From a Near-Fatal Accident to Chili Bowl Glory Against Kyle Larson: Tanner Thorson’s Incredible Story of Grit

“Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up,” Alfred tells Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins. Of course, both of those people are fictional, but what Alfred says is true in real life. This is something racing driver Tanner Thorson has proved to be true.

He fell down, all the way down and now he has picked himself up, all the way up to the top.

On Sunday, January 16th, Tanner Thorson won the Chili Bowl Nationals title. And he did so against the likes of several regular drivers from the dirt racing world, as well as superstars from NASCAR.

Thorson put up a resolute defense against Christopher Bell, who won the title three times in a row until 2019. And Thorson also defeated two-time running Chili Bowl champion and defending NASCAR champion Kyle Larson.

The inspiring story of Tanner Thorson

In March 2019, Thorson was involved in a car accident that threatened his entire racing career. The fiery crash happened when Thorson’s pickup truck ran into a milk truck in the early hours of the morning in California.

Upon impact, Thorson’s truck burst up in flames. In this accident, Thorson suffered several broken bones, but he was lucky to not have further injuries, considering the severity of the impact and the unrecognizable look of his truck after the crash.

Yet, despite this major incident in his life, Thorson never gave up on his dream, on his passion. As soon as he recovered, he got back in the car, and before anyone knew it, he was racing and racing for the wins.

And now, three years after his horrific crash, Tanner Thorson won the Chili Bowl Nationals against some of the biggest names in the American motorsports scene.

He proved that no obstacle is big enough in pursuit of excellence in your passion; that nothing can come in the way of someone who wants to go all the way. That a champion in racing and in life isn’t one who lingers on the defeat, but one who fights on despite it.

Also Read: Tony Stewart’s Priceless Reaction at Being Inducted Into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame