Derek, raised in Lakeport by Rick and Carol Thorn, started racing Karts at the Lakeport Speedway. He eventually advanced to a Bomber for a few years, and finally a Modified. By 2006, 21 years of age, he was looking for the next step up.

At the same time, Scott Pfeiffer, a 42 year-old Wisconsin resident, life-long fan of racing, and a past Sprint and Midget racer himself, was looking for a driver. His mother, who lives in Kelseyville and is a friend of the Thorn family, introduced him to Derek. He proposed they form an ASA Late Model team based in Wisconsin.

The two quickly became fast friends and everything seemed to go their way. With Scott acting as Derek’s agent, the team came quickly together and attracted some some excellent people. They were on-track for the 2007 season with the #44 ASA Late Model when, in July, everything changed.

The muscle and speech problems lately plaguing Scott were diagnosed as ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. This is a degenerative condition that attacks the nerves in the brain and spine that control motor functions, like movement and speech. It is progressive, the symptoms and rate of advancement are unique to each person, and there is yet no cure.

Scott is known for his composure, but even he was daunted by this. Derek and the team helped their friend deal with this as best they could while continuing to run the 2007 season, but it became apparent that Scott’s condition was advancing rapidly, quickly affecting his legs, arms, hands, and speech.

The team also was suffering the same problems as other teams, with projects and negotiations canceled and money harder to find. Toward the end of the year, Scott decided a change was needed and he was going to fight for himself and others.

Following an old racing axiom �You use what you got.�, Scott and Derek redesigned the team concept to include Scott’s condition. They proposed the �Racin’ For A Cure� team with the ALS Association as their primary sponsor, to use the team to help current ALS patients, and to fight the disease by raising awareness and funds for research.

Within 24 hours, representatives of the Wisconsin chapter of ALSA were in a meeting with Scott’s team and friends to make this happen. Scott turned to his friend and fellow race fan Shawn Keep, who had already been considering becoming a team owner, and asked him if he’d like to fund the project. Shawn’s answer was simple and direct: �Now we have a reason to race.�.

For the 2008 season, the team expanded with a second car for Derek to drive in the NASCAR Camping World East regional series. Each racing event for them is also a fund raiser for the ALSA, and a chance to host and meet other PALS (People with ALS) for a day of racing. Their goal is to raise $1 million for the cause by the end of the year. All donations and the proceeds from merchandise sales go to the ALSA, made more effective since owner Shawn Keep provides all the merchandise at cost through his promotional merchandising company: PromoGiant.

Derek states that �This is the learning year for our team that will allow us to seriously establish ourselves in both series.�. Scott is the General Manager, and they consider themselves lucky to have attracted some excellent people: 32 year-old Chad Wood as Crew Chief, and 46 year-old John Klock as Car Chief.

The entire team will be here at the Lakeport Speedway for the Fourth of July Deake Lyndall Memorial on both Friday and Saturday, to race with the Late Models and to raise awareness and donations for the ALS cause. The Lakeport Speedway is doing their part by donating 10% of the front-gate tickets. Every ticket bought is another donation to fight ALS.

Derek is �Looking forward to seeing my family and friends, and to racing with boyhood mentors like Mike Doss, David Furia, and Bill Binns.�. Derek spends a lot of his time promoting the team cause in the national spotlight on TV and radio, and is excited to meet his hometown fans.

Scott is �Looking forward to seeing my family, watching Derek race, and educating people about ALS, how they can help, and how others who suffer with this condition can cope.�. Despite the advanced state of his own condition, he is still the active General Manager of his team and a spokesman for the ALSA.

He is able to accomplish this because �The desire to fight for this cause inspires me, and doing this with the sport and people that I love makes each day a delight.�. His advice to anyone suffering from this or any other debilitating condition is just that: �Use what you got, live each day to its fullest, and never take anything for granted.�.

You can find out more about Derek, Scott, the whole Racin’ For A Cure team, and make donations to ALSA on the web at RacinForACure.com. Merchandise and donation envelopes will be available at the Lakeport Speedway during the Fourth of July Deake Lyndall Memorial Friday and Saturday event.

The Miss Kulture Shock pin-up girls.

Rapidly becoming known as the “friendliest small town show” and “best kept secret”, The Kulture Shock Car Show has developed a strong and growing stable of cars and enthusiasts, sure to please the car builder as well as the spectator. All the negatives of other car shows were considered, as the promoters worked to develop their show. Providing lots of shade for the warm month of June was a priority, the Lake County Fairgrounds seemed the perfect location with its tree lined streets and outdoor stage.

Live bands will play 50’s & 60’s music throughout the day to set the perfect mood, and the vendors row is in keeping with the theme of the show providing lots of vintage and retro items to take you down memory lane. Home-made custom trophies are presented to division winners, and there will be a huge raffle with cool “car stuff” prizes. In addition, Kulture Shock has worked hard with their food and drink vendors and does not take a cut. This allows them to bring you great and affordable food, and $1 beer. Something you will not find at any other show.

