Archive for category: Tony Jackson

Tony Jackson and Scott Hess Racing competed last Saturday as part of the Weldon Sterner Memorial at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA, and brought home an 18th-place finish.

The top 20 finish was the fourth of the season as part of Jackson’s rookie campaign in the 410 Sprint Car ranks and continued a trend of qualifying for A-main events and learning.

“The main goal each weekend is to make the field and we were able to check that box,” said Jackson. “We’ve had some bad luck at Lincoln this year and this was really our first shot to run a full night there, so ultimately I’m happy with the run we had.”

A total of 32 410 Sprint Cars attended Lincoln on Saturday for the $20,000-to-win event and Jackson kicked off the night by qualifying fourth quickest in his group during time trials. He then finished fifth in a heat race to grab a transfer spot for the A-main.

With a goal to move forward in the feature event, Jackson lined up for the 40-lap race from the 20th starting position. He was able to advance as high as 16th on the grid, but on a tricky track, he struggled to make much ground and ultimately fell to 18th.

While he would have liked to have finished better, it was the opportunity to learn from the leaders and try new things in lapped traffic that had Jackson most excited.

“Once I got lapped by Macri, I just kind of settled in behind him and honestly that was quite the learning experience just seeing where he was running and what he was doing,” he said. “I saw he was running the top and I jumped up there a time or two and it just felt good to kind of branch out and show what I’m capable of.”

This upcoming weekend will be a busy one for Jackson and Scott Hess Racing as they’re set to compete in three different events. They’ll tackle 410 Sprint Car action on Friday at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA, and Sunday at BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven, PA.

“The 410 Sprint Car shows are utilizing the same formats we’ve been seeing all year, so we have a good idea of what to expect going into them,” said Jackson. “We’ll stick to the plan of getting in the feature for both shows and hopefully we can compete for some top 15’s.”

In between the two 410 starts, Jackson will compete in the winged Super Sportsman competition at BAPS on Saturday as part of the Larry Jackson Tribute race. While the race honors his father and he enters as the defending champion of the event, Jackson knows it will be tough to come out and repeat against a stellar field of competitors.

“We obviously know what it takes to win in the sportsman division, and it is nice to gain a little confidence by picking up a win in my dad’s race, but this is our first winged Sportsman event of the year,” said Jackson. “There’s going to be a full field of guys who have been working hard and running fast each weekend in the Sportsman division and we’re kind of coming in as an outsider. I’d love to get a win, but we’ll just do our best and enjoy the night surrounded by a lot of family and friends.”

WEEKEND RESULTS
April 20 – Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA – Heat race: 5 (3); Feature: 18 (20).

SEASON STATS
8 races, 0 wins, 1 top 5, 1 top 10’s, 1 top 15’s, 4 top 20’s

UP NEXT
Friday, April 26th, at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA., Saturday, April 27th, at BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven, PA., Sunday, April 28th at BAPS Motor Speedway.

Tony Jackson and Scott Hess Racing took a major step forward in their rise to the 410 Sprint Car ranks as the Newville, PA native brought home a career best 17th-place finish on Friday at Williams Gove Speedway.

A planned doubleheader in the winged and wingless sportsman on Saturday at BAPS Motor Speedway ended up cancelled because of inclement weather.

“We were at the Grove on opening day, but with a tough pill draw and tougher track conditions I felt like this was a first real crack at the track,” said Jackson. “This time around was a much better experience and while the finish could have been better, we made another show and we’re continuing to learn and grow.”

A total of 27 410 Sprint Cars attended the famed Mechanicsburg track on Friday and Jackson kicked off the night by finishing third in a heat race. As a result, he was able to lock into the night’s A-main event with the eighth starting position.

“There were a lot of good drivers in the heat race, and we were able to run in second for quite a bit and we did more than hold our own,” he said. “I think lack of experience cost us a little bit, but of course I’m still learning, and we need nights like that to move forward as a team.”

Jackson ran consistently in between the ninth and 12th position for a majority of the feature event. However, several frequent cautions early in the event didn’t allow for the opportunity to make consistent laps or to get in a rhythm. As a result, he settled for a 17th place finish, which earned him his first career top 20 finish in the 410 Sprint Car ranks.

“I think we had maybe a 12th place car honestly, but the cautions really hurt our ability to get in a rhythm and it was just tough,” said Jackson. “I think one of the biggest obstacles I have to overcome is restarts and being in dirty air. Inexperience played a part in us maybe not showing all that we could, but overall, it was a decent night.”

Jackson will return to Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa on Friday to compete in 410 Sprint Car action before making his second start of the season at the Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA on Saturday. 

With tough weather conditions playing spoiler for much of the early season in Central Pennsylvania, Jackson and Hess are optimistically looking forward to the opportunity of a two-race weekend to help continue to speed up the learning curve of taking on a new division of Sprint Car racing.

“We found a few small issues with the car since the last time we raced at Lincoln, but we feel like we’re better prepared this time around,” said Jackson. “Obviously Mother Nature hasn’t been anyone’s friend in the area so far, but just having multiple options in the area is a plus and was a huge selling point in us moving to the 410 ranks. The best way to learn is to keep making laps and I’m optimistic and excited for what’s to come!”

WEEKEND RESULTS

March 29 – Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA – Heat race: 3 (1); Feature: 17 (8). 

SEASON STATS

5 races, 0 wins, 1 top 5, 1 top 10’s, 1 top 15’s, 2 top 20’s

UP NEXT

Friday, April 5th, at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and Saturday, April 6th, at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa.

Tony Jackson and Hess Motorsports continues to impress within the Super Sportsman division in 2023 as they’ve picked up six victories over the past few months, highlighted by his first career Sportsman 100 victory at BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven, PA.

The win capped off an eventful few months for the Carlisle, Pa native that saw him score three wins in winged competition (two at BAPS and one at Path Valley Speedway) and three in wingless action (Path Valley, Bedford Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway).

“We’ve had a really good run these past few months and my confidence is at an all-time high,” said Jackson. “Every time we hit the track, I feel confident we’ll be in contention, and it just speaks to how good of a team Scott Hess gives me.”

Specific to the Sportsman 100 triumph, Jackson and his father became the first father and son duo to claim victory in the 49th running of the historic event.

“It’s pretty special to add my name to the list of guys who have won that race, and for me and my dad to make history is something I’ll never forget.” he said. “As long as I can remember this race has meant a lot to me and my family and it was just really cool.”

With Jackson set to move up to the 410 Sprint Car ranks in 2024, the win was even more special as he knew it would likely be his final go at taking the crown.

“We may run it again in the future, but for all intent I knew it was kind of our last shot at getting a Sportsman 100 win,” said Jackson. “I kind of went into the race with the mentality that it was do or die and I was all in on coming home a winner.”

With his racing career reaching new heights, he is simultaneously gearing up for a fresh adventure in the motorsports industry. Over the next few months, Jackson will be taking part in several test and tune sessions at BAPS, with the goal of debuting behind the wheel of a 410 Sprint Car at the track for the $20,000 to win Les Stewart Final Showdown on November 11th.

“It’s been a fun year, but honestly I’m just ready to start focusing on 2024 and the 410 Sprint Car,” said Jackson. “We’re going to give it our all and this is the next logical step in that process.”

“I’ve had a lot of success at BAPS over the years and I’m really looking forward to practicing and getting comfortable there,” he added. “The offseason is a short one, but it can also be a long one. I don’t want to sit all offseason waiting for 2024 to get here and not be my best to start the year off. So, we’re going to kind of shake things down and we’ll see where we stack up come November against some good competition.”