The sport of auto racing sometimes giveth, and other times taketh away. For Stephen Nasse, he has now experienced both sides of this at the Snowball Derby.

• 2025 Snowball Derby Results From Five Flags Speedway
• Keelan Harvick Wins Snowflake 125 At 13 Years Old

Ty Majeski’s black flag with less than 10 laps to go for a restart violation handed the Florida driver the lead, allowing Nasse to complete a charge from 32nd to win the 58th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway. The victory comes six years after he was disqualified in post-race technical inspection after taking the checkered flag first in 2019.

“I hate it for Ty, he had a really good car and I don’t know if we were going to be able to get by him. I’ll take it like this, I gave him one before and he’s given me one now,” said Nasse in victory lane. “I’m just tickled pink right now, this is amazing.”  

“I never thought I would get back here and this feels damn good.”

It’s been a series of podium finishes and near misses from Nasse in between the 2019 heartbreak and Monday afternoon’s redemption. He finished third in 2022 after driving from 36th; the next year he was battling Bubba Pollard for the win late before the two made contact and wrecked with six laps to go. In 2024, he finished second to Kaden Honeycutt after starting 30th.

Nasse joins Butch Miller, Gary St.Amant, and Chase Elliott as the only drivers to have wins in the Snowball Derby, Winchester 400 and All American 400.

“It means everything. This is really important to me and my family, my sister, my niece, my nephews, aunts and uncles, my crew. I’m just happy to finally get it done. It’s been a long, hard, few hard-fought years. Between my sponsors and all you fans, we finally pulled through.”

Going into Snowball Derby week, it had been one of the most trying seasons of Nasse’s career. He had been winless before Monday’s race despite multiple top-five runs in both Super and Pro Late Model competition around the country.

The biggest race of the year was the perfect time to get that first win of 2025.

“I’ve been saying for the back half of the year this would make up for my winless season, and it damn sure does.”

A tradition was started in 2024 after Kaden Honeycutt won the Snowball Derby with Jett Motorsports, the same team Nasse was driving for when he was disqualified in tech in 2019. One to take his post-victory celebrations seriously, that tradition goes for a second year just down the road at Ruby Tuesdays.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a party. I was fortunate enough to have one of my good friends, Kurt and Pat Jett and Jett Motorsports, who won it last year and went to Ruby Tuesdays and we’re going to do it again in celebration.”