Valley racers in hunt for season championships

Frontiersman

PALMER - The road to the season points championship has been anything but easy for Butte resident Nathan Thornsley, even after scoring maximum points in seven of the 15 races held.

After struggling with consistency early in the season, his first driving his Top ET 1969 Dodge Dart, he managed to dial in the car and win five of the last eight races.

Sunday, while racing in the Ironman money bracket, he hit a patch of oil and spun while racing against Dean Cramer.

&#8220I just shifted into second gear and the next thing I knew I was spinning,” Thornsley said. &#8220With all the power the car has it doesn't mix too well with oil.”

Shortly after feeling his tires spin, he began looking for Cramer, who was in the lane to his right.

&#8220My biggest concern was that Dean made it by before I got into his lane,” Thornsley said. &#8220It all happened so fast that I couldn't see him until I was in the lane behind him.”

Despite being just 20 years old, Thornsley dealt with the bad pass like a seasoned veteran.

&#8220He really did a great job keeping the car in control,” Cramer said after the incident &#8220And he is just as calm as he was before the race. He's got nerves of steel.”

After a lengthy delay, while the track crew cleared the track, Thornsley and Cramer pulled their cars to the starting line to re-run their race. This time, both cars went straight and Thornsley edged Cramer's 1964 Chevy II El Camino to advance to the next round of the Ironman bracket.

&#8220You can't dwell on a bad race,” Thornsley said. &#8220Especially if you're racing for a season points championship.”

Thornsley entered Sunday's racing with 755 points, just ahead of Cramer, who had 714.

&#8220You've got to come to the track to win every week,” Cramer said. &#8220There are maybe 20 cars in the Top ET class and you can count on at least 10 of them being at the track every weekend. So there is no room to let up or have an off week.”

With a maximum of 170 points available during Sunday and Monday's season-ending races, the title could go to either driver.

K.C. Hooks is another Valley driver who finds himself in the middle of a points battle despite being at a disadvantage to his opponents.

Entering Sunday's races ,he was third in the Top Dragster class standing, driving his 1969 Mercury Cougar.

&#8220Everyone else in the class is driving a rail car or a small modified car,” Hooks said. &#8220I'm the only one driving a door-slammer.”

The metallic green ‘Fast Cat', was at one time the first new car Hooks owned. Unlike other car enthusiast of the time, who were gobbling up Muscle Cars, Hooks both the car because he liked how it looked.

&#8220I don't know if it was more fun to drive then or now,” Hooks said. &#8220But it's a lot faster now.”

The daily driver has transformed over the years. First into a stock drag racer and then to super stock, before becoming a Sportsman class racer.

But Hooks said he is not done modifying the care he has owned for 37 years.

&#8220I've raced in every division possible so far,” Hooks explained. &#8220But we are looking for a sponsor to take us to the next level, and to go faster.”

Traveling down the quarter mile drag strip in 8.1 seconds, at about 170 mph must not be fast enough for Hooks, the self-proclaimed speed freak.

&#8220For me it's not so much about winning the season points championships as it is about going fast and having fun racing,” Hooks said. &#8220It's just great to be out here every weekend.”

The race season wraps up Sunday with a money bracket race.

Contact Darrell L. Breese at darrell.breese@frontiersman.com or at 352-2267.