
Cole Butcher - Just look at my articles: lots of coverage on Cole! In my opinion, I have covered Cole the most extensively of anyone/any outlet this season.
Ty Majeski - What can I say, the best Super Late Model driver int he world right now. And a strong NASCAR Truck series driver, as well. Majeski won the ASA STARS National Tour title this year, and Majeski is dangerous anywhere in a Super. He has way too many wins, crazy wins back-to-back in the South Carolina 400 in a Late Model Stock car, 3 Florida Governor's Cups in 4 tries, 5 Rattler 250 wins in 8 tries, won 4 straight Midwest Tour titles, and 5 total. Won every big race in Wisconsin, pretty sure multiple times for all of them. He's won the Snowball Derby, you name it. He took throne from Bubba Pollard in recent years in my opinion, as the #1 to do it.
Stephen Nasse - Nasse is a Florida native, and like Bubba, a career-Super Late Model driver. Since joining the Anthony Campi team this year, he has been absolutely on fire. He's won the Southern Super Series title twice, the best touring series in Super Late Models. He just won the Florida Governor's Cup, he won the Winchester 400 twice, and looked to have a third before getting walled late, and still finishing on the podium, he's won the US Short Track Nationals at Bristol, he's won the All American 400, he's crossed the line first at the Derby, he's done a lot, and is a major threat to win.
Bubba Pollard - Just watch a race with Bubba in it, and the announcers will give you the idea. He is one of the best Super Late Model drivers of all time, easily. He is still very good, and has won just about everything you can win in a Super, except for the Snowball Derby. He is the winningest racer at the track where the Derby takes place, though, in a Super. He won 3 of the 6 SRL National races he ran this year. He won the ASA STARS National Tour race at North Wilksboro, against the likes of Sammy Smith, Chase Elliot, and so many more. He won the Oxford 250 on his first try, he won both Canadian Short Track Nationals Pro Late Model races, he's won the Southern Super Series title, he's won Dirt Races, he's won the Rattler 250 twice, the Money in the Bank 150, the SRL Southwest Tour Winter Showdown twice, Speedfest 3 times, the All American 400, you name it.
Derek Thorn - Thorn has been using some sort of cheat code at the derby. We'll see if that continues this year, and in his #7, where he was in his #43 the past 3 years. He crushed records in the past 3 years, leading 200+ laps in the first two years, and 300+ last year, with progressively more dominance each year. He won last year, and was twice in the two prior years, getting moved late in the race by the eventual winner.
Snowball Drivers not on the Banner
William Sawalich, Cole Butcher team mate, and big NASCAR prospect and starting to click off big wins in a Super Late Model.
Sammy Smith, Cole Butcher team mate who this year I believe became the youngest NASCAR Xfinity Series driver to win a race, at 18. He's been incredible in a late model in recent times, and made a good playoff run in the NASCAR Xfinity series this year.
Derek Kraus, an almost underrated Late Model driver, from the state of Wisconsin, known for it's late model scene. He is also a NASCAR prospect.
Derek Griffith, one of the best drivers from the American Northeast, the PASS & GSPSS series, close to/overlapping some ACT Tour stuff (in terms of region), too. Also getting some looks from NASCAR for the Trucks series, after turning heads in what was supposed to be a one-off ARCA Menards Series race. He has done some travelling, and performs well.
Connor Okrzeisk, good young Alabama driver, known for beating Kyle Busch in one race, I believe Speedfest in Georgia, and also Bubba Pollard, I believe at this very track, Five 5 Flags Speedway
Hunter Robbins - pilot of the famous Ronnie Sanders #18, I believe it went from Hunter Robbins to Bubba Pollard to Casey Roderick and back to Hunter Robbins, Hunter has a good career working on cars for NASCAR, and he's always a threat in these big races to win.
Gio Ruggiero, young Cole Butcher team mate, and likely destined for NASCAR in the future. He has won some major races this year, and is always a treat as well, like all of the Donnie Wilson team.
Luke Fenhaus - Another powerhouse young driver from Wisconsin, has been a threat year after year at the Slinger Nationals and other major races in that region, as well as when he travels abroad. He gained attention when he got a chance to race in the SRX Series, and he did great.
Caden Kvapil & Carson Kvapil - the two biggest stars probably on the CARS Tour, with Caden winning the CARS Tour Pro Late Model series, and Carson Kvapil, who won the final CARS Tour Super Late Model Series (they changed it to a Pro Late Model series recently), has now won back-to-back CARS Tour Late Model Stock titles, their premier division, and the biggest kind of late model racing in the North Carolina region. Carson drives for JR Motorsports (Dale Earnhardt Jr, that is).
Treyten Lapcevich - one of the best young Canadian drivers, he just won half of the NASCAR Pinty's Series races, 7 out of the 14, 11 top-5s, 14 top-10s, and easily ran away with the points.
