Preston High School sophomore Jacob “Jake” Hostutler won the National Demolition Derby Championship on October 8, 2023. Hostutler comes from a family of derby enthusiasts. His father, Jared Hostutler, is a former derby champion, and his mother, Samantha Cramer, as well as her father, have all participated in demolition derbies.
Jake has been competing 3 or 4 years now, according to his mother Samantha, who said, “as a mom it is nerve-wracking to watch him run, but I am so proud of him.” She added that Jake’s been in the garage since “before he was born” and was always helping his dad. A few years ago, Jake took interest, and his passion took off from there.
This is the first time Jake’s won nationals, and his competition was steep with a class of approximately 50 competitors vying for the national title. Jake primarily races locally and this year that included Ohio and Pennsylvania. The national championship was held in Fayette County, PA, in Dunbar.
Jake said it just takes hard work and close attention to win. He said basically he “goes out there and just drives.” Jake said he was “a little happy” when he won, but he gave a big smile talking about his win. His trophy, he said, is four feet tall, and is now in the living room at his dad’s house. He hopes he can go back to the national competition again next year. In the meantime, Jake is working on getting his actual driver’s license and taking classes at PHS including CTE classes in structural analysis and damage repair. While Jake isn’t sure what his future holds yet, he said demolition derby racing has sparked an interest in mechanics and collision repair.
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(photo courtesy of Hard Core Derby Promotions’ Facebook page; Jake Hostutler wins National Championship Demolition Derby Race for Youth Full-Sized 2023)