White races into issues
Courtesy Derek White
Derek White spent Valentine’s Day doing what he loves the most - racing. And though it wasn’t the race he expected, the opening of the NASCAR ARCA Menards Series season at the Daytona International Speedway certainly proved to be a memorable one for White.
Racing with MBM Motorsports, White finished the race in 39th place out of 40 racers, after running into issues with his car throughout his laps.
It started with another vehicle spinning out early, leading to White side-swiping another car to avoid it, tearing the body panels from the front tire to the back.
“When I tried to go back out, I couldn’t keep up with the pack, and then I got a flat tire,” White said.
After a pit stop to change the tire, White was still noticing bad vibration in his car, which ultimately ended his race.
Despite the issues, White said qualifying for the race was an achievement in and of itself - especially after his long hiatus from NASCAR following his suspension due to charges related to tobacco. White has since been granted a permanent stay of criminal proceedings in the case, which marked the end of his suspension from NASCAR.
“It gave me a really good feeling that even though I wasn’t behind the wheel for almost 10 years, I still have what it takes to run with these guys,” he said.
White’s next race will be in St. Petersburg, Florida, on February 28, where he’ll be taking part in a road course.
