Thorson spoke with a quiet awe when expanding on what driving for Clyde Lamar means to him.
“Getting hooked up with Clyde Lamar and the (No.) 3c car for this year is something I don’t take lightly,” said Thorson. “It’s a very famed car with a lot of history behind it. It’s a pleasure to be able to drive his car, one, and two, for me to actually have a sprint car ride because I haven’t had a lot of time in a sprint car up to now.”
“Clyde is taking the time to let me learn, which says a lot about him,” Thorson added. “I owe him for his belief in my driving skills and man … this is such a cool opportunity he’s given me.”
Though many fans may know Thorson’s name best from his midget accolades, the Minden, Nev., native said he’s fast becoming used to being labeled as a winged sprint car driver.
“I’m a wing guy now. I haven’t been, and that’s something that I think a lot of people don’t realize,” Thorson noted. “I’ve got maybe a grand total of 40 or 45 races under my belt in a winged sprint car, and I’m racing against guys who have thousands of nights in a sprint car in their careers. I think the progression I’ve shown, as far as winged sprint car racing and getting comfortable with the team is concerned, has been pretty incredible so far … at least from my view.”
That progress was epitomized on May 11 at Silver Dollar Speedway, where Thorson captured his first victory with the team. He outdueled Andy Forsberg, a 51-time winner at the track, in the closing laps.
“I like to call Silver Dollar my home track because it’s where I grew up watching races almost every Friday night. It’s always going to be rewarding for me to win there,” Thorson said. “To be able to compete with the top drivers in California says a lot about this team. Luckily Lee has made the transition from midgets to winged cars really easy on me. I’m feeling really good about the rest of the season.”
The rest of Thorson’s season includes 11 more NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races with Young’s Motorsports, in addition to his loaded plate of sprint car and midget events for the Tri-C team.
All of that, combined with being elected as a NASCAR Next class member, has Thorson grateful for the opportunities ahead.
“Being a part of NASCAR Next is very special. I’ve told a couple of people that I’ve seen some of the NASCAR Next alumni – (Kyle) Larson, Bubba (Darrell Wallace Jr.), (Ryan) Blaney – and I’ve always wanted to be a part of that group and see first-hand what it’s all about,” said Thorson. “In my mind, I felt I could be a NASCAR Next driver if I got the right opportunities. To see the stuff that these guys get to do and the way they’re brought up to eventually get to the Cup Series … it’s huge. It shows that NASCAR Next can do something for us and help us progress our careers.
“I’m really, really looking forward to it,” Thorson added. “It’s something that’s been on my radar for a while and now that I’m in it, I’m one step closer to fulfilling my dreams of racing at the top level. I’ve always wanted to race winged sprint cars, as well as NASCAR, and to be able to finally do both at the same time is remarkable.”
