(Photo by Scott Frazier Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – ATOKA, Tenn. (July 21, 2020) – It hasn’t taken long for Jeffrey West Jr. to adapt to 360ci winged sprint cars.
West Jr. spent a dozen years racing karts before climbing into the 305ci sprint car ranks in 2018. He transitioned to 360s this season and only four races into his rookie campaign has already captured attention.
“That first race of the season was at the Greg Hodnett Memorial (hosted by Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark.),” he said. “I was able to win the heat race. I started fifth in the A Main and was able to get to fourth within the first lap or two. I rode there for 10 or 11 laps. We had a midway caution. A few laps after restarting we got into traffic and I was able to take the lead. With four laps to go a red flag came out. After we fired back up the motor started sputtering and we ran out of fuel on the restart.
“Going into that race if you told me I’d be leading or in contention to win I’d have said you’re crazy. I was going out there to get experience. That’s what this whole year is about. I was able to adjust to it fast. I can’t complain about much.”
Although he didn’t get the ultimate result he wanted – West Jr. finished a career-best seventh – the 18-year-old who graduated from high school in May surprised people with how quickly he was a contender. West Jr. has made four starts this season and he nearly added a second top 10 during his most recent start when he won a heat race and placed 11th in the feature during his second career start with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour.
“It’s changed the outlook of the season in a way,” he said. “At first we were looking to make shows. Now we’re talking about competing for wins. It steps the intensity level up.
“I feel a lot more comfortable in a 360 having that much more power. The car drives a lot different. The 360 is more free. It drives how I envision a sprint car should drive.”
West Jr. anticipates he will compete in approximately two dozen races this season, focusing mostly on regional competition with the ASCS Mid-South Region and USCS Series. His next race is this Saturday at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., with the ASCS Mid-South Region.
SEASON STATS –
4 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 2 top 10s, 2 top 15s, 4 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., with the ASCS Mid-South Region
MEDIA LINKS –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreywestracing/
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Mainline Safety and Supply, Inc.
Mainline Safety and Supply, Inc., specializes in safety products and various supplies for multiple industries such as pipeline, construction and public safety. Mainline is a small-town business that focuses on building relationships in order to meet the unique needs of its customers. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/Mainline-Safety-Supply-Inc-102055734677600/.
“They deliver all kinds of warehouse equipment to companies that need it,” West Jr. said. “They’ll do sanitizing stuff and protective equipment. They are a new company that started this year and we’re grateful to have their support.”
West Jr. would like to thank Flashe Graphics, Rick’s Powder Coating and Jeff and Kim West for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Jul 21, 2020
- Article Date: 7/21/2020 by Inside Line Promotions