Q&A WITH THIS WEEK'S DOUBLE DUTY DRIVER, DEREK THORN

You don't always need a polished head shot to get attention. Curious as to what is going on here? Its a hidden gem in the article below. Photo: Charly / RacingWest

Derek Thorn has a busy weekend ahead with driving both the SRL Southwest Tour and the NASCAR West series. Ahh...but not too busy to take a few moments for the fans and share his thoughts on the races and then some.

Racingwest: Two must ask questions for any driver interview who is your role model and who has been your biggest support?

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Derek Thorn:

There have been a lot of influential people that have played a huge role in where I am today. My father has been my biggest role model and mentor and will continue to be. My mom, little brother and grandmothers have been behind me every step of the way.

RW: How old were you when you first got behind the wheel?

DT:

I was 8 yrs old and got into a winged 5hp Dirt Outlaw-Kart

RW: Some people feel you have blazed on the scene like wildfire, making a big explosion in the racing world out on the West Coast, yet you had wins and championships before ever wheeling a SRL Southwest Tour or NASCAR West car. Could you explain some of your experience?

DT:

It would be best to check out my bio on www.derekthorn.com. However Northern California doesn’t show up on the map much to the racing community, and my name wasn’t recognized by many when I ran the ASA Series out of Wisconsin either. However I have won 4 championships. Two on dirt and two on asphalt. I would like to add a championship in a superlate model style car this year to my resume. I have 5 track records in 3 states, have led laps in 8 different states, and won races in 5 different states. So I feel I have been trying to get a bunch of experience and exposure.

RW: What has been your greatest moment in racing thus far?

DT:

Winning at the Music City Motorplex in the ASA Challenge Series and getting that guitar. Also achieving the Pole for the 2011 All Star Showdown ranked up there.

RW: Now this weekend you will be racing in two different series, the SRL Southwest Tour and the NASCAR K&N Pro West. Which car do you find easier to drive?

DT:

“Easier” is a tough term to reference, but the SRL car is lighter, has better stopping power, a wider wheel base and has a softer tire. So it drives more like a sports car as the K&N car is just as “easy” to drive, but the narrow track width and steel body allow a lot of roll so it takes a different setup and driving style. Both teams I am driving for, JRC and Sunrise Ford have great equipment, the hardest part of the weekend is going to be for me to run a road coarse race for the first time. I hold the standards high for myself; I know the equipment is there, it will be up to me to not make any mistakes on the track.

RW: You will be competing at both the Portland International Raceway road course and at Rocky Mountain Raceways, a short paved track. Have you ever raced at either track before?

DT:

I have never even seen either of the tracks before.

RW: What is the biggest challenge you see between the two races?

DT:

Making sure I hit my marks in qualifying in both divisions. Going from road coarse practice in Portland right to qualifying in Utah will be interesting.

RW: How do your race strategies differ between the two events?

DT:

Both will be important to start near the front. Staying on the coarse and saving the equipment will be huge at Portland. Getting out front and setting the pace would be nice at the SRL race. But having a good point’s night in Utah I think will be on everyone’s mind.

RW: With a road course and a short track coming up, how do you feel you are on the brakes and transmission?

DT:

Down shifting the road coarse tranny was a learning curve for me. It will be the first time for me competing on a road coarse. I feel I have a pretty good handle on being able to save the equipment. The SRL car has been turning awesome so it helps save the brakes a lot. Saving the tires will be another big focus.

RW: You are missing a lot of the on track activities for both races this weekend, what have you done to still be competitive at both events?

DT:

I have to put a lot of faith in both teams. I have so many good people around me right now at the track and I also have Marty Melo keeping me pointed in the right direction in off track activities, he and everyone else do an awesome job.

RW: What is your road course experience and how have you prepared for the road course at Portland?

DT:

No road course experiences except a recent test, besides that the only road coarse experience I had was at the fun cart center. Bob Bruncati, Bill Sedgwick, Luis Martinez and the whole crew were a huge help at the test however. I feel confident about Portland, I have a lot to learn and feel Portland will be a huge stepping stone for our first race together.

RW: What can you draw on from the past to help you this weekend?

DT:

I had a similar weekend to this a few years back and the biggest thing is trust. Your relying a lot on your equipment and crew to have everything ready to go as races are won in the shop. My duties are to make sure I'm 100% focused on the car I am driving at that moment, and not be thinking about the road coarse while I'm turning left in Utah.

RW: Are you putting a greater emphasis on either event?

DT:

Winning the championship in the SRL is a huge focus point for our organization so making sure to have a good point’s night is high on the priority list. The Portland race is not for points, so that pressure is off allowing us to focus on getting laps and a good finish

RW: What is your favorite part of the NASCAR West series?

DT:

The exposure, it is hard to get noticed now days and running well in a televised series sure helps.

RW: Favorite part of the SRL SW Tour?

DT:

Winning races

RW: Would you like to see the SRL SW run on a road course like Willow Springs or if they continue to grow the series at a track like Laguna Seca (Mazda Raceway)?

