32 Can’t Keep Horton NBA Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan was famously quoted as saying, “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” The same can be said for Chip Horton, of Jesup, Ga., who was the 2002 International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Summit SuperSeries World Champion who had to overcome the obstacle of driving his car known as “Trinity” with one leg against tough competition throughout the entire season. A week after his 17th birthday, Horton recalled his story like it happened yesterday, as he was riding his motorcycle home from work when he was struck by a drunk driver. “I was driving home from work, and a car was speeding in the left lane,” Horton said. “To try and get away from the car I drove off the highway into a ditch. However, the rear bumper of the car struck my left leg severing it at the knee.” Horton continued. As he laid in the ditch, close to his house, friends rushed to his aid to help stop the bleeding on the leg. The heroic efforts of finding a belt with holes all the way around it and pulling as tight as they could helped save his life. The trip to the hospital was even more interesting for Horton as the small county used hearses as ambulances in those days. “It was the first time I rode in hearse,” Horton continued. “Riding in the hearse happened a lot earlier than I expected!” Horton said. As Horton recuperated in the hospital bed, the staff informed him that his riding and racing days were over. Those words were not enough to keep him down. After Horton got out of the hospital, he purchased a three-wheeled motorcycle from a local shop in Brunswick, Ga. After learning to ride the three-wheeler, Horton decided it was time to go racing. That bought on the infamous 1969 Dodge Dart that had a matching numbers motor named ‘Trinity” after a Western movie. To help prepare him for racing, Horton would practice driving on the street perfecting the way he held the brake. “Whenever I came to a red-light in town, I would twist my foot so that I could step on the gas with my toes and my heels on the brake,” Horton commented. “I shaved the brake OBSTACLES DOWN DRIVER SPOTLIGHT