Ty Majeski Lights Up 5 Flags Speedway, Collects Second Career Snowball Derby Pole

Story By: CHUCK CORDER / 5 FLAG SPEEDWAY – PENSACOLA, FL – Ty Majeski has brought championship vibes to Five Flags Speedway and the 57th annual Snowball Derby presented by FloSports.

The recently crowned NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series king is looking to defend the Tom Dawson trophy he captured last year, the second Derby crown of his career (2020, 2023). Majeski checked the first box toward a repeat performance Friday night at Pensacola’s high banks.

The 30-year-old Wisconsin driver laid down a blistering qualifying lap of 16.175 seconds to swipe the pole for the 300-lap Super Late Model crown gem Sunday afternoon. Majeski also sat on the pole in 2015 when he set the current track record (16.120), which he nearly broke Friday.

“Derby qualifying is always fun,” Majeski said after. “You always love these high-pressure moments. It’s a ton of fun to go qualifying here. The track has a ton of grip and there’s excitement in the air.”

Kaden Honeycutt, who captured the Pro Trucks Derby crown on Thursday, night and will compete in four total classes this week, will start outside Majeski on Sunday with William Sawalich, Haeden Plybon and Connor Okrzesik rounding out the top-five.

Conditions were perfect for qualifying thanks to chilly temperatures Friday. All 30 drivers who made Sunday’s show had a faster time than Derek Thorn’s pole time in 2023 (16.501).

Thorn qualified easily and will start one spot ahead of Bubba Pollard in the top-10. Chandler Smith, the 2021 Derby champ and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, will start 10th.

Other notable drivers who qualified on time: David Gilliland, Jake Finch, Cole Butcher, Gio Ruggiero, NASCAR driver and 2018 Derby champ Noah Gragson and Stephen Nasse qualified exactly 30th.

John Bolen and Billy VanMeter both earned their way into Sunday through Blizzard Series and Southern Super Series provisionals, respectively.

Thirteen drivers will battle for the final four remaining spots in last-chance races Saturday afternoon at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

“You always feel pressure,” Majeski said. “Just this atmosphere. Walking down pit road, you can feel it.

“We’ve been working on this thing, getting a little bit of a feel of what we’ve been missing all week. We hit on it today. We had some raw speed.”

Qualifying 1: 1. 91-Ty Majeski, 00:16.175[39]; 2. 21-Kaden Honeycutt, 00:16.203[11]; 3. 62S-William Sawalich, 00:16.204[37]; 4. 55-Haeden Plybon, 00:16.217[18]; 5. 14-Connor Okrzesik, 00:16.235[45]; 6. 8S-Sammy Smith, 00:16.247[44]; 7. 7-Derek Thorn, 00:16.253[31]; 8. 26P-Bubba Pollard, 00:16.263[17]; 9. 26S-Dawson Sutton, 00:16.265[36]; 10. 2S-Chandler Smith, 00:16.269[38]; 11. 4-Luke Fenhaus, 00:16.271[13]; 12. 98-David Gilliland, 00:16.273[7]; 13. 32T-Treyten Lapcevich, 00:16.277[28]; 14. 51F-Jake Finch, 00:16.282[6]; 15. 28-Cole Butcher, 00:16.289[8]; 16. 54C-Matt Craig, 00:16.294[2]; 17. 35-Jake Garcia, 00:16.314[27]; 18. 22S-Buddy Shepherd, 00:16.316[4]; 19. 76R-Kole Raz, 00:16.316[41]; 20. 08H-Jace Hansen, 00:16.324[16]; 21. 44D-Jeremy Doss, 00:16.326[24]; 22. 89-Dylan Fetcho, 00:16.333[29]; 23. 33-Dustin Smith, 00:16.336[20]; 24. 69-Michael Hinde, 00:16.338[15]; 25. 8K-Carson Kvapil, 00:16.354[34]; 26. 22R-Gio Ruggiero, 00:16.368[30]; 27. 76C-Cayden Lapcevich, 00:16.372[14]; 28. 30G-Noah Gragson, 00:16.387[40]; 29. 43-Nick Loden, 00:16.396[26]; 30. 51N-Stephen Nasse, 00:16.396[33]; 31. 25-Nicholas Naugle, 00:16.401[43]; 32. 30S-Kyle Steckly, 00:16.407[32]; 33. 24-Brent Crews, 00:16.426[5]; 34. 32K-Caden Kvapil, 00:16.433[21]; 35. 28W-Timothy Watson, 00:16.443[22]; 36. 9-Derek Kraus, 00:16.457[23]; 37. 44J-Conner Jones, 00:16.478[35]; 38. 2B-John Bolen, 00:16.487[25]; 39. 1-Kasey Kleyn, 00:16.513[3]; 40. 23-Billy VanMeter, 00:16.611[19]; 41. 54S-Conner Sutton, 00:16.641[1]; 42. 82-Michael Scott, 00:16.668[9]; 43. 5-Vito Cancilla, 00:16.748[10]; 44. 121-Joseph Meyer, 00:16.889[12]; 45. (DNS) 123-Ed Vanmeter

