CLARKSVILLE, TN – There will be many storylines that will play themselves out in the 2006 season surrounding the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series that include the National Touring Championship, and the Weekly Racing Series at short tracks throughout the country. There is one story, however, that isn’t about winning and losing. It’s about life.
There is a 23-year-old driver from Oxford, AL that is already a story without winning one race, leading one lap of competition, or even qualifying for one race.
He has announced that he will compete in the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series at his home track, Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL, and run for the Division Rookie of the Year honors. This young driver has also announced he will compete in as many StormPay.com National Touring Series events as his finances will allow, also trying to win the National RoY Award.
Just the fact that this driver can make these announcements is a story in itself because this driver is Chris Turley, and he is known as “The Survivor.”
The nickname “The Survivor” is not one that Turley gave himself just because it sounds cool. He would probably like to have another nickname like “Run Fast,” or “Walkman.” He would like those nicknames because he would probably like the opportunity to do both.
Chris Turley IS “The Survivor” because he has looked death right in the eye twice in his young lifetime, and is still with us. Life has knocked this young man down. He is paralyzed from the waist down, but he is still pursuing his dream to drive a race car.
At age ten, Chris and his father were involved in an automobile accident that left the youngster with a life-threatening head injury and several broken bones. He lay in a coma for over six months, but would fully recover. Chris began his racing career at age 13 racing motocross, but fate would intervene once again to almost end his career before it could get started.
Turley made the switch from motorcycles to go-karts called Junior Late Models at Talladega Short Track for the 1996 season. Turley adapted well, winning the first race he ever entered, and finished third in the season point standings. But after the season had ended, Chris would be taken to the emergency room of a local hospital with severe pain in his shoulder.
It was Christmas Eve 1996 that doctors gave Chris and his family the devastating news that Chris had cancer, and immediate surgery was needed if the teenager had any chance of living. The surgery was performed and chemotherapy was started.
During a later surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, a nerve was cut leaving Chris paralyzed from the waist down.
Despite this setback, Chris finished up his radiation, and beat the dreaded disease. Even while he was traveling back and forth to St. Jude Children Hospital in Memphis, TN for physical therapy and check-ups, he was planning to resume his racing career.
Once he was back behind the wheel of his Junior Late Model, he had to learn an all new technique of driving using hand controls. No longer could Chris feel the track like other drivers did “with the seat of his pants.”
“What I used to feel with the seat of my pants on the race track, I now feel through my hands on the steering wheel, and with my upper body,” Turley said.
He went on to become successful in the go-kart-like Junior Late Models, and won the 2005 Junior Late Model Championship at Talladega Short Track. For the 2006 season Turley has decided to make the switch to “full-grown” late models powered by the economical GM Performance factory-sealed engine right out of the crate.
“I got to test a crate-engine powered late model in October, and I was surprised with the power,” Turley said. “For the 2006 season, I’ve got a 2002 Rocket Chassis powered by a 602 steel-head crate engine. Mark Richards at Rocket Chassis has been very helpful to me to make sure the hand controls would work properly, and fit me correctly.”
Turley is excited about the opportunity to make his dirt late model debut at his home track on January 7-8 with the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series $2,500-to-win NeSmith Chevrolet 40 during the 16th Annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track.
“I can’t wait to make my late model debut at my home track in front of the people that have always been here to help me with my career, and support me through everything,” Turley said. “That’s what is so great about the sport of auto racing is that people go out of their way to lend you a hand.”
Turley will return some of the favors he’s received away from the race track as well during the 2006 season, as his Pontiac Grand Prix late model will carry the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital logo on the hood, and Chris will also be making several appearances with the race car at American Cancer Society fund-raising events.
Turley understands that science and the medical personnel played an important role in his recovery from cancer, but that fact that he still lives to race he knows comes from a much higher authority.
“I pray before every race that I will make it to victory lane when God is ready for me to be there,” Turley said. “My personal slogan is ‘Winning is not everything, it’s the glory of God letting you.’ God has let me live for a reason, and I hope I can use auto racing as a way to witness His Glory.”
