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Tony Jackson and Scott Hess Racing continued to make strides in the 410 Sprint Car ranks as the Newville, PA native brought home a career-best 16th-place finish on Sunday at BAPS Motor Speedway.

Jackson and Hess initially planned to compete in three consecutive nights of racing in the 410 Sprint Car ranks, but rain again reared its ugly head and canceled planned action at Williams Grove on Friday and Lincoln Speedway on Saturday.

“We briefly considered running Port Royal on Saturday, but it just didn’t look like it would be a great time weather-wise and with the wind,” said Jackson. “In terms of BAPS, they watered the track and it was pretty top dominant. I was probably running a half lane lower than the guys in front of us and that’s a prime example of the learning curve and just where I need to grow.” 

A total of 43 410 Sprint Cars attended BAPS on Sunday and Jackson kicked off the night by qualifying second quickest in his group during time trials. He then finished where he started – third – to lock himself into the A-main with the 12th starting position.

“We knew we had to be fast out the gate and we got a pretty good start to the heat race and was running second,” he said. “Ultimately, we slipped back to third and were able to get in the show which is obviously the goal each week.”

With a plan to continue to learn and make laps in mind, Jackson stayed steady inside of the top 15 for most of the 25-lap event. He narrowly missed out on his first career top-15 finish in the division after finishing 16th. However, with the high number of cars on hand, the team was happy to get in the show and bring the car home in one piece.

“Outside of a sanctioned event, I can’t really think of too many instances this early in the year to have 43 cars at the track,” said Jackson. “I didn’t expect that and I knew we had an uphill climb just to get in the show as a result. So ultimately to get in the show and run 16th is a pretty cool deal for us as a team and it’s something we can be proud of.”

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

“Mother Nature doesn’t look like it will do us any favors this weekend, but I’m excited to get back to the track and start contending for top 15 finishes and not just making shows,” said Jackson. “Lincoln is a track that I’ve kind of struggled at, but ultimately I think we’re learning there and hopefully we get in two A-main starts this weekend and some positive results.”

WEEKEND RESULTS

 April 14 – BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven, PA – Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 16 (12). 

 SEASON STATS

 7 races, 0 wins, 1 top 5, 1 top 10’s, 1 top 15’s, 3 top 20’s

 UP NEXT

 Friday, April 19th, at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and Saturday, April 20th, at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa.

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.