Drivers Locked into Snowball Derby ® Top 30 Qualifiers

• 1 91 Ty Majeski, Neenah, WI
• 2 21 Kaden Honeycutt, Huntersville, NC
• 3 62 William Sawalich, Mooresville, NC
• 4 55 Headen Plybon, Spokane, WA
• 5 14 Connor Okrzesik, Grand Bay, AL
• 6 8 Sammy Smi t h, Johnson, IA
• 7 7 Derek Thorn, Bakersfield, CA
• 8 26 Bubba Pollard, Senoia, GA
• 9 26 Dawson Sutton, Lebanon, TN
• 10 2 Chandler Smith, Talking Rock, GA
• 11 4 Luke Fenhaus, Wausau, WI
• 12 98 David Gilliland, Troutman, NC
• 13 32 Treyten Lapcevich, Grimsby, ONT
• 14 51 Jake Finch, Lynn Haven, FL
• 15 28 Cole Butcher, Mooresville, NC
• 16 54 Matt Craig, Mt. Pleasant, NC
• 17 35 Jake Garcia, Eatonton, GA
• 18 22 Buddy Shephard, Bakersfield, CA
• 19 76 Kole Raz. Lake Oswego, OR
• 20 8 Jace Hansen, Berthoud, CO
• 21 44 Jeremy Doss, Upper Lake, CA
• 22 89 Dylan Fetcho, Lebanon, TN
• 23 33 Dustin Smith, Mobile, AL
• 24 69 Michael Hinde, Hernando, FL
• 25 8 Carson Kvapil, Concord, NC
• 26 22 Gio Ruggiero, Eatonton, GA
• 27 76 Cayden Lapcevich, Mooresville, NC
• 28 30 Noah Gragson, Mooresville, NC
• 29 43 Nick Loden, Stanley, NC
• 30 51 Stephen Nasse, Pinellas Park, FL

Drivers In Last Chance Race
4 will advance to Snowball

• 31 25 Nicholas Naugle, Dartmouth, NS, Canada
• 32 30 Kyle Steckly, Milverton, ONT
• 33 23 Brent Crews, Cornelius, NC
• 34 32 Caden Kvapil, Mooresville, NC
• 35 28 Timothy Watson, Panama City, FL
• 36 9 Derek Kraus, Stratford, WI
• 37 44 Conner Jones, Fredricksburg,VA
• 38 2 John Bolen, Jasper, AL
• 39 1 Kasey Kleyn, Quincy, WA
• 40 23 Billy VanMeter, Indianapolis, IN
• 41 54 Conner Sutton, Pensacola, FL
• 42 82 Michael Scott, Cheyenne, WY
• 43 5 Vito Cancilla, Martinez, CA
• 44 121 Joseph Meyer, Mt. Juliet, TN
• 45 123 Ed VanMeter, Indianapolis, IN