12/3/2023
Five Flags Speedway
Snowball Line up completed with 4 from Last Chance Race
Four Make Most of Last Chance: Peltier Erases Pole DQ, Punches Ticket to Derby; Carson Kvapil, Bolen, Watson Earn Final 3 Spots
By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter
Preston Peltier knew he belonged in the 56th annual Snowball Derby presented by Hooters and Safe Locator at Five Flags Speedway.
The Colorado driver sat on the pole at the Derby six years ago. On Friday, he posted the third-fastest time (16.587 seconds) in qualifying—behind only defending champion and four-time polesitter Derek Thorn and 2021 Derby winner Ty Majeski. However, his time was tossed in post-qualifying inspection for an illegal body modification and he was pushed to the Last Chance Qualifying Race.
Peltier left no doubt on Derby Sunday, coming from the tail end of the 16-car field and winning the Last Chance Race. He punched one of the four final tickets to this afternoon’s biggest race in America along with Carson Kvapil and a pair of Five Flags track champions—John Bolen (Allen Turner Pro Late Models) and Timothy Watson (Faith Chapel Outlaws).
To no one’s surprise, the Last Chance Race set a frantic pace. Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith led the field to the green, but quickly yielded the lead to Derek Kraus.
Neither of those two drivers could protect their transfer positions. Smith caused the race’s biggest wreck when he hooked Carson Hocevar just short of halfway in the 50-lapper.
Ten laps from the checkered flag Kraus went from leading and in the Derby to fifth and out in one lap when Peltier made his move for the lead and Kraus was freight trained by Kvapil, Bolen and Watson.
Snowball 300 coming after driver inros.
You can follow it on PPV on Racing america.com
