After breaking through for his first career feature win at Jamestown Speedway on May 11, Dillon Thorpe admitted he was a bit nervous in victory lane.
“It was nerve-wracking right away,” Thorpe said. “I didn’t now what to say during the interview.”
Thorpe, 18, is in his second full season racing in the Pure Stocks/Bomber division. He races weekly at Jamestown Speedway and Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen and also has raced at Sheyenne Speedway in Lisbon this season.
While he was nervous for the victory-lane interview, the significance of the first feature victory wasn’t lost on Thorpe.
“That was very exciting,” he said. “It’s one of my most memorable moments.”
Thorpe got his start in 2017, buying a car late in the season and racing at the Jamestown Stampede. The 2018 was his rookie season.
It was his father, Mike, that got Dillon into racing. Mike raced in the 1990s, took some time off and then began racing demo derbies. Mike Thorpe drives the 6T Street Stock and is currently third in the points at Brown County. His father remains a big influence.
“He helped me get my car set up,” Dillon Thorpe said. “We tried a different thing every couple of weeks — if it works it works, if it don’t, then go back to what it was.”
With three shows in, Thorpe is third in the points at Jamestown, trailing leader Billy Carow by 28. Thorpe is also third in points at Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen after four nights. Including his win on May 11 in Jamestown, Thorpe has six top five finishes this season, including a pair of seconds.
He is chasing the point title at Jamestown.
“I’m going to chase it as hard as can up here every weekend,” Thorpe said.
So even though he is only in his second full season, Thorpe is hooked on racing.
“It’s the adrenaline rush,” he said. “Being able to get on the track, the seat time — it clears my mind a lot when you sit in the car and go racing.”
Driver Profile
Dillon Thorpe
Residence: Monango, N.D.
Bomber/Pure Stock #6T
Age: 18
Sponsors: Hokana Ranch, Glynn Farms, Dr. Glynn, Dr. Agema, Fantasy Fireworks, Ols, Wagner farms, Pahl farms, Pheasant Lanes, Brokaw Ranch, Bruns Tackle, Thorpe Excavating, and Extreme Graphix
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