Derek Thorn bucks trends with Winter Showdown Win

Derek Thorn has had qualifying covered in the three-year history of the Winter Showdown but translated his third consecutive pole into a victory on Saturday night by leading all 250 laps at Kern County Raceway Park.

Some of the biggest names in stock car racing simply had nothing for the 30-year-old and his Campbell Motorsports No. 43 at the California half-mile. The likes of Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Bubba Pollard and Donnie Wilson each took turns in the runner-up spot but just couldn’t maintain the pace set by the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion.

Thorn fully recognized who he bested on one of the biggest stages in the discipline called it the largest victory of his entire life.

“I just tried not to goof up,” Thorn said in Victory Lane on the track PA system. “I looked back in my mirror and saw three of the best short track racers, racers period, in the whole country — and maybe the world itself — and just tried not to mess up.”

Wilson spent much of the final 20 laps in a furious battle with Jones. The soon-to-be Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rookie ran a defensive line and Wilson just couldn’t find an easy way around. Wilson finally dispatched the youngster with nine laps to go but time was running out.

He likely needed a caution and a lucky restart.

“I don’t know,” Wilson said. “It’s just so hard to pass here. Restarts are critical. I thought mine were pretty good. The outside line moved pretty good obviously if you sucked on the inside it kind of hurt. We kind of even-stevened from my standpoint. I did what I could. I’m happy. I’m thrilled.”

The race was 250 laps but featured controlled pit stops rather than NASCAR style live pit stops. This combined with the three-year-old racing surface inspired varying pit strategies. For example, Busch had 30 lap fresher tires than Thorn and Wilson but it just didn’t make a difference.

“I thought that was way too many laps to stay out on older tires, but they made it work, so more power to them,” Busch said. “Overall out JBL Camry was pretty fast. I felt good about it. We got tighter as we ran. As the rubber went down, we couldn’t keep up in the center of the corner. ”

Busch spent the final five laps in a battle with Jones. It was the first time since Jones defeated Busch in the 2012 Snowball Derby that the two raced against each other in Super Late Models. Meanwhile, Pollard entered this race as the only driver to win the Showdown but he could only muster a sixth-place by the end of the night.

After coming up short over his past two Showdown appearances, Saturday night was about Thorn and his hometown team scoring the biggest win of their careers.

“I just don’t know what to say,” Thorn said. “We’ve been in some of these big money races and come up just short. But to be here with (team owner Byron Campbell) in their backyard, chassis and motor out of Bakersfield, and these guys do so much to support me. It’s just a relief.”

The complete results can be viewed below.