DT:

Not sure if road racing would be good for the SRL, there would be a lot of cautions I think. The cost to do it would be hard, plus switching cars around would be hard to do as well.

RW: The SRL seems to be more aggressive, and thus has been called a tougher race to win, what makes it this way?

DT:

A lot of drivers in the SRL have great equipment and car control, these 2900 lb machines have great Hoosier rubber, allowing you to get up on the wheel when needed. The competition is steep and it takes an awesome car to get to the front however when we go to these short tracks its pretty tight racing and occasionally you need to use an aggressive style to get by some competitors.

RW: If both series were racing on the same track which would be the tougher race for you to win?

DT:

That is to close to call at this point.

RW: When you have 5 laps to go should you be able to move the leader if he is blocking?

DT:

That's a big question “moving” people is ok in my book. It takes no skill to wreck someone, but if you can move another car enough to get by and not wreck them then I'm all for it. I expect the same in return, if a driver wants to move me if they are clearly faster, then be my guest. If I know I'm slower than the person behind me 9 times out of 10 I will let them go.

RW: If you are the leader do you feel you should move over if the car behind you is clearly faster?

DT:

Depending on what point your at in the race and what track your at as you have to add up risk vs. reward. Some tracks the track position is not as important early on and you may get a few spots back latter on if you don’t fight so hard early. So to answer the question its up to the driver, they have some decisions to make and how confident they are in there driving and equipment. I know if I am leading on the last lap I am not just going to move over however.

RW: Would you rather have a reinforced front bumper or rear bumper?

DT:

Front bumper for sure, if you have people beating your back bumper off its just not your day and you need to let them by. Unless it’s the last lap of coarse.

RW: You are a winning driver if you could break it down, what percentage is team versus driver versus equipment?

DT:

90% equipment and team 10% driver

RW: Getting noticed in racing these days, may not be as easy as it once was, but it is not impossible. What do you think it takes to catch the eye of the right people?

DT:

You need to carry yourself well on and off the track fore sure and be confident. I have found that having good communication skills both on and off the track is vital also. These things and results with good people around you and it is still possible.

RW: Can you do it from the west coast or do you need to go back east?

DT:

I’m not sure of that one. I hope the west coast works; it seems so flooded with drivers back East.

RW: Do you feel a driver gets noticed more if they dominate a race and lead flag to flag for if they came from behind and make noise coming through the pack to win by mere inches at the end of the race?

DT:

I love making noise coming from the back and the excitement for the fans and sponsors is always better, however the end result I better take the checkered flag.

RW: What is more exciting as a driver?

DT:

I love coming from the back, if you have a good car, it’s a lot of fun. That’s all I did growing up racing, there was always a full invert and in one year I had 19 of 21 fast times, so I started in the back almost every race.

RW: Do you have any pre-race rituals you partake in?

DT:

I like lying down on the track, it looks weird and people don’t understand but it feels good and helps me get into the zone I’m looking for. I like shaking my dads hand before every race once I’m in the car also. 

RW: Smack talk and success sometimes go hand in hand, is there anything that has been said about you that you would like to dispel or address?

DT:

Not that I am aware of. If there is, the people that start the rumors or issues still have to go home at night and look at themselves in the mirror knowing what their doing or saying.

RW: What is your average week like, what do you do Monday to Friday?

DT:

Depending on the week I will work in the JRC shop Monday thru Saturday. Mostly fabrication work, body hanging on SRL cars and some K&N Series stuff also. We do a lot of setup work as well. I'll drive most cars on the chassis dyno, which is awesome.

RW: What do you do for enjoyment outside of racing?

DT:

In my off time during the summer its fun floating down the river and playing disc golf.

RW: Any speeding tickets?

DT:

I have one speeding ticket, I drive a diesel pickup that doesn't really fuel my fire to speed, plus I have my commercial license and the insurance costs just are not worth it.

RW: If you could have dinner with one person who would it be and what would you talk about?

DT:

A stockbroker from the future so I know where to invest my money.

RW: When the day comes that you can go in any car you want, what’s it going to be Formula One or NASCAR?

DT:

NASCAR for sure. I would be lost in formula one car but it would be fun to try. I know my sponsor Superior Crankshaft is connected to F-1 maybe I should ask for that test session then decide?

RW: Who can you thank for all the racing you get to do this weekend?

DT:

It's a long list. On the SRL side the continued support of Joe Farre and Junior of JRC, Cheryl Archer of Superior Crankshaft, Sigma Engineering, and Misty Melo of Peperjack Kennels. On the K&N side owner Bob Bruncati and the entire Sunrise Ford team. To be able to run both races has taken a lot of additional effort and costs in addition my family for making there schedules work.

RW: Fans know where you will be this weekend, but where can they find you next?

DT:

We will be at Stockton for the next SRL race.

RW: Thank you for taking the time to answer.

DT:

Thank you for taking time to do this story and supporting the West coast racing.