Resilient Okrzesik Wows With Derby Qualifying Rebound

Connor Okrzesik bounced back from mechanical trouble in Snowball Derby practice for a top-five starting spot. (Horvath Design photo)

PENSACOLA, Fla. – If you’d asked Connor Okrzesik prior to Friday night’s Snowball Derby qualifying session about his hopes for the famed super late model classic, he’d probably have told you that simply making the race would be a relief.

After all, the 23-year-old from Grand Bay, Ala., had spent the waning hours prior to time trials scrambling to repair a broken right-rear shock mount aboard his familiar No. 14 just to make two laps at Five Flags Speedway.

When all was said and done, however, Okrzesik’s story was one of the greatest comeback tales of Country Pleasin’ Sausage Qualifying Night.

As the final driver to turn a lap among the 44 qualifiers, Okrzesik put together a stout 16.235-second lap on his second time around the half-mile oval, slotting him fifth on the speed charts and giving him a solid third-row starting spot for Sunday’s 300-lap super late model crown jewel.

He was just six hundredths (.06) of a second off the pole-winning time set by defending Snowball Derby winner Ty Majeski, but Okrzesik still tied his career-best Derby qualifying effort first set in 2018.

It all combined to leave him a bit stunned at his luck after climbing from his race car.

“This is awesome; it’s such a relief,” said Okrzesik. “We’ve been wrenching all week on this thing trying to get it better. Hats off to all my guys, but especially (crew chief and late model legend) Mike Garvey. They’re the ones that make all this possible and without them I wouldn’t be here.

“This crew did so much to get the car ready and I’m just the lucky one who gets to drive it.”

Okrzesik was quick to point out that none of his team members at the track are full-time employees, and that through the week, he’s the only one who works on his car when it’s in the race shop.

Yet, even with everything that was set against him prior to his qualifying run, Okrzesik said he never felt any nerves despite the seeming pressure on his shoulders.

“I honestly wasn’t even thinking about it,” he noted. “I just knew that I had to go out there and run the best time that I could run. Whatever happened after that was out of my control.”

Now, Okrzesik is in the big show, ready to chase his first Tom Dawson Trophy in his sixth Sunday start and eighth overall attempt. His previous best finish is fourth, earned in 2018 after his similar fifth-place start.

The hard part – at least to this point – is over now, and he knows anything can happen from here.

“It’s a long 300 laps,” tipped Okrzesik. “We’re glad to have a shot and we’ll see what we can make of it.”

Sunday’s 57th annual Snowball Derby presented by FloSports takes the green flag at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT), with live streaming coverage of every lap available through FloRacing.