Wesurehopeallourfanshadagreatandsafe 4th of July lastweekend andwe also hopeyousawsomegreatfireworksshowswhereveryoumighthavespentyourholiday.Well, it’snotoveryetasyouwillseemorefireworkstonight,butitwillbeonthetrackinsteadofintheair.

TheAllen Turner Pro LateModels returntonight with another double feature shootout.These20/30lapsprintracesfortheProLate’shasbecomeverypopularwiththefansandifJune26thwas any indication of what’s in store for tonight,thenIsuggestyoufindagoodseatandgetreadyforsomewildracing.ThelastracesawafirsttimewinneratFiveFlagsasTexasnative,DerekScott,won the 20 lapper to kick off the night.With thenextraceinvertedfromthewaytheyfinishedinthefirst20lappernoneofusexpectedtoseethebest30 lap featureatFiveFlagsSpeedway ina longtime.

Pensacola’s own Wayne Niedecken, Jrtooktheyoungster’stoschoolbycomingfromtherearofthe19carfieldtoscorehisfirstwinatthespeedwayinaverylongtime.Canhedoitagaintonight orwillwe see another new face in victo-ry lane?Also on the schedule are theBombers,SportsmanandSuperStocks.

If you feel you didn’t get enough racingactiontonight,thencomeonovertoMobileInterna-tionalSpeedwaytomorrownightandbepreparedforsomemoregreatracing.

Wewill returnonJuly24thwiththeDeepSouthCranesSuperLateModelsforracenumberthreeintheBlizzardSeries.Alsoonthe24thwillbetheProTrucks,SportsmanandBombers.

LET’SGORACING!!!

Pro Late Double Feature, Super Stock, Bombers & Sportsmen

By Chuck Corder

Allen Turner PLMs: Wild Derby Ride Belies Talent in California’s Derek Thorn

Derek Thorn boasts a unique perspective of Five Flags Speedway. Literally.

Like most drivers, Thorn has seen the track up close and personal — three times to be precise. He’s felt its abrasive surface. He’s walked up and down its steep embank-ments. And he’s surveyed the high and low grooves while strapped into a late model seat.

But, Thorn knows a vantage point, uncommon among his fellow drivers.

The 29-year-old California driver viewed the famed half-mile asphalt oval upside down, sideways and spiral-ing like a football after his Super Late Model went airborne and barrel-rolled during the 2011 Snowball Derby. (Con’t page 2)

By Chuck Corder

Thorn Continued

Car Photos Tom Wilsey

251-597-4747

Video Ted Baber850-458-2501

July 24SuperLateBlizzard #3,PlusProTruck,SportsmenandBomber

Aug 7Modifieds of Mayhem#7SuperStock,Sportmen,BomberPLUSFasterPastorandDemolition Derby

Aug 28Pro Late Double 20/30PlusProTruck,SportsmenandBomber

Saturday, Sept 19ProLateModel100Allen Turner Tune-Up,SuperStock,SportsmenandBomber

Saturday, Sept 26BlizzardProTruck,SportsmenandBomberDSC Night of Champions

Friday-Sun Oct. 23NOPI Nationals

Saturday, Nov. 21Snowball Preview

Thursday, December 3 - Sunday Dec 6th48th Annual Snowball Derby

“You don’t want that to happen but once in your lifetime, if ever at all,” Thorn said. “I’m 6-foot-3, and I didn’t wanna be stuck upside down trying to quickly get outta the car before a fire started.

“But, luckily, I landed right side up and I could see everything. The safety equip-ment worked like it was supposed to. Still, it was a helluva weekend.”

Thorn hopes this Friday night is just as memorable, but for an entirely differ-ent reason. He will be a part of a talented field for the Allen Turner Hyun-dai Pro Late Model doubleheader.

“I like it,” Thorn said of the format. “It’s one of the things in racing I haven’t been around much of, which is nice. It gives guys in the back a chance to get up front again. It makes for good racing.”

A native of Lakeport, Calif., Thorn moved to Wisconsin at 20 and competed in the ASA Late Model Series before moving back to California prior to 2011.Today, he drives for Byron Campbell Motorsports. Naturally, his schedule keeps him out west, taking him up and down the Pacific Coast from Washington’s Evergreen Speedway and into southern California favorites, such as Irwindale Speedway and Kern County in Bakersfield, Plus, with trips to Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, Friday’s cross-country adventure to Pensacola is a rarity.

Thorn will climb behind the wheel of Kurt Jett’s PLM, part of a still-blos-soming agreement. -Read the rest of Chuck’s story on our web site: www.fiveflagsspeedway.com.

Merritt Maintains Fun Philosophy While Chas-ing Elusive First Career Bomber WinBy Chuck Corder

John Kevin Merritt has onemission he wants accomplished duringrace nights at Five Flags Speedway.Despitehiswiryandunkemptbeard,thegoal is certainly not to bemistaken asthemissing link to theRobertson clan,the follicle-friendly family famous forreality-television’s“DuckDynasty.”

And, believe it or not,Merritt’sfocus isn’t always coming homewith acheckeredflag.Infact,firmlyentrenchedin his fourth full season of a quasi-comebacktour,Merrittisstillseekinganelusive win. Instead of stressing aboutvictories,the51-year-oldButlerU-Pull-ItBombersdriveraffixeshiseyesonenjoy-ingthemomentseverytimeheunloadshisblack-and-blueNo.22at the famedhalf-mileasphaltoval.

“It’s all about having fun,” saidMerritt, whose best showing has beenseveralrunner-upfinishes,includingoneearlierthisyear.“WhenIquithavingfun,that’swhenI’llstop.I’mnotoutthere,try-ingtomakeacareeroutta thisormoveupaladder.It’sareleaseandenjoymentatthesametime.”

CurrentlysecondintheBombersstandings,Merritthashadplenty tocel-ebrate this season.He hopes the partycontinues Friday nightwhen theBomb-ers return to Pensacola’s high banksalongsidetheAllenTurnerProLateMod-els,SuperStocksandSportsman.

Merritt’syeargotofftoaroaringstart.Hebaskedintheafterglowofasec-ond-placefinishatMarch’sseasonopen-er.And thenext timeout,Merritt backeduphisbest-careerfinishwithathird,andthusanothertriptothepodium.

But just when his fun-first ap-proachappearedtobepayingdividends,theracinggodsinterruptedMerritt’smerri-mentsometimeinMay.First,itwasburntplug wires. Then, the car just wouldn’thandle.“Youneverknowwhenthebugs’llshow up,” Merritt cautioned. “They don’tcarehowwellyoumightberunning.”Andtheyhavenotimetableforleaving.

Merritt thought he had shooed away thebad vibes June 26, the last time FiveFlagshostedraces.Hewasupfrontwiththe leaders, contending for another spotonthepodiumwhenalappedcarspoiledthose chances, causing Merritt to wrecklateinthe20-lapfeature.

Disappointed, Merritt took thefrustration instride. “That’s racing; thingshappen,” -Read all of Chuck’s story on our web site.

By Chuck Corder

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Randy Thompson and son Grady keeping cool.