Features

Drnjevich Demolition

Jack stepping into family’s footsteps to embrace himself in derbies

Porsche Sartoris and Alyssa Lovell

October 31, 2024

Jack Drnjevich found his passion for derbies at a young age. Even though he didn’t participate in his first derby until he was 12, his parents made sure to take him to watch the local races on the weekends from the very start. Those early experiences filled him with excitement about the sport, and he loved every moment spent cheering for the racers such as his father Josh, and his friends Steve Cioppa and Chris Quenzler.

Jack’s love for derbies is deeply rooted in his family’s history. It all began with his mother, who first learned about derby racing from her father William Spallone. She grew up loving the sport and carried that passion into her relationship with Jack’s dad. When they started dating, she excitedly shared everything she knew about derbies, from the rules to the best techniques for building the strongest cars. This sharing created a strong bond between the young couple and laid the groundwork for their family traditions. As Jack grew older, his parents continued to pass down their knowledge and enthusiasm for derbies.

Jack has traveled a lot between New Alexandria and Fayette. In April of 2024, he traveled nine and a half hours to Henry, Illinois. Jack said, “Although it was a long three days it was exciting and nerve-wracking all in one.” Jack was most nervous on the second day of the trip since this one meant the most. Therefore if he got in the top five he would be selected for the championship round and get to participate in the derby on the last day.

Jack was thrilled to participate in the Sunday race. He said, “When I made it into the championship, I only had a couple of seconds left before I got eliminated to hit someone so I went to go hit someone and I ended up rolling the car over onto its side.”

Although that was Jack’s favorite memory of the Illinois trip. His favorite derby moment was with his mom in June of 2021 at New Alexandria when this was his first time running a car with his mom when he won his first derby.

Jack has an upcoming derby on October 26, 2024, at Fayette County Fairgrounds. He decided that for this derby he is building a car from scratch with his dad. Jack is using an old 1990 Grand Marquis from the dump. That process usually takes around a month and a half, which involves working on it every single day. Jack said, “My dad helps me set the motor and transmission in and get the rear end in and also he tunes the motor to get it running perfectly and does the wiring too.” The most expensive parts he is using in this car will be the motor and transmission. Jack said, “The transmission alone is around $1,000-$1,200, and depending on the motor you run you are going to be spending around $1,000-$8,000.” Jack and his father know the investment is worth it.

Jack’s passion for his family and their derby traditions runs deep. To him, derbies are more than just a fun competition, they represent cherished moments filled with laughter and teamwork. Jack loves spending time with his family, building derby cars together, sharing stories, and preparing for the next derby weekend.

About the Contributors

Porsche Sartoris, Staff Writer

Porsche Sartoris is a senior attending Greater Latrobe Senior High School. Porsche is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Link Crew, and is a cheer captain for the varsity cheer team. In her free time she enjoys going skiing, hanging out with friends, spending time with my family. This is Porsche's first year being a part of The High Post staff. She is looking forward to learning how to take better pictures and writing stories and getting to interview many people throughout the school through taking the multimedia journalism class. Porsche's goal for after high school is to attend college to become a registered nurse and hopefully work in a children's hospital. Although her career she is planning on does not involve writing much she feels this class will encourage her to write more for enjoyment and not just assignments. Porsche is extremely excited to talk to new people and learn more about those important people throughout the Latrobe community. Overall Porsche is very excited about the new things coming to this class and what all the class holds within.

Alyssa Lovell, Staff Writer

Alyssa Lovell is a current senior at the Greater Latrobe High School. This is Alyssa's first year on The High Post staff. She is also involved in the Pep Club, and Interact Club, and she is also a three-year letterman for the cheerleading squad and continues to be a fourth time. Outside of school, Alyssa is on a competitive dance team, where she has been since she was five years old. She dances at The Dance Alley. Alyssa plans to attend a local college to get a degree in early education to become a first-grade teacher. She was inspired to be a teacher by her first-grade teacher Mrs. Belak. She enjoys spending quality time with her little sister. She likes to spend her free time with her friends and family. She especially wants to help her sister improve her dance skills. Alyssa is excited to have the opportunity to share people's perspectives and stories through writing. She is also excited to take pictures and write about her school and community. She can't wait to write stories about her school and her peers and is beyond excited to be a part of The High Post staff.