Thorn Captures Record Third Straight Snowball Pole
There were relatively few surprises on a mild Friday night in Pensacola
Snowball Derby
Derek Thorn will lead a full field of Super Late Models to the green flag in the Snowball Derby for a record setting third year in a row.
2019.
2020.
2021.
It wasn’t always this easy for Thorn, who before his record run had not qualified better than 11th but usually somewhere around 20th, but always making it into the show every year he has entered.
"It's been a phenomenal week," Thorn said. "I just have to thank Mike Keen for turning the wrenches on this thing. FURY Race Cars always gives us a great package to start with. These guys work hard to make it possible.
"You never go into the Snowball Derby expecting anything because this race can humble you. Expect the unexpected."
Thorn was the 24th driver to take his two timed laps and wasn’t truly challenged for the provisional pole until Chandler Smith came within 0.054.
Due to the NASCAR Awards taking place in Nashville this week, Smith did not arrive in Pensacola until Friday morning and was operating on just three hours of sleep before starting a full day of practice and time trials.
Maybe that was the difference between first and second?
"Maybe sleep, probably, sleep," Smith said. "I’m on three hours of sleep. If I was a little more conscious, I would have driven it a little harder."
That was a joke, by the way.
"When I qualify here, for whatever reason, I just can’t get the front end to cooperate in Turns 1 and 2," Smith said. "I was going in with that mindset, and this car is great, but I was just a little snug. I didn’t want to overstep it. I just wanted a solid lap."
The entire field to have turned a competitive lap were separated by just over a half second with the top-30 separated by just 0.286.
As is tradition, the Snowball Derby starts the top-30 qualifiers, two provisionals based on track points and Southern Super Series points, and occasionally the most recent winner or a promoter’s provisional.
Wisconsin veteran Jeff Storm will make his debut on Sunday by just beating Jake Finch by 0.012. Finch, however, will also make the field via a track provisional. Jeff Choquette suffered a mechanical failure during time trials and earns the other provisional.
Behind Thorn and Smith were Corey Heim, Casey Roderick, Erik Jones, Matt Craig, Hunter Robbins, Bubba Pollard, Casey Johnson and Jake Garcia. It was an especially rewarding result for Pollard, who has struggled for portions of the past two years and finally has a race car he believes can put him back amongst the elite of short track racing on its brightest stage.
"This is easy to drive and that's the biggest thing," Pollard said. "When it has speed, that's most of the battle. It drives good and I'm excited for the rest of the weekend."
The weekend has gone for Jones the way they had hoped and it was just another positive step in that direction on Sunday.
"I thought we had a top-10 car and maybe a top-five car and it’s matched those expectation," Jones said. "This is my best Derby start. Happy about that. Happy about the speed. I’m happy with a fifth place because I didn’t think we’d start that high."
The last chance race will feature Jace Hansen on the pole over Brad May, Carson Hocevar, Michael House, Brandon Watson, Lee Tissot, Michael Atwell, Derek Kraus, Boris Jurkovic, John Deangelis, Rich Bickle, Paul Shafer Jr., Eddie Vanmeter, Perry Patino, Michael Hinde, Kyle Bryant, Cassius Clark, John Bolen and Ryan Crane.
The track record was expected by many to fall on Friday but warmed than anticipated temperatures and humid conditions kept the speeds lower than what would be needed to break the 16.120 seconds set by Ty Majeski in 2015.
Back to Thorn.
The six-time SRL SPEARS Southwest Tour champion says he never celebrates the biggest pole of the year like he should because it’s just one step towards a larger goal and one he hasn’t achieved yet. The race has been won from the front row 13 times.
"I get mad at myself after the fact because I never celebrate these enough because I'm so conserved," Thorn said. "I am really happy. It's just a big week and there's a lot that can happen and you just hope it all goes smoothly. I always say one step at a time, and this is the next step so now we move on to Saturday and Sunday."
SNOWBALL DERBY QUALIFYING RESULTS
- Derek Thorn 16.249
- Chandler Smith 16.303
- Corey Heim 16.348
- Casey Roderick 16.373
- Erik Jones 16.374
- Matt Craig 16.374
- Hunter Robbins 16.377
- Bubba Pollard 16.382
- Casey Johnson 16.397
- Jake Garcia 16.399
- Daniel Dye 16.409
- Ryan Preece 16.417
- Kodie Conner 16.427
- Mike Garvey 16.433
- Jett Noland 16.433
- Mason Diaz 16.435
- Cole Butcher 16.433
- Jeremy Doss 16.435
- Ty Majeski 16.461
- Sammy Smith 16.476
- Preston Peltier 16.487
- Kyle Plott 16.491
- Jesse Love 16.500
- Derek Griffith 16.501
- Kaden Honeycutt 16.504
- Luke Fenhaus 16.510
- Grant Enfinger 16.516
- Stephen Nasse 16.521
- Dan Fredrickson 16.523
- Jeff Storm 16.535
- Jake Finch 16.536
- Jace Hansen 16.541
- Brad May 16.560
- Carson Hocevar 16.563
- Michael House 16.568
- Brandon Watson 16.604
- Lee Tissot 16.605
- Michael Atwell 16.611
- Derek Kraus 16.621
- Boris Jurkovic 16.625
- John Deangelis 16.663
- Rich Bickle 16.669
- Paul Shafer Jr. 16.670
- Eddie Vanmeter 16.692
- Perry Patino 16.703
- Michael Hinde 16.705
- Kyle Bryant 16.709
- Cassius Clark 16.711
- John Bolen 16.788
- Ryan Crane 16.861
- Jeff Choquette 17.332