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 BAKERSFIELD,
CALIFORNIA (February 14, 2012)
– After picking up two top-fives in three starts in Bob Bruncati’s
Sunrise Ford #9, Derek Thorn will run for the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro
Series, West championship aboard the #6 Sunrise Ford machine.
Sunrise Ford entries in the series have finished in the top-five in
the points in four of the five full-time seasons in which they have
competed, racking up 11 wins in the process.
“Just to have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a car in
today’s racing scene is a very humbling experience. But to be able
to drive for a team with such a recognizable history is an honor,”
Thorn said. “With the addition of myself the chemistry,
communication, and drive to be successful is a great match. I feel
I’ve obtained and learned an unfathomable amount as a driver working
with Junior and JRC over the past 3 years and feel very grateful to
have had and continue to have such great people helping create so
much success in my racing career.”
Thorn’s 2012 championship campaign comes on the heels of a 2011
season that saw Thorn put together seven consecutive fast-times and
three wins in the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour along with capturing the
pole in the TOYOTA All-Star Showdown with Byron Campbell Racing and
winning the Las Vegas Open show.
When Thorn climbed aboard Sunrise Ford’s #9 at Portland
International Raceway, it was his first road course start. Teammate
Luis Martinez, Jr. won the race while Thorn finished third. Thorn
followed that up with a strong run at Roseville in October where he
was in position to win before getting spun, and he wrapped up his
2011 stint with the team with a fifth place finish against an
all-star field at Phoenix.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to get a head start running a few races
and testing with Sunrise Ford in 2011 and I think the success and
momentum we had will carry into this season,” Thorn said. “Working
with Bob Bruncati and Bill Sedgwick will be a huge stepping-stone
for me.”
The success that Sunrise Ford and Derek Thorn enjoyed in 2011 has
them eager to get the season started and confident about the
possibilities for the 2012 season. The team has been working very
hard preparing for this years campaign. They are extremely focused
and will have their eyes firmly planted at the 2012 K&N West Series
Championship.
This season’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule will include 15
races with a pair of NASCAR K&N Pro Series, East combination races
at Iowa Speedway and four road course events including a new race at
Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota. All told, 10 different
states are represented on the tour.
Racing action kicks off in early March with the opener at Phoenix
International Raceway on March 3rd during the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series weekend there.
Derek Thorn would like to thank the following sponsors: Sunrise
Ford, Lucas Oil, Eibach Springs, Oakley, and Pepper Jack Kennels.
Race fans can
learn more about Derek Thorn at
www.derekthorn.com
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