It was a nervous moment for Adan Zacharias’ family when he asked to enter Thursday’s Travis Levan Memorial Demolition Derby at the Carbon County Fairgrounds.

But the 15-year-old from Palmerton and his twin brother Connor got the go-ahead to run in the event honoring their brother, who passed away in July.

By the end of the night, a teary Adan stood atop the podium with the first place trophy and a prize check worth $1,227 in a moment the family won’t soon forget.

“He was just speechless,” David Zacharias, Adan’s stepfather, said. “He was crying. It meant a lot. You couldn’t write a better ending.”

The event drew 54 entries, which far surpassed the 30 vehicles David was initially expecting. A crowded field tempered expectations for the twin brothers, who have raced junked cars for about four years.

“When we built these cars and put them in we thought well there are 50 cars entered so they’ll make it so far and then that’s going to be it,” David said. “When it came down to the last seven cars and they were still in it, we started to think what’s going to happen here?”

Connor’s car petered out in a very respectable fourth place, while Adan outlasted all other competitors.

“No words can explain the feeling for his mother and everyone in the family,” David said. “We were shocked. It was incredible.”

Demolition derbies were a big part of Levan’s life. Event organizer Tim Strohl, of Old School Promotions, called the Palmerton Area High School graduate a “hard-hitting kid” in the lead up to Thursday’s event.

“He definitely made the dirt fly,” Strohl said.

David concurred, noting how much his stepson would have loved the derby.

“Travis would have been all about it,” he said. “I really do believe he was with Adan tonight. The whole night was overwhelming. We expected a crowd, but we never expected what we got. The support was incredible and we’re really hoping we can keep this going.”