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| article by speed 51 |
They'll likely also remember the trials and tribulations of Derek Thorn.
Thorn raised PayPal funds from fans in the weeks before the Snowball Derby to make the trip from Bakersfield, California to Pensacola. Once in town, he blew through two engines in early practice sessions. Instead of packing up for a long trip home after such bad luck, the team borrowed a new engine for qualifying and proceeded to barely squeak into the field on time, qualifying 30th of the 30 cars taken to the feature from time trials.
The race was going smoothly for more than 200 laps on Sunday. Then, when Josh Hamner took a trip towards the wall, collecting Jeff Fultz and others, Thorn was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
With nowhere to go, Thorn slammed into the front end of Hamner's car, launching Thorn's #26 airborne and flipping through the air. Body and internal parts of the car were thrown across the track as Thorn came to a rest looking like a bare frame with wheels on it.
Luckily, Thorn was fine after the crash, but it was a finish to Snowball weekend that pretty much paralleled the rest of his weekend, unfortunately.
Thorn held his head high after the crash, proving that even though things didn't go his way during Snowball Derby weekend, he was plenty tough throughout it.
That's why Speed51.com's staff is awarding Derek Thorn the overall Snowball Derby "Tough Guy Award."
For his win, Derek Thorn earns a $500 gift certificate from Five Star Race Car Bodies. That will certainly come in handy, as there weren't many body parts left on his car after the Snowball crash.
For more on Five Star Race Car Bodies' Tested Tough line of bodies and accessories, visit www.fivestarbodies.com.