Five Flags Speedway, Tim Bryant Honored by Pensacola Sports

On Tuesday, Pensacola Sports honored Five Flags Speedway and owner Tim Bryant during the organization's annual awards banquet.

Pensacola Sports, the local sports commission encompassing sports, recreation and tourism promotion for Pensacola, Florida and surrounding regions, recognized Bryant as Sportsman of the Year during the year-end awards ceremony.

In a city with a rich sports history, Bryant appreciated being honored by the organization as preparations are well underway for the 2026 racing season.

“It’s a very honorable award in our area because it’s such a rich sports community," Bryant told Racing America. "The beauty of it is our area recognizes motorsports as part of that rich sports community.

“We’ve got Olympic athletes, professional athletes, collegiate, scholastic, obviously amateur sports celebrities in this town. We’ve got guys that have won the gold medal at the Olympics, we’ve got guys that have won The Masters, of course, talking about Justin Gatlin and Bubba Watson.

“It’s a very rich sports community, and the fact that they just recognize motorsports as a part of that is certainly big for us.”

Bryant was quick to give credit to his team and staff at Five Flags Speedway, as well as media partners and the fans and competitors who frequent the half-mile venue on Pine Forest Road throughout the year, including the annual Snowball Derby.

“Everything we do at Five Flags is accepted as a team," Bryant said. "When I say team, that incorporates a pretty broad spectrum, not only our family and staff here but all the people that have helped us make Five Flags and the Snowball Derby what it is, including Speed51, Racing America, now FloSports, it all helps make our event known.

“We feel strongly about that. We also are quick to recognize the dedication of the competitors that have continued to support the event year after year. But most importantly of all that is the race fans."

Some of those fans are the most loyal you can find in all of racing. Bryant noted that some fans have attended every single Snowball Derby, which concludes its 58th annual running in 2025.

Even though the 2025 Snowball Derby had plenty of hurdles and challenges, Bryant still feels the support and passion of the local fan base.

“We actually have a few left, fans that have been to all 58 Snowball Derbies. It’s a very dedicated fan base. The race doesn’t always go like fans want it to. Last year, we had horrific weather. We had a very controversial finish where a very popular driver who is important to our track was black flagged right near the end of the race.

“We’ve had, you know, guys like Chase Elliott disqualified from the race, Christopher Bell. Through all that, the fans have continued to support the event because they know, at the end of the day, we just want to try to make it fair and do what’s right.”

Bryant thanked Pensacola and Pensacola Sports for their support over the years, and the role it has played in opening doors for marquee events at Five Flags Speedway over the years.

“The impact that the Snowball has, and even our Blizzard Series races, our Allen Turner races. This year, we have the Race for the Million. We’ve had an SRX race. Our community is impacted by what goes on here to some degree. It’s easy for them to recognize us, but to recognize us in a friendly fashion and to have good working relationships is vitally important to us.”

The 2026 season at Five Flags Speedway begins on March 13-14 with Opening Night and the ASA STARS National Tour Sunshine State 200. Outlaws, Crown Stocks, Legacy Cars and the Super Late Models will all be in action that weekend. The 59th Annual Snowball Derby is scheduled for December 3-6.

-Photo credit: Five Flags Speedway