Stock-car champ Derek Thorn recalls growing up on Lakeport Speedway

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="bodycopy" id="editable-body" itemprop="articleSection"> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxGTZ_UaZCe8cKEf_Q5DX0tcbBmpu_5UJu8AzUZINa-0AhMC3U8arNg0C4F8xUfobq0mdSmjKLxWkknwVSjh27RYm54G-hZsqC5dfTOd9xSKLPC254Xxaogsb_p_qf_RxtknrOBJTnIho/s1600/car+champ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxGTZ_UaZCe8cKEf_Q5DX0tcbBmpu_5UJu8AzUZINa-0AhMC3U8arNg0C4F8xUfobq0mdSmjKLxWkknwVSjh27RYm54G-hZsqC5dfTOd9xSKLPC254Xxaogsb_p_qf_RxtknrOBJTnIho/s640/car+champ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Stock-car racing champion Derek Thorn didn’t become a <a href="http://hometracks.nascar.com/series/KN-Pro-Series-West" rel="nofollow">NASCAR K&N Pro Series West</a> champ (2013) and the two-time defending <a href="http://www.srlsouthwesttour.com/" rel="nofollow">Spears SRL Southwest Tour</a> champion (2012, 2014) overnight. He used to be an 8-year-old kid racing go-karts on a dirt track at <a href="http://www.lakeportspeedway.com/" rel="nofollow">Lakeport Speedway </a> in Lakeport, California. Now a six-time champion on asphalt and dirt, Thorn looks back on his racing career and where it all started.<br /> Thorn grew up in Lakeport "from day one-and-a-half on,” he said. “My family’s been in Lakeport, I was raised in Lakeport, went to school in Lakeport, graduated from Lakeport. Everything I’ve done up until the time I was 20 was in Lakeport.”<br /> And it wasn’t long before he was racing at Lakeport, albeit on a little dirt track. “My dad got me into go-karts when I was 8 years old,” he said. “Inside of Lakeport Speedway there used to be a dirt track.” Today, Lakeport Speedway has a state-of-the-art indoor go-kart track.<br /> “We had winged dirt go-karts that I started off on. There were three or four different types of divisions as you get older, so I went through all of those divisions,” Thorn remembered. “Then when I was 13, my dad gave me a <a href="http://www.stockcarracing.com/featurestories/scrp_0711_street_stock_racing_guide/" rel="nofollow">street stock</a>, they called it, and my dad was a passenger in it. At 13 years old was the first time I got to race on Lakeport Speedway itself, the asphalt part of the race track.”<br /> As a devoted part of the Lake County racing community, Thorn worked in a race shop in Lakeport, which got him acclimated to race cars. Once he learned how to work on cars, he used his skills to not only become a driver, but also a driver coach and a car chief. “I even have my commercial license so I can drive a hauler to the racetrack,” he said.<br /> “It started off as something small,” he said. “As time progressed, my parents were able to continue my development in racing and it just kind of snowballed from there.”<br /> As the defending stock-car champion, Thorn comes back to Lakeport regularly. “I try to get back three to five times a year, depending on how the schedule works out,” he said. “We have four race cars in our shop, three of which use freight train <a href="http://www.thefreighttrain.com/" rel="nofollow">Peters Racing Engines</a>, and it happens to be right there in Lakeport. For the engines that we run, he’s probably one of the better engine-builders in the country. So it’s neat when we have to do engine work or have engine work done, I can come home, drop the engine off and see the family at the same time.”<br /> For Thorn, it’s the sense of family and camaraderie of growing up in Lakeport that keeps those memories alive—never forgetting where it all began for him. “Looking back on it, it’s the family environment. Racing’s a giant family—all the people I’ve met, people I’ve spent time with and have gotten to race with,” Thorn said. “Lakeport Speedway started my career that let me race all over the country, letting me see places I’d never get to see and do things I would have never gotten to do, meeting people I never would have met.”<br /> You might see the next generation’s Derek Thorn racing at Lakeport Speedway or its junior go-kart track. Check the <a href="http://www.lakeportspeedway.com/schedule.htm" rel="nofollow">Lakeport Speedway schedule</a> for flat track and go-kart racing, and enjoy one of the great small-town tracks where big names are sometimes made.</div> </div>

Stock-car champ Derek Thorn recalls growing up on Lakeport Speedway

Stock-car racing champion Derek Thorn didn’t become a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West  champ (2013) and the two-time defending Spears S...

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The Golden Year: Super Bowl 50 Goes to the Bay