Jake Garcia - Running for the same team/crew chief that brought Chase Elliot up in a late model (Chase still works with Ricky Turner when he runs Supers), and at one time Chandler Smith. Jake finished second at the Snowball Derby in my favourite Derby of the last 7-8 years or so, in an unfortunate but very exciting finish. Jake was 14 years old. Now he is ascending in the NASCAR Trucks series, and the sky is the limit. Really clean, respectful, patient driver.
Jeremy Doss - One of the premier drivers from California, Doss has shown time and time again that he can hang with the best from anywhere, and in fact he won the Super Late Model track series, the Blizzard Series this year, at Five Flags Speedway, where the Derby takes place.
Preston Peltier - He ran at this year's Mike Stevens Memorial race at Petty International Raceway. Preston has a long history of great racing, and great battles against the best. He is a former pole-sitter at the Derby, and has won the Easter Bunny PASS race at Hickory Motor Speedway many times.
Matt Craig - He built a name being a dominant driver in the North Carolina region as a Super Late Model driver, running mainly in the CARS Tour SLM series at the time, and the PASS South Division at the time. After he started branching out, he showed strength all over America, including winning the All American 400.
Augie Grill - Augie has done it all... Always, always an exciting driver to watch. He will do and try anything, and never quits. Augie has won the Snowball Derby twice, both in 2007, and 2008. Very few people can make that claim. He also won the CARS Tour Pro Late Model race at the massive event at North Wilksboro Speedway this year, against an amazing competition.
There is more that could be said about everyone else - a standout driver from Mexico City, Mexico, and more. The point is, Butcher Racing being specifically listed on the banner is huge.
Snowflake 100 Drivers
Jimmy Renfrew Jr, young driver from the American Northeast. He was the Oxford 250 polesitter this year. Cole Butcher accidentally spun him early in the race, but he worked his way back up to the front late, and an unfortunate miscue with a pitstop forced him to the back of the lead lap, otherwise he was going to be right up there at the end. Renfrew has a lot of potential.
I covered the Canadian drivers, Glenn Styres, Nicholas Naugle, Kyle Steckly, and Jarrett Butcher in my article about them, or about the other Canadian drivers, check it out.
John Bolen & Jackson Boone are both Southeast drivers that are great in a Pro Late Model, and have the potential to upset some of the favourites. Kaden Honeycutt is amazing in anything he runs, dirt, late model stock, NASCAR, pro/super late models. He is definitely a favourite to me. Jolynn Wilkinson - JoJo Wilkinson has such an awesome attitude towards racing. She hasn't managed to be a threat for the win in this race before, but every time I see her, I am rooting for her.
Mike Hopkins - Another American Northeast driver, he's won a lot of races, and placed very well in major races in that region, and has done a bit of travelling. Looked great in a few starts on the CARS Tour Pro Late Model series this year. I find Hopkins seems underrated.
Hunter Robbins - Great driver, great car. Robbins in the Ronnie Sanders #18 could easily end up leading a lot of laps, and be there at the end.
Chase Burda - Young driver from Michigan who is getting better and better, it won't be surprise to see Burda get the biggest win of his career here.
Terry Senneker Jr - He doesn't race often these days, but he's had some races where he is bad fast. Terry could make this an exciting one. He has won the biggest race of the year in Outlaw Bodied (wedge) Super Late Model racing, the Kalamazoo Klash 5 times. This is a race that in my interview with Dylan Gosbee, he said was a bucket list race for him.
Bubba Pollard - See the other post about the banner names for the Derby
Stephen Nasse - See above
Augie Grill - I covered him in the Super Late guys who aren't on the banner, so some of this might be repeated. If not, in short - won the Derby twice, he's won the Snowflake 100 3 times, he won the North Wilksboro CARS Tour Pro Late Model feature this year, he will be in the #43 instead of his #112 this race. Augie is always a really fun driver to watch, and he is going to be a threat.
Max Cookson - Took the PASS racing world by storm this year. We got glimpses of him in the year prior, and this year, officially still a rookie, not only won the PASS Championship, but the Rookie of the Year, too. It was basically a write-off from the start of the year, Cookson had it in the bag. It will be great to see Cookson in Florida, if he doessn't threaten for a win this year, I expect to see it happen down the line, if he continues returning.
Grant Enfinger - He has 10 NASCAR Truck Series wins, 16 ARCA wins, and 3 top-5s at the Snowball Derby. He has been coming to Florida for a long time for the Derby, and he could definitely win this one. It will be his first Snowflake 100, if he qualifies.
Michael Hinde - Up and coming racer from Florida, Hinde with the signature flames on the front car design has been picking it up in both the Pro and Super, and this could prove to be his breakout moment.
I left out so many deserving names from both races, but this is some of the best drivers, or one of my favourites in JoJo Wilkinson.
