ThorSport Racing to celebrate championships with parade, open house

PERKINS TWP. — ThorSport Racing will take a victory lap in Perkins Township next week, then welcome the community to its facility for a celebratory open house. A parade featuring ThorSport's drivers and trucks will begin at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the race team's headquarters on Campbell Avenue. ThorSport driver Ben Rhodes recently won the NASCAR Truck Series championship and owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson won the owners championship. "It's a great honor and they have a great local following," said Perkins Twp. trustee Jeffrey Ferrell, who raised the idea of a parade. He said the idea came from Cheers owner Chris Biechele. "Most of the race teams are down south. To have it here in Perkins Township is fantastic," Ferrell said. "It's great for the whole community." Perkins Twp. Police Chief Vince Donald approached ThorSport general manager David Pepper with the parade idea and the NASCAR team was receptive. "It means you've kind of made it. I think that sounds like a lot of fun," said Pepper, who has been ThorSport's GM since 2004. "We will pull out of here with all of our transporters and race trucks and guys on the flatbed parade float." ThorSport's five drivers — including Rhodes — will be in the parade, which will include a police escort and fire trucks. Other drivers include former Truck Series champions Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter as well as ThorSport newcomers Christian Eckes and Ty Majeski. The parade will head south on Campbell Avenue and take a left turn on Strub Road. From there, it'll take another left on Columbus Avenue before hitting Perkins Avenue. The parade will head west on Perkins Avenue and take one last left turn on Campbell. "A lot of left turns," Pepper said. "It's kind of what we do." Donald said multiple jurisdictions will help with traffic control. "We're going to go a little slower than they do on the racetrack," Donald joked. After the parade, ThorSport Racing will hold an open house from 4 to 8 p.m. "We'll have drivers, dogs, race cars and face painting," Pepper said. "We even got a quartet playing Christmas music." It'll be the team's third open house, the first coming when the building opened in 2011 and the other coming after Crafton's series title in 2019. That event drew huge crowds, and Pepper is expecting another strong turnout. "Meet, mingle, take some pictures," Pepper said. In addition to the Truck Series drivers, funny car driver J.R. Todd will be there, as will the Perkins Police K-9s Thor and Sport. Trophies and other cars will be on display and there will be light snacks served. "It's a big deal. They're iconic and they support the community," Donald said. "If we can show our appreciation, that's what it's all about. Hopefully everyone enjoys it." The open house will put a ribbon on ThorSport's recent run of celebrations. The Thorsons took more than 50 team members and their wives and girlfriends to Nashville last week for the annual NASCAR awards banquet. "We all went in our black tuxes," Pepper said. "It was a good sight when you saw us. When we all left the hotel and walked down there, people noticed." Pepper said it's unusual for a NASCAR team to take its entire team to the awards banquet. "For Duke and Rhonda to provide that opportunity to take us all down there and have a good time speaks to what kind of people they are," Pepper said. "They know it takes every single person in this building, not just the guys you see in the interviews."