To learn more about Chris Turley and how to get involved with his racing program for 2006, visit his web site at www.dtmotors.com/teamgtr. For more information about the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series and the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series, visit the series web site at www.stormpayracing.com.
There is a 23-year-old driver from Oxford, AL that is already a story without winning one race, leading one lap of competition, or even qualifying for one race.
He has announced that he will compete in the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series at his home track, Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL, and run for the Division Rookie of the Year honors. This young driver has also announced he will compete in as many StormPay.com National Touring Series events as his finances will allow, also trying to win the National RoY Award.
Just the fact that this driver can make these announcements is a story in itself because this driver is Chris Turley, and he is known as “The Survivor.”
The nickname “The Survivor” is not one that Turley gave himself just because it sounds cool. He would probably like to have another nickname like “Run Fast,” or “Walkman.” He would like those nicknames because he would probably like the opportunity to do both.
Chris Turley IS “The Survivor” because he has looked death right in the eye twice in his young lifetime, and is still with us. Life has knocked this young man down. He is paralyzed from the waist down, but he is still pursuing his dream to drive a race car.
At age ten, Chris and his father were involved in an automobile accident that left the youngster with a life-threatening head injury and several broken bones. He lay in a coma for over six months, but would fully recover. Chris began his racing career at age 13 racing motocross, but fate would intervene once again to almost end his career before it could get started.
Turley made the switch from motorcycles to go-karts called Junior Late Models at Talladega Short Track for the 1996 season. Turley adapted well, winning the first race he ever entered, and finished third in the season point standings. But after the season had ended, Chris would be taken to the emergency room of a local hospital with severe pain in his shoulder.
It was Christmas Eve 1996 that doctors gave Chris and his family the devastating news that Chris had cancer, and immediate surgery was needed if the teenager had any chance of living. The surgery was performed and chemotherapy was started.
During a later surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, a nerve was cut leaving Chris paralyzed from the waist down.
Despite this setback, Chris finished up his radiation, and beat the dreaded disease. Even while he was traveling back and forth to St. Jude Children Hospital in Memphis, TN for physical therapy and check-ups, he was planning to resume his racing career.
Once he was back behind the wheel of his Junior Late Model, he had to learn an all new technique of driving using hand controls. No longer could Chris feel the track like other drivers did “with the seat of his pants.”
“What I used to feel with the seat of my pants on the race track, I now feel through my hands on the steering wheel, and with my upper body,” Turley said.
He went on to become successful in the go-kart-like Junior Late Models, and won the 2005 Junior Late Model Championship at Talladega Short Track. For the 2006 season Turley has decided to make the switch to “full-grown” late models powered by the economical GM Performance factory-sealed engine right out of the crate.
“I got to test a crate-engine powered late model in October, and I was surprised with the power,” Turley said. “For the 2006 season, I’ve got a 2002 Rocket Chassis powered by a 602 steel-head crate engine. Mark Richards at Rocket Chassis has been very helpful to me to make sure the hand controls would work properly, and fit me correctly.”
Turley is excited about the opportunity to make his dirt late model debut at his home track on January 7-8 with the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series $2,500-to-win NeSmith Chevrolet 40 during the 16th Annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track.
“I can’t wait to make my late model debut at my home track in front of the people that have always been here to help me with my career, and support me through everything,” Turley said. “That’s what is so great about the sport of auto racing is that people go out of their way to lend you a hand.”
Turley will return some of the favors he’s received away from the race track as well during the 2006 season, as his Pontiac Grand Prix late model will carry the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital logo on the hood, and Chris will also be making several appearances with the race car at American Cancer Society fund-raising events.
Turley understands that science and the medical personnel played an important role in his recovery from cancer, but that fact that he still lives to race he knows comes from a much higher authority.
“I pray before every race that I will make it to victory lane when God is ready for me to be there,” Turley said. “My personal slogan is ‘Winning is not everything, it’s the glory of God letting you.’ God has let me live for a reason, and I hope I can use auto racing as a way to witness His Glory.”
To learn more about Chris Turley and how to get involved with his racing program for 2006, visit his web site at www.dtmotors.com/teamgtr. For more information about the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series and the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series, visit the series web site at www.stormpayracing.com.
