If you’ve been keeping up with the weather updates at Pensacola, then you might be aware that for days, teams, drivers, and fans awaited a break from the stormy skies. But when the track finally came alive in the early hours of Sunday morning, a different kind of storm took over. It was none other than 13-year-old Keelan Harvick!

Keelan Harvick didn’t just show up for the 2025 Snowflake 125. Instead, he shut up every critic in the room, delivering a jaw-dropping comeback that rewrote the record books.

A record-breaking win for Keelan Harvick

13 years, 4 months, and 29 days.

That’s the exact age of the kid who just rewrote one of short-track racing’s most respected record books. Keelan Harvick stormed into history by winning the Allen Turner Hyundai Snowflake 125 Pro Late Model event at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, on December 7, 2025, to become the youngest victor the race has ever seen.

But this wasn’t some clean, fairy-tale drive from the front row. Nothing about Keelan’s night (or morning technically) came easy. Starting deep in the 15th position, he spent the opening stages carving through traffic with calm precision far beyond his age. After pit stops shuffled the field, Keelan found himself at the point with 50 laps to go, but the race had no plans on letting him cruise.

A restart with 46 laps remaining nearly derailed everything. One small bobble, one moment of lost grip, and suddenly Harvick slid back to fourth. Critics have long questioned whether he could handle adversity on the big stage. And right here, he answered with his hands on the wheel.

Keelan regrouped, reset, and went hunting again. By 24 laps to go, he powered past Tristan McKee to reclaim the lead, showing the kind of calculated aggression that defines seasoned veterans, not teenagers.

Still, one final restart loomed with 10 laps left. No mistakes. No panic. No hesitation. Keelan Harvick held firm to capture the biggest win of his young career. McKee finished second, and defending Snowball Derby winner Kaden Honeycutt rounded out the podium.

“It’s really special,” Harvick told Matt Weaver. “Like I said, just to win it for my guys that put in a lot of hours for me to be able to do this. All my family, my sponsors, it just wouldn’t be possible without all of them.”

He credited late-night study sessions with his father, Kevin Harvick, focusing on staying low on corner exits – a detail that proved decisive. Dad Harvick was naturally very happy and proud seeing his son follow his footsteps.

“Me and my dad watched the Snowflake from last year. We saw everybody coming out of (the turns) low and straight. That’s what I did, ” Keelan added.

Originally scheduled for 6 pm, the race didn’t start until 1:41 am due to the rain showers that took place in the Penascola area.

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Meanwhile, Peltier’s lap sets the stage for the derby

If Keelan Harvick’s win lit up the early hours of Sunday morning, Preston Peltier made sure the buildup to the 2025 Snowball Derby carried its own electricity. The veteran racer stormed to pole position for the 58th annual event, laying down a blistering 16.240-second lap during a qualifying session that was every bit as dramatic as the weekend’s weather.

Persistent rain throughout Derby week pushed the session back an entire day, but when the track finally came to life, Peltier wasted no time reminding everyone that he’s far from done. The 2017 Snowball Derby pole-sitter delivered a lap that blended precision, experience, and a little bit of swagger.

“I’m old, but I’m still fast,” Peltier joked to FloRacing afterward. “I just wanted to give it one more try, and here we are. I can promise you the car is better than me.”

Behind him, two-time Derby winner Ty Majeski secured second, while Hudson Bulger, Jake Finch, and Spencer Davis completed the top five. This shows a mix of proven talent and rising threats, setting up a fascinating grid for Sunday’s 300-lap showdown.

But not everyone had a smooth night. In a surprising twist, three NASCAR Cup Series drivers — Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, and Noah Gragson — failed to lock themselves into the field through time. That sent them to the Last Chance Qualifier, where only four transfer spots were up for grabs.

Busch showed why he’s a former Derby winner, dominating the 25-lap LCQ from the pole. Stephen Nasse, Derek Griffith, and Jake Garcia also fought their way in. Gragson, meanwhile, never even made it to the green flag, sidelined by issues with his No. 30 entry.

Two provisionals filled out the final positions: Matthew Craig earned his through Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series points, while Gavan Boschele claimed his via the ASA Southern Super Series. With the lineup set, the intensity surrounding this year’s Derby only continues to climb. And some storylines are just beginning to take shape.