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Shake Up Jacob – Confidence
NEWTON (June 2, 2010) – "Confidence" was a reoccurring word while talking to eighteen year old, Jacob Ossenfort about his success over the Holiday weekend. "I was extremely confident after my heat win in Huron," Jacob said of his first mile marker for the weekend. After a comfortable race in front of his home town, Jacob and the Ossenfort Racing team set out for a four night binge of racing across the state of South Dakota.
Night one took place at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota and it would place Jacob back in his Wesmar powered Knology #99J 360 for only the second time this season. A drawing determined Jacob's starting position of third row inside (5th) for his heat. The #99J battled his way to second, and a gusty mid race move would raise a personal flag. "I went to use the brakes and they went straight to the floor. I got myself carefully into the pits and after assessing the damage, dad determined that a rock hit our left front brake line and drained it. If I hadn't lost the brakes, I believe we would've won."
Jacob started eighth in the 360 main event. A decision was made prior to the night's main events by Black Hills Speedway officials to put some water down on the track. "This made it even tougher to pass as we started the race. It gave everyone a chance to keep it straight on the tacky groove," Jacob said of the track. "Toward the end of the race, the track started to dry out, making my car tighter and more drivable." Jacob tried his hand at a last chance slide job for second on the last lap but with all of that momentum the #99J would skate it's way to the cushion, leaving just enough room for a pass back. Ossenfort Racing walked away with a third place finish to start off the weekend.
Night two was at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, South Dakota. Jacob strapped back into the #99J 410 sprint car to race with the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association (NOSA). "Although the NOSA rules did not have qualifying in the schedule for the night, we did have a few sets of hot laps. The Don Ott powered 410 never stops amazing me with how much power and torque I can feel it putting out. Huron is a big, flat, half mile which is even more exciting in a 410." Jacob started on the pole for his heat race and drove his almost perfectly set up car to his first heat race win of the 2010 season, while holding off some of the NOSA's toughest competition. This gave him plenty of confidence as the main event crept into sight.
A little pre-race planning session took place in the pits, when crew chief Todd Ossenfort and Jacob decided to tighten up the car by changing some shocks, and moving the top wing back for more down force on the rear tires; which proved to be helpful for the main event. Jacob started sixth and with such a good starting position along with all of the left over adrenalin from the heat race win, Jacob was ready to hunt down the lead. "I felt like it was my night. The track was perfect for my kind of driving style. Most of the other cars were running around the bottom and I knew that if I was going to pass, I'd have to run where the other cars were not. I changed my line a little, which made it very easy to pass cars coming out of both corners. I drove up to fourth and lap traffic became a major factor. I seemed to have found a knack for driving through the slower cars." Jacob finished the night with a fourth place out of the twenty five NOSA sprint cars that came to compete. He slept with conviction after a night of personal bests.
Nights three and four took the Ossenfort Racing team back to Huset's Speedway near Brandon, South Dakota. Making the change from a half mile to a three eighths is always a test, but Jacob started his night with a nice qualifying time of 11.37 seconds. A heat race six car invert placed Jacob in the pole position and after coming off of such a great night in Huron, he was full of fight. The #99J stumbled a little on the start but raced for second, with something to prove. "I was just racing my race, when I heard someone gaining on me fast. It was the second to last lap and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lynton Jeffrey getting closer. I knew I needed to hold him off for a good starting spot in the main. At one point he got around me but I got him back before the checkered was thrown. This boosted my confidence even more knowing that I got to race with someone like Lynton. We raced hard and it was just the cherry on top of the ice cream when I came out in the front."
Due to another invert, the #99J started outside pole (2nd) for the main. "I raced for third for a long time until I drove the car in a little hard and ended up facing the wall on the way out. Huset's wall is notorious for wrecking cars; I just let off the gas and tried to find my rhythm again, instead of flooring it and chancing a destroyed car." Jacob finished the race with learning experience and an eighth place finish out of a field of twenty five cars.
