A dramatic week befits a dramatic weekend. The 2025 Snowball Derby was clouded with inclement weather and track problems at Five Flags Speedway. That affected many drivers’ qualifying ambitions, including two-time Derby winner and NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones. But another NASCAR driver not only made it into the Derby, but excelled – like 2024 Craftsman Truck champion Ty Majeski. However, he made sure to end the Derby festivities with a sensational touch.

Snowball Derby’s rules come under the spotlight

“I don’t know, I felt like I was being pretty consistent. I definitely jumped the first and the second. The rule is to pick up the pace to the line, but the rule, the way it is written, is not black and white, and leaves it open to balls and strikes. So, I don’t know what to say… I’d like to talk to race control and have a discussion. I feel like we won this race, and we’ll try and argue, of course,” Ty Majeski said after the conclusion of the 2025 Snowball Derby.

In what fans expected to be 300 laps of sheer survival, Ty Majeski dominated. However, on the restart with 13 laps to go, he went on defense. Officials gave him a warning for jumping the first restart attempt – and then the black flag for jumping the second attempt. That allowed Stephen Nasse, who never actually crossed the line and finished behind Majeski, to capture the win unexpectedly.

So Ty Majeski whipped up a storm of protest in the Snowball Derby garage. According to journalist Matt Weaver’s X posts, he approached the people in tech, feeling incredulous that the win was stripped from him. He showed replays of the race’s last laps to prove his point and had conversations with individuals like Tim Bryant, Five Flags Speedway owner, and Scott Menlen.

For Stephen Nasse, it marked his first Snowball Derby victory, ahead of post-race technical inspection. Nasse won the race on the track in 2019 but was disqualified for an illegal braking system. Dawson Sutton earned runner-up honors, and Jake Garcia charged from his 32nd starting spot to finish third. Kasey Kleyn and Jake Finch completed the top five. The one other NASCAR champion in the mix, Kyle Busch, could clinch a 19th-place finish. Eventually, Majeski’s protest fell on deaf ears.

As it turns out, Ty Majeski’s Snowball Derby finish echoed his NASCAR fate as well.

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Scraping a second title

The Snowball Derby gave Ty Majeski a heavy heart. But what makes it heavier is the rest of his 2025 fate as well. The ThorSport Racing driver was aiming for back-to-back NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series titles. However, Corey Heim‘s Tricon Garage truck proved unbeatable. Heim extended his season’s win record to 12 in the double-overtime Phoenix Raceway finale that featured a seven-wide restart in the 161-lap affair. And Majeski fell short of just 0.993 of a second.

It marked a disappointing end for the driver of the No. 98 truck, which was in a great position. Ty Majeski led one of his most consistent campaigns yet, although he failed to win a single race during the entire 2025 season. He completed the year with 10 top-5 finishes, 18 top-10 finishes, and 199 laps led. Majeski also boasted a 9.8 average finishing position and a second-place finish in the point standings. For 2026, he will transition to the No. 88 truck, replacing Matt Crafton.

With double heartbreaks, Ty Majeski’s discomfort may not cease. Let’s wait and see what 2026 brings.