The NASCAR world has mainly been focused on Nashville this week for the end of the season awards celebration, but there are some NASCAR Cup drivers focused on racing this week.
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The 2023 edition of the Snowball Derby is this weekend, and some of NASCAR's rising stars will be participating in one of the most famous Super Late Model races in the country.
Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, has hosted the Snowball Derby annually since 1968. It has had plenty of major NASCAR names hoist the trophy, such as Darrell Waltrip, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott and Erik Jones.
There will be plenty of eyes on this Sunday's 300 lap event, with 52 names on the entry list. Many of whom have ties to NASCAR.
The biggest name of them all might be Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron, who has made three previous starts in the event with a best finish of 6th in 2022. Erik Jones is hoping to win it again, after winning back-to-back in 2012 and 2013.
Carson Hocevar, who will be running for Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024, will also try to add his name to the illustrious list of Snowball Derby winners.
Noah Gragson, who had a promising Cup career ahead of him until his controversial social media post got him suspended and released from his ride at Legacy Motor Club this past summer, will try to replicate his 2018 win in this event.
Stewart-Haas Racing's short-track and modified racing specialist Ryan Preece, who drives the No.41 Cup car at SHR, will also be giving his best shot in Sunday's Derby.
They aren't the only NASCAR names to keep an eye on, according to Adam Fenwick from NASCAR.com, as there is plenty of younger NASCAR talent also entered this weekend from NASCAR's ladder series.
Ty Majeski, who currently races for ThorSport Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series, is also a former winner of the event, and promises to be one to watch.
The 2023 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year and new addition to JR Motorsports, Sammy Smith, is also on the entry list.
While there are plenty of names from NASCAR's top three series, there is also plenty of talented drivers who have never competed in any of those series who could steal the show, such as William Sawalich and Carson Kvapil.
This is the race that launched Erik Jones' NASCAR career, as he beat Kyle Busch to win the Snowball Derby in 2012 when he was just 16 years old, so perhaps another young and talented driver could replicate that moment, but it will be tough because this year's race clearly has plenty of NASCAR flavor.