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_A8palBAuBE2Alidnv9ZeLnq24iqsnuGZTNfCiPGvPYRazZ8b8TeKvAgp765HO0TKnMSV2eUZ4ZAjNbFAhyphenhyphen8TFmTEVRX48w0KvL1dY7H3nLUfZgB9B3C3PWqNKoZIoNWhs3Y3GTQlvwz/s1600/Super+Bowl+50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga_A8palBAuBE2Alidnv9ZeLnq24iqsnuGZTNfCiPGvPYRazZ8b8TeKvAgp765HO0TKnMSV2eUZ4ZAjNbFAhyphenhyphen8TFmTEVRX48w0KvL1dY7H3nLUfZgB9B3C3PWqNKoZIoNWhs3Y3GTQlvwz/s640/Super+Bowl+50.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> It is with great pride that the San Francisco Bay Area prepares for a homecoming like no other — welcoming the Super Bowl’s golden anniversary game as it returns to The Golden State. Not since 1985 has The Bay hosted a Super Bowl, and after almost 30 years it’s time to show the NFL and football fans across the country what the Bay Area has to offer. Super Bowl 50 will be celebrated throughout the Bay Area during a weeklong series of public events preceding the game itself, which will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Feb. 7, 2016. Some features of the Super Bowl celebration, including the NFL experience and Fan Village, will be held in San Francisco. The media center will also be located there.<br /> Seizing this opportunity, the <a href="http://www.sfbaysuperbowl.com/#71pEVugHQXqbRfz5.97" rel="nofollow">San Francisco Bay Area Host Committee</a> is dedicated to making the golden anniversary one for the record books. Through innovation, philanthropy and community culture, the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee looks forward to groundbreaking event initiatives and to leaving a legacy expected to last for generations to come. Here’s a look at the Host Committee’s game book for 2016.<br /> <b>Into the action </b><br /> Fans looking to pack in all the Bay Area action should head to San Mateo/Silicon Valley for easy transportation, fresh local cuisine, world-class accommodations and scenic beauty unique to the Bay Area. Just a stone’s throw from downtown San Francisco, and less than an hour north of Levi’s Stadium, San Mateo/Silicon Valley will get you to game day and beyond. <a href="http://www.caltrain.com/main.html" rel="nofollow">Caltrain</a> offers travelers easy access in and out of dozens of station destinations including downtown San Francisco, San Francisco International Airport, Palo Alto, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. Jump on the <a href="http://www.bart.gov/" rel="nofollow">BART</a> for an exciting and convenient trip through San Francisco and surrounding areas like Millbrae and South San Francisco. And don’t miss the view from the <a href="http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/" rel="nofollow">San Francisco Bay Ferry</a> — another great way to get the most out of your trip to see Super Bowl 50. <br /> <b>Making a difference </b><br /> The San Francisco Bay Area Host Committee believes Super Bowl 50 is a golden opportunity to unite the region through philanthropy. The <a href="http://www.50fund.org/" rel="nofollow">50 Fund</a> is the committee’s signature initiative of Super Bowl 50 and the philanthropic arm of the organization. Through its programs, the 50 Fund will make grants to nonprofit organizations in three areas of focus: youth development, community investment and sustainable environments. Through its grant making, the Bay Area will create lasting solutions for local challenges while preparing for Super Bowl 50. The NFL Foundation has already made a one million dollar grant to 50 Fund as part of its annual Super Bowl Legacy Grant Program. The Host Committee is committed to contributing 25% of all funds it raises back to community nonprofits leading up to the most philanthropic and giving Super Bowl ever. <br /> <b>More to discover</b><br /> For many fans, the Super Bowl is the sports pilgrimage of a lifetime. Making the trip to the Bay Area in 2016 will offer visiting and hometown fans an unprecedented game day experience, as well as a host of uniquely Bay Area attractions. Food enthusiasts will love exploring the <a href="http://www.smccvb.com/index.php/dine_on_the_freshest" rel="nofollow">local flavors</a> and abundant agriculture showcased by world-famous chefs and industry leading restaurateurs. Craft beer connoisseurs will enjoy exploring <a href="http://www.smccvb.com/index.php/blog?hub=/hub/119/at/100003579.html" rel="nofollow">San Mateo’s microbreweries</a> with this handy <a href="http://www.smccvb.com/downloads/2015_Tap_Map.pdf" rel="nofollow">tap map</a>. Discover the outdoor beauty of state parks and beaches at the <a href="http://www.openspace.org/preserves/pr_purisima.asp" rel="nofollow">Purisima Creek Redwoods</a> located north east of Santa Clara in Redwood City. Or drive up the coast a bit more and catch some sun along nearly 60 miles of Pacific Ocean beaches. And don’t miss historical landmarks like <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=533" rel="nofollow">Pigeon Point Light House Station</a> in Pescadero and, of course, the <a href="http://goldengatebridge.org/visitors/" rel="nofollow">Golden Gate Bridge</a>. <br /> <i>The golden year approaches — <i>plan your own trip to </i><a href="http://www.smccvb.com/" rel="nofollow">San Mateo County/Silicon Valley</a> today!</i></div>

The Golden Year: Super Bowl 50 Goes to the Bay

It is with great pride that the San Francisco Bay Area prepares for a homecoming like no other — welcoming the Super Bowl’s golden an...

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Denver Broncos deny Peyton Manning Texans trade try

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="351" src="http://vplayer.nbcsports.com/p/BxmELC/nbcsports_share/select/HN4NPpjoYNoh?parentUrl=" width="624">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe> <br /> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_929"> <br /></div> <div id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_929"> <br /></div> <div id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_929"> Before Benjamin Allbright of 94.1 FM in Denver reported that the Broncos had <a data-rapid_p="9" href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/23/report-broncos-tried-to-trade-peyton-manning-to-texans/">tried to trade</a> quarterback <a data-rapid_p="10" href="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/1493/peyton-manning">Peyton Manning</a> to the Texans, Allbright hadn’t heard from the Broncos. He now has.</div> <div id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_930" lang="en"> “The speculation is false, and <a data-rapid_p="11" href="https://twitter.com/psmyth12/status/613499731155615744" id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_951">your report is inaccurate</a>,” Broncos spokesman Patrick Smyth said on Twitter, in response to a tweet from Allbright regarding the report.</div> <div id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_931" lang="en"> Contacted by PFT, the Texans weren’t aware of the report. They have yet to comment on it.</div> <div id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_932" lang="en"> Regardless, Manning added a <a data-rapid_p="12" href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/14/peyton-mannings-new-deal-has-a-no-trade-clause/" id="yui_3_18_1_1_1435218170280_933">no-trade clause</a> to his contract for 2015. Unless he was simply being paranoid, there was a reason to request that commitment.</div> </div> </div>

Denver Broncos deny Peyton Manning Texans trade try

Your browser does not support iframes. Before Benjamin Allbright of 94.1 FM in Denver reported that the Broncos had  tried to tra...

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