The Snowball Derby week at Five Flags Speedway is always the Super Bowl of short-track racing. Super Late Models, big names, grassroots heroes, everyone chasing the Tom Dawson Trophy under the Pensacola lights. But this year, the biggest opponent isn’t another car, it’s the sky. Dark clouds and a nasty forecast have turned the whole schedule into a giant game of weather roulette. But will the event be canceled?

Friday night lights gone, Monday afternoon hope

Organizers looked at the radar and made the call everyone hated to make: the Modifieds of Mayhem feature, originally the big Friday-night show, is now bumped all the way to Monday afternoon, December 8. Everything else (for now) stays put: trucks, Sportsmen, Pure Stocks, Crown Stock Invitational, and the main Snowball Derby on Sunday.

But they left the door wide open. If Thursday night gets washed out and Friday suddenly looks good, they’ll slide some of those features like Pro Trucks, Sportsmen, and Pure Stocks up to Friday instead.

That kind of juggling act is new for a lot of fans, but it’s simple math on slick tires. One decent rain shower and the track is done. Which is why it’s better to move a whole show than watch everyone sit in the pits staring at puddles. And the forecast isn’t kidding.

Currently, there is an 84% chance of precipitation during the day and 64% at night. Humidity is also 93 and 96 percent, respectively. Daytime has a higher chance of heavier rainfall.

Teams are coming from ten, twelve hours away, some towing open trailers, some on shoestring budgets. Canceling isn’t an option when so many people have already spent the money and taken the days off work.

Moving the Modifieds to Monday gives them the best possible shot to actually run the race instead of loading up and going home. That goes the same for the organizers. They want full fields, happy teams, and packed grandstands. It’s a gamble, though.

Crews now have to figure out hotels, flights, rental cars, and day jobs. Fans who bought Friday tickets are scrambling. But most people get it: nobody controls the weather, and racing people hate canceling more than they hate inconvenience.

The plan is still fluid. Radar updates every few hours could flip the whole thing again. One thing is sure: if you’re heading to Pensacola, keep the weather app open and the plans loose. While Mother Nature plays havoc with the schedule, Sigma Performance Services Racing is locked in and ready to make noise.

Sigma Performance Services rolls in strong with Gabe Brown

SPS is bringing two strong cars: one for rising star Gabe Brown in Saturday’s Allen Turner Snowflake 125 (his very first laps at Five Flags) and another with veteran Preston Peltier hunting the Snowball Derby win on Sunday.

Gabe Brown is coming off a great year in the American Canadian Tour and can’t wait to get on the famous half-mile.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity with SPS Racing to run the Snowflake,” he said after a solid test day.

Brown’s car carries backing from Bolt Depot, HK Powersports, and Firm Foundations, and he’s running a sharp Px chassis. For a young driver out of New Hampshire, making his Snowflake debut with a team that’s serious about winning is a big deal. SPS has been growing fast in the late-model world, and putting Brown in a great piece shows they’re all in on developing new talent.

Meanwhile, Preston Peltier, a longtime short-track hammer, will chase the Derby trophy in the 57th running of the big one.

“After taking the past two years off to focus on building chassis, I’m ready to get back behind the wheel. We’ve put a tremendous amount of effort into this car, and I’m looking forward to competing at the level this race demands,” said Peltier.

Between Brown’s fresh energy and Peltier’s experience, Sigma Performance Services is bringing two legitimate shots to steal the weekend, if the weather permits.

So while the schedule bounces around like a pinball, the racing itself is still set to deliver. Whenever the green flag finally drops, whether it’s Friday, Sunday, or Monday afternoon, the cars will be fast, and the stakes will be sky high. That’s the Snowball Derby. Rain or shine, the show will go on.