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Tanner Thorson: Rising Over Adversity, Part I

When Tanner Thorson thinks about the aftermath of a highway crash on California’s Highway 99 15 months ago, he draws one firm conclusion.

When Tanner Thorson thinks about the aftermath of a highway crash on California‘s Highway 99 15 months ago, he draws one firm conclusion. “Everything,” he said, “can change in a matter of seconds.”

It is a sentiment nearly everyone can grasp in the abstract.

As he laid in a hospital bed, Thorson wasn‘t wrestling with philosophical matters. Instead, he was confronting tangible challenges that could determine his path in life. With his racing career, and much more, hanging in the balance, even his parents hid the truth from him.

Who could blame them? It must have been an anguishing time for Marv and Robbie Thorson, because they knew what made their son tick. That‘s a bridge that was crossed a long time ago. Their son was born to race and, what‘s more, he was damn good at it.

Could Tanner’s left arm be saved? Would his badly-damaged foot heal properly? Unfortunately, that is only a sample of the injuries Tanner suffered on a trip home after competing with the World of Outlaws.

For some, the prognosis seemed grim. Others, though, had little doubt that the scrappy racer from Minden, Nev., would find his way back behind the wheel.

Why? Because if you talk to those who have worked with him, from Keith Kunz to trusted mechanic Lee Lindgren, the words that tumble out speak to Thorson‘s intense drive to be great, matched with a dash of stubbornness. It seems that those traits made for the right elixir that, not only put him well ahead of schedule, but got him back into victory lane.

Like so many racing biographies, this one also starts out innocently enough. As Tanner put it, “It began when I went with my parents to watch one of my good buddies race.”

The friend was the son of northern California sprint car racer Doug Lippincott.

As one could imagine, Tanner couldn‘t just stand idly by, and before the day was over he had slipped into his pal Ryan‘s kart. It seems evident that Thorson was itching to give it a try and, luckily for him, he was born into a family with a thirst for action.

Thorson remarks that his grandmother “used to race door-bangers at a local asphalt track,” while his mother had “once served as a co-pilot in the Baja 500 off-road race.” On top of this, his siblings, directly or indirectly, were involved in some form of motorsports.

Accordingly, it really came as little surprise that Tanner had a kart of his own by the age of four.

It became abundantly clear that racing was not going to be a passing fad. The story is the same in all youth sports. If one improves, the desire is to compete at the highest level possible. This meant that his parents had to be committed to the journey as well.

Marv Thorson works in commercial maintenance in places like jails and prisons, while his wife worked for the local Sheriff‘s Department.

Luckily, both parents had supportive supervisors. As Tanner moved forward, it often became necessary to depart early on Friday, and the family would head west over the mountains to California.

The most common destinations were two tracks that are now well-recognized as proving grounds for drivers: Cycleland Speedway and Red Bluff.

If conditions were perfect, and snow avoided, the Thorsons could make it to Cycleland in three and a half hours, with Red Bluff necessitating another hour in the car.

Marv had always spent a lot of time in the shop, and now he was working alongside his son preparing karts. It was here that Tanner noted he “really began learning the trade.”

As for his mom, Thorson said, “She made the food on the road and kept us well-fed.”

By this point in time, many in the industry kept their eyes on the results from these tracks, and the list of noteworthy alumni continues to grow.

Thorson has plenty of good things to say about these two facilities, but feels it is the outlaw kart itself that is the prime factor in helping one to develop.

“QRC karts are the best you can get out there,” he said. “And there is just something about the horsepower-to-weight ratio, and there is nothing like those karts when it comes to teaching car control. It gives you a chance to feel the race car and always having tire spin. It helps you transition into other things, because you learn how to adjust.”

Tanner is also impressed with the work of former NASCAR crew chief Jimmy Elledge, who continues to develop the kart.

“Jimmy is always improving them,” he said. “He is always thinking how to make them better.”

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