Inside Line Promotions – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (Aug. 13, 2013) – It was a productive week for Jack Dover at the 53rd annual FVP Knoxville Nationals.
Dover powered a car for Mike and Josh Baughman during the biggest sprint car event of the season last weekend at Knoxville Raceway, which began for Dover with preliminary action on Thursday.
“In hot laps the car felt good for me being new to the car with a 410 engine in it,” he said. “We were pretty pumped up about that. We went out and qualified 36th. The track got worse and we had the wrong gear in, so that put us on the pole of the first heat and I was able to pull the win off. The car felt really comfortable.”
Dover led all 10 laps to claim his first career Knoxville Nationals heat race win, which locked him into the feature. Because of his qualifying time, Dover started the 25-lap main event on the inside of the ninth row.
“We were too tight in the beginning,” he said. “The last 10 laps we were coming on. I felt like if we would have had a yellow we could have got around five more cars.”
Dover finished 17th and returned to the famed half-mile track on Friday.
“We drew one spot worse than Thursday night,” he said. “Pretty much everything was exactly the same up to heat race. We were really good in hot laps and then 43rd in time trials. That put us in the back of the first heat race. We were too tight in the beginning, but I was getting the hang of it at the end.”
Dover missed the qualifying inversion for the heat races and he finished ninth in his heat. That relegated him to a B Main, which he started on the outside of the sixth row.
“The guys in front of us got tangled in turn one,” he said. “I spun the car out and just tapped somebody. I had to restart at the back.”
After the collision on the opening lap, Dover restarted near the rear of the field and worked his way to a ninth-place finish. However, he shut the car off on the backstretch during the cool-down lap following the checkered flag.
“After the B Main was over on Friday night we had motor issues,” he said. “When I was running the last lap it was losing a lot of power and it smelled awful. Saturday morning we cut the oil filter open and found some problems.”
The team scratched from Saturday’s finale.
Because he competed overseas during the offseason, Dover qualified for the Speed Sport World Challenge – a $10,000-to-win race to close Friday’s program. Dover hopped into Chris Shirek’s car to take the green flag before he pulled into the pits.
Dover is scheduled to compete on Saturday at Mid-Nebraska Speedway in Doniphan, Neb., with the NCRA and Nebraska 360 Sprints.
QUICK RESULTS –
Aug. 8 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 36; Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 16 (17).
Aug. 9 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 43; Heat race: 9 (8); B Main: 9 (12).
SEASON STATS –
29 races, 8 wins, 14 top fives, 15 top 10s, 20 top 15s, 23 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Mid-Nebraska Speedway in Doniphan, Neb., with the NCRA and 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: http://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 http://www.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 Certified Transmission, Home Pride Companies, Inc., Eagle Motorsports, 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 give special notice to Mike and Josh Baughman.
“I want to thank them for giving me a 410 ride in the best equipment out there,” Dover said. “If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have been in the Knoxville Nationals. I look forward to racing with them again in the near future.”
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 http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Aug 13, 2013
- Article Date: 8/13/2013 by Shawn Miller - Inside Line Promotions