The moment has finally arrived. Drivers and teams from around the country will make their way to Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida this week for the 57th Annual Snowball Derby presented by FloSports. 

More than 50 drivers are currently on the entry list and have hopes of claiming the biggest prize in pavement late model racing. 

Out of those 50 drivers, who are the favorites to claim the Tom Dawson Trophy? We’ve put together a list of 10 drivers who should be considered favorites to win the 2024 Snowball Derby on Sunday, December 8. 

• Snowball Derby Schedule, How To Watch & More
• First Look: 2024 Snowball Derby Entry List
• Watch FloRacing's Drive To The Derby Video Series

Bubba Pollard

A Snowball Derby victory has eluded Pollard in his 16 previous attempts, but it would be silly to leave him off of this list. Pollard’s success at Five Flags Speedway over the last 15 years is unrivaled with 26 total victories, two Snowflake 100 wins and four Blizzard Series championships. 

Chandler Smith

Smith returns to the Snowball Derby this year for the first time since his win in 2021. With his NASCAR plans unknown for the 2025 season, he’ll be looking to make some noise at a race he’s been very good at in the past. In six career Snowball Derby starts, Smith has four top-five finishes and has never finished worse than seventh. 

Cole Butcher

Butcher is one of four drivers who has won a Super Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway this year after scoring an ASA STARS National Tour win at the track in March. He went on to win another crown jewel, the Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway later in the season. Butcher hasn’t finished worse than sixth in his last six Snowball Derby attempts. 

Derek Thorn

It’s safe to say that there hasn’t been anyone better than Thorn in Snowball Derby qualifying over the last five years. The California native has started from the pole position in four of the last five Derbys. His only non-pole winning qualifying run came in 2022, the year he went on to win the Snowball Derby. Thorn’s stats in the race aren’t too shabby either, with a win and two runner-up finishes over the last four years. 

Giovanni Ruggiero

Ruggiero came up on spot short of winning the Tom Dawson Trophy a year ago after crossing the finish line behind Majeski. He’ll return with the Wilson Motorsports team hoping to take care of unfinished business. Earlier this year, Ruggiero visited Five Flags Speedway victory lane following an ARCA Menards Series East victory. 

Jake Garcia 

Garcia returns to the Snowball Derby to make his sixth attempt. Garcia finished second in his Snowball Derby debut as a 14-year old in 2019 but failed to qualify for the race last December. Garcia is coming off a big win in the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Noah Gragson

Before he begins the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season with Front Row Motorsports, Gragson will return to the race he loves the most: the Snowball Derby. Since winning the race in 2018, the Las Vegas native hasn’t had the best of luck in Pensacola but that has made him more motivated to right the ship this year. 

Stephen Nasse

After shaking the monkey off his back and claiming his first win at Five Flags in 2020, Nasse has been one of the best at the Pensacola half-mile oval. He has seven career Blizzard Series victories at the track since 2020, including a win in April. Nasse has been knocking on the door of a Snowball Derby win for a few years now and looks to seal the deal in 2024. 

Ty Majeski

The freshly-crowned NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion returns to the Snowball Derby seeking his third win in the crown jewel event. In addition to his wins in 2020 and 2023, Majeski has five career podium finishes in 10 starts. He’s also entering the Snowball Derby fresh off a $30,000 win in the Bill Bigley, Sr. Memorial 128 at Freedom Factory this past weekend. 

William Sawalich

Sawalich, the two-time defending ARCA Menards Series East champion, will make his way to the Snowball Derby before kicking off his rookie season behind the wheel of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Sawalich finished 10th in his Snowball Derby debut one year ago. He previously scored an ARCA Menards Series East win at the track in 2023 and a Southern Super Series win in 2022. 

BONUS: Casey Roderick

Currently, Casey Roderick is not on the official entry list for the 57th Annual Snowball Derby. If he does show up to Five Flags Speedway, he will instantly become a favorite to win the Tom Dawson Trophy. Roderick won the Blizzard Series finale at the track in September to lock up the 2024 championship. He’s also claimed the pole in his last five starts this season dating back to August.