Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (June 4, 2013) – Jack Dover got his first taste of the season at Knoxville Raceway on Saturday.
After one of his favorite events of the season – the Hinchman Racewear Eagle Nationals – was flooded out, Dover changed his plans to wrap up the weekend with his first visit to the famed half mile.
With qualifying tied into hot laps, Dover timed in second quickest of the 23 competitors.
“For not being there all year and just showing up running second to the local guys, it’s pretty big,” he said. “We put the same setup as what we had last year in the Knoxville Nationals.”
Coming off his career-best fourth-place finish in the 360 Knoxville Nationals, Dover powered from sixth to fourth in his heat race to advance to the 18-lap feature. However, with an eight-car inversion, Dover started the main event on the inside of the fourth row.
After four cautions in the first three laps, Dover remained in seventh place until a restart following an open red on Lap 4.
“We put some more fuel in and changed some shock adjustments and put spacing in the rear,” he said. “That helped a lot. It tightened the car a lot. It made the car a lot better in the corners.”
Dover rocketed from seventh to fourth on the restart and maintained that position for the rest of the event to earn his sixth top-five finish of the season.
“The last time I ran there was nationals last year,” he said. “Going there for the first time in 10 months and running fourth isn’t bad. Hopefully we can get over there a couple more times before Nationals. If we don’t I think we’ll be in a good position.”
The weekend began on Friday with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour at Salina Speedway in Salina, Kan., where Dover charged from fourth to first during the opening lap of his heat race. He led all eight laps to record his fifth heat race win of the season.
Dover earned the most points of the drivers to advance to the redraw, where he pulled the No. 4 to start the 30-lap feature on the outside of the second row.
On a slick track, Dover faded to around eighth place in the first handful of laps before finding a middle groove that nobody else was utilizing. He quickly worked his way around several competitors to advance to fourth and was on the rear bumper of third-place Jason Johnson when mechanical issues forced Dover to the pits on Lap 12.
“I just tried different lines to figure out what one was the best,” he said of the start. “In (turns) three and four everybody was on the bottom throwing moisture into the middle. I was just going through the moisture where nobody was running.”
A broken u-joint for the second time in the last five races was the culprit and relegated Dover to a 21st-place finish.
“It just let go and when it let go I had a vibration and I pulled in,” he said. “It’s really, really frustrating. I definitely think we would have been a top-two car if not winning it. It’s really frustrating especially when you don’t know why it’s happening.”
Dover is slated to compete on Saturday at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., with the Carpet Land Nebraska 360 Sprints.
QUICK RESULTS –
May 31 – Salina Speedway in Salina, Kan. – Heat race: 1 (4); Feature: 21 (4).
June 1 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 4 (6); Feature: 4 (7).
SEASON STATS –
12 races, 4 wins, 6 top fives, 6 top 10s, 9 top 15s, 10 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., with the Carpet Land Nebraska 360 Sprints
VIDEO –
Here is in-car video of Jack winning the 5th annual Steve King Memorial at The Great American Dirt Track in Jetmore, Kan., on May 25: http://youtu.be/jmbnDjFA3YQ
Here is in-car video of Jack claiming his heat race with the Nebraska 360 Sprints at Butler County Speedway in Rising City, Neb., on May 18: http://youtu.be/3yWrbbW2Qxk
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: www.JackDoverRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackDoverRacing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackdoverracing?fref=ts
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Roush Yates Racing Engines
Located in Mooresville, N.C., Roush Yates Racing Engines is a premier racing engine built with the expertise of veterans Jack Roush, Doug Yates and Robert Yates. For more information, visit RoushYates.com.
“Roush Yates Racing Engines gives me the best horsepower out there that anybody could have,” Dover said. “The reliability of the engines is unbelievable and the support you get is phenomenal.”
Dover would also like to thank Home Pride Companies, Inc., Eagle Motorsports, Certified Transmission, Thorpe’s Body Shop, Trail Performance Coatings, Inc., The Oil Medics, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Keizer Wheels, Schoenfeld Headers, Shaver Racing Engines, Langfeldt Overhead Doors, K&N Filters, FK Rod Ends, DMI, Speedway Motors and Vortex Wings for their continued support.
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES –
Jack Dover Racing is close to being able to compete across the country by returning to the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour, where Dover has finished in the top 10 both seasons he has raced full time with the premier 360 sprint car series. He is also ready to compete with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series en route to his dream of racing in NASCAR. The only variable missing is a reliable truck and trailer. For more information on partnership opportunities, e-mail teamdover@gmail.com.
JACK’S SHOUTOUT –
Jack wants to thank Chris Moss with Roush Yates Racing Engines for all of his dedicated hard work.
“Chris is always willing to help out and he works really hard,” Jack said. “It’s nice to have that kind of support and attention every week.”
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations, media management and merchandising services for sprint car teams. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and your sponsors’ return on investment.
To meet the media relations needs of your team, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or sprintcarreporter@yahoo.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit www.insidelinepromotions.com.
- Jack Dover on Jun 04, 2013
- Article Date: 6/4/2013 by Shawn Miller - Inside Line Promotions