Berry Surprises, Claims Snowball Derby Pole At 5 Flags

Josh Berry was fastest in Friday night’s qualifying session to score the pole for Sunday’s Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway. Photo: Josh Berry/Twitter

Where did Josh Berry come from?

The murmurs buzzed through the bleachers of a jam-packed Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida on Friday night during Super Late Model qualifying for the 55th annual Snowball Derby.

With an overflowing crowd expecting California driver Derek Thorn to claim his fourth consecutive pole for the event, it will be Barry who leads the field to the opening green flag of the 300-lap race Sunday.

The 32-year-old driver laid down Friday night’s fastest lap (16.333 seconds) of the 50 drivers who took time and hoped to make the Derby without relying on provisionals or Saturday’s last-chance races.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Berry, who is driving the No. 26 for War Rackley Racing out of his native Tennessee. “I can’t thank this team for bringing me here to race. It’s been a lotta fun. We’ve had a good week. We’ve worked smart and made the car better each time we’ve been on the racetrack. That’s all you could ask for.”

Berry – a winner of three NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season – has made only one previous Derby start, finishing in the top-30 after starting sixth for JR Motorsports in 2019. He comes to 5 Flags fresh off a win in last weekend’s Thanksgiving All-Star Classic last Sunday at North Carolina’s Southern National Motorsports Park, pocketing a cool $50,000. It was his 100th career win for JR Motorsports.

Despite not earning the pole, Thorn’s time of 16.378 seconds will put him on the outside of Berry come Sunday.

The most exciting 90 minutes in short-track racing was thrilling, as usual. Seventeen-year-old Conner Jones went from outside the starting field on his first lap to top of the heap on his second lap before ultimately yielding to Berry and Thorn. Jones will start third Sunday.

NASCAR Cup star Brad Keselowski (16.719 seconds) failed to get in on time and will be fighting and clawing through the last-chance race Saturday to get into Sunday’s show.

“I’ve never been to a racetrack that has this big of a crowd just for qualifying,” Keselowski said. “It’s a testament to the track and these fans.”

New Hampshire’s Derek Griffith had to sweat out the final qualifier before knowing his fate. Griffith sat on the Derby bubble, watching anxiously from his pit as California driver Jeremy Doss took time. When Doss’ time was good enough to get in, Griffith dropped his head and began immediately focusing on the long day ahead of him Saturday.

“It’s tough. Man, to be bumped out by a hundredth of a second, it’s crazy,” Griffith said. “It’s the toughest race in the country. Everybody here is somebody. I didn’t wanna be here in this position, but I’m glad I’ll be on the point.”

Drivers joining Keselowski and Griffith in the last-chance races include former Derby polesitter Preston Peltier, Casey Johnson, Jesse Love, Brad May and Boris Jurkovic.

Past Derby champs and NASCAR stars Erik Jones, Ty Majeski and Noah Gragson all made the race along with Senoia, Georgia’s Bubba Pollard — still searching for his first career Derby title — William Byron, Hunter Robbins and Monroe, Georgia’s Jake Garcia among others.

Augie Grill and Stephen Nasse earned Derby provisionals for their top-10 season performances in the Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series and Southern Super Series, respectively.

For more information on the Snowball Derby race weekend at 5 Flags Speedway, visit 5FlagsSpeedway.com.

5 Flags Speedway – Pensacola, FL
Snowball Derby – December 2, 2022

Friday’s SLM Qualifying Results*

1. 26 Josh Berry
2. 43 Derek Thorn
3. 44 Conner Jones
4. 54 Matt Craig
5. 30 Noah Gragson
6. 32 Carson Kvapil
7. 2 Gio Ruggiero
8. 16 Jacob Gomes
9. 14 Austin Nason
10. 18 Ryan Luza
11. 8 Jase Hansen
12. 4 Erik Jones Byron
13. 24 William Byron
14. 26 Bubba Pollard
15. 91 Ty Majeski
16. 53 Cole Butcher
17. 35 Jake Garcia
18 4 Luke Fenhaus
19. 21 Corey Heim
20. 18 Hunter Robbins
21. 44 Jeremy Doss
22. 43 Daniel Dye
23. 33 Dustin Smith
24. 51 Albert Francis
25. 26 Casey Roderick
26. 98 Blaine Rocha
27. 65 Tyler Tanner
28. 22 Sammy Smith
29. 69 Michael Hinde
30. 51 Jake Finch
31. 12 Derek Griffith
32. 21 Jesse Love
33. 1 Michael House
34. 2 John Bolen
35. 51 Stephen Nasse
36. 9 Derek Kraus
37. 48 Preston Peltier
38. 5 Casey Johnson
39. 112 Augie Grill
40. 54 Johnny Clark
41. 57 Zach Telford
42. 23 Billy VanMeter
43. 6 Brad Keselowski
44. 9 Brad May
45. 45 Michael Simko
46. 53 Boris Jurkovic
47. 28 Connor Mosack
48. 10 George Gorham
49. 55 Haeden Plybon
50. 32 Harold Crooms
51. 22 Connor Okrzesik