The 2007 Kulture Shock award winners (left to right)

Award	Name	Hometown	Car
Best Of Show	Jim Walton	Alamo	1953 Nash Healey
Best Custom	Art Miller	Lucerne	1940 Ford Deluxe Convertable
Best Engine	Lauren Snider	Kelseyville	1963 Dodge 440
Best Hot Rod	Buck Buckner	Beaumont	1929 Ford Roadster

Kulture Shock has teamed up with the Lakeport Speedway this year. All car entries and spectators will receive a special $5 coupon for their entry to the races at 6:30pm following the car show. Enjoy the full racing program at the Lakeport Speedway in addition to a special vintage race car exhibition race and a demolition derby to end the night. Now that’s what cars are all about!

For rules, registration, and information go to www.KultureShockCarShow.com or phone 707-263-3283.

B.C.R.A. Midgets

Scott Mail and Kyle Dickerson held the poll positions in the B.C.R.A. Midgets main event as they took off under the green flag. Mail quickly fell to the back as Dickerson took the lead followed by Shannon McQueen and Nick Foster. In lap eight, Mail stalled out on the frontstretch for a caution and had to retire.

Dickerson and McQueen led the restart and Dickerson held the inside lead, but for only two laps. McQueen made it past him for the lead followed by Foster for second.

The field strung out as Dickerson worked on Foster. He got his opportunity in lap 21 as Mike Donaldson was being lapped, he swung around Foster for second.

McQueen took the checkers, followed by Dickerson, Foster, Nick Chevello, and Floyd Avis. Avis won the slow dash, and Dickerson the trophy dash.

Modifieds

The Modified main field was led to the start by Bob Strauss and Danny Bishop. Richie Potts did not make the field due to mechanical issues, and Chuck Pruett opted to start in the back. Rick Rose, who set the track record fast time, had to visit the pits after the warm-up laps, and started in the back.

Strauss took the inside lead as Mark Marek quickly passed Mike Smithhart and Steve Taylor for third. David Furia followed Marek to challenge Taylor on the outside for fourth when a caution was thrown for debris. Smithhart had lost a piece of his muffler on the backstretch. Rose had to visit the pits again and restarted in the back.

Strauss and Bishop led the restart and Strauss took the lead again. Bishop was slow off the mark and was passed on the outside by Marek and Furia. Smithhart swung in front of Taylor for fifth as Rose quickly moved up behind Taylor for seventh. Strauss held a strong and steady inside line, but Marek was advancing by bumper widths on the outside each lap. In lap nine, Mike Sullivan (driving the 44 since his 05 was still down from a past wreck) spun in turn four bringing out the second caution.

Strauss and Marek brought them to the green flag, and Marek shot out into the lead. Furia swung into third as Smithhart and Rose passed Bishop for fourth and fifth. The field was strung out except for Smithhart and Rose who battled six laps for fourth, until Rose completed the pass in lap 18.

Rose now had his sights set on Furia as he slowly advanced on him for five laps. However, in lap 23, Furia started bellowing smoke and flame from under his car. He was quickly brought to a stop under a yellow flag into the backstretch infield where the emergency crew swarmed the car and got him out. It turned out that he had blown a transmission cooler fitting and some of it flared up on the hot exhaust pipes. Fortunately, it was all out by the time he was stopped. He retired to the infield and the track was cleaned up.

Marek and Strauss got them going for the last time and Marek took off with the lead. At the finish it was Marek, followed by Strauss, Rose, Smithhart, and Bishop. Sean Sweeney won the slow dash, Smithhart the trophy dash, and Sullivan and Bishop the heat races.

Bombers

Robert Byers (substituting with the 17 car for Richie Schwarm Jr.) and Andy Norton led the Bomber pack to the start of their main event. Jimmy Sorrels blew an engine in hot laps and Richie Schwarm Jr. substituted for him all day using the 30 car. Schwarm had some engine problems as the cars were lining up and had to start in the back.

For five laps the pack stayed tight with Byers and Norton battling for the lead, Bob Mook and Eric Johnson (substituting for Jon Waner in the 26) for third, Richard Bray and George Abella for fifth, and Roman Rose and Mike Rose (substituting for Dylan Rose in the 48) for seventh.

In lap five, Norton drifted wide in turn two, scraping the wall, and was passed by most of the field. As Byers cautiously passed low in front of Mook, Johnson saw his opportunity and swung past both of them on the outside for the lead.

Mook followed for second and, one lap later, Abella for third. Mook and Abella battled for second for two laps. Mook had been warned by the flagger Kelly Coburn to keep to his lane when, in lap nine, Norton spun in turn two. As the yellow flag was waved, Mook and Abella tangled and spun. Both suffered damage and had to retire to the pits.

Johnson and Byers led them to the restart, and Johnson took the inside lead. M. Rose challenged Byers on the outside for second as R. Rose followed looking for who would advance. Five laps later, Byers wobbled on the inside allowing M. .Rose and R. Rose to take second and third. Two laps later, Bray passed Byers for fourth.

M. Rose and Johnson battled side-by-side for the lead for seven laps. Each lap, M. Rose advanced little-by-little until, in lap 23, he completed the pass. R. Rose followed two laps later into second. M. Rose finished first, followed by R. Rose, Johnson, Bray, and Norton. Schwarm won the slow dash, and Abella both the trophy dash and the heat race.