The final night of the weekend started off with a qualifying time of 11.7 seconds and with an invert, that placed Jacob on the front row for his heat. Jacob led for most of the heat race. In mid-race action, the 11x of Gregg Bakker pulled up to give a quick view of his front wing, on the inside of the #99J. "I decided to move to the bottom to protect my position, but I think that Bakker had a looser car, which made it easier for him to drive through the corners and he passed me on the high side while I was busy protecting the bottom." The race would conclude with Bakker taking first and Jacob coming in with a close second. "I love racing with guys like Bakker and Jeffrey because you know that you can trust them to hold their line going through the corner. It's a lot more fun to go out and race for a position when you're not worried about wrecking the whole time."
It was a great weekend for starting positions when it came to the Ossenfort Racing team's luck. The #99J took the green flag on the front row of the A-Main on Monday night. "Huset's is a tough track to predict what the dirt will do. We tightened up the car, figuring that I'd be able to get a lot of traction and keep cars behind me. It was bad news. The car was so tight that when I came out of the corners it would head straight for the wall. In general, I'm very proud of my finish, considering the car that I had to work with." Jacob finished the night in fourteenth and later discovered that a right rear shock was bad, probably playing a big factor in the difficulty of car's handling. "We learned a lot from this race and even more from the weekend. I look forward to heading back and facing the challenge all over again."
Jacob will be taking a few nights off this weekend, as he takes a walk across the stage to receive his High School diploma. "It's a once in a lifetime experience. I can't wait to turn to a new chapter in my life." You can be sure that Jacob will be back at it in two weeks. Stay tuned for updates!
Online
To keep up with Jacob and Ossenfort Racing, check them out online at www.ossenfortracing.com!
For weekly updates on "Shake Up" Jacob Ossenfort, join our mailing list by emailing "Shake Up" to [email protected].
Knology
Life is about connecting. Person to person. Business to business. To help, Knology has developed the industry's most advanced fiber network, along with the services that bring it to life. Helping you connect with all the people who are important to you. For more information, go to www.Knology.com.
Super Clean Tunnel Wash
Located at 1501 Cambell Street in Rapid City, SD, Super Clean Tunnel Wash is proud to sponsor the #99J Sprint Car. The Super Clean Tunnel Wash, "Home of the $5.00 Express Wash", offers Free vacuums, Free use of drying towels, in addition to the 6 high pressure self serve bays where you have the convenience of paying in the bay with cash, coin or credit card. The 120 foot exterior express tunnel wash uses "Third Generation" foam along with the finest chemicals available to the car wash industry, to not only get your car clean, but Super Clean! If you have 3 minutes and $5.00, stop by and let them wash your car!
DonBar Cars
DonBar Cars has over 35 years of experience in the automotive industry. DonBar Cars specializes in Quality Vehicles priced under $4,000! They now offer financing! Let them help you with your next pre-owned vehicle purchase. For more information, visit www.DonBarCars.com or call Don at 605-393-CARS (2277)! Located at 3788 East Hwy 44, Rapid City, SD 57703.
BankWest
At BankWest, their goal is to meet all your financial needs, every day. They are ready with financial solutions for any stage of life. Whether you're just starting out, raising a family or nearing retirement, they have the tools to help you reach your short- and long-term goals. Located in Pierre, Mitchell, Rapid City, Vivian, Kadoka, Kennebec, Onida, Selby, Gregory and Winner. Call them today at 1-800-253-0362 and go to www.BankWest-SD.com.
Robert Sharp & Associates
RSA is a customer service company that happens to do advertising and marketing too. They are interested in long-term relationships with folks who love success as much as they love to help them achieve it. They want to get to know you. Stop in at 3615 Canyon Lake Drive, Rapid City, SD 57702, call them at 605-341-5226 or visit them at www.RobertSharpAssociates.com.
Black Hills Powersports
They are a full service dealer of new and used powersports vehicles. Their new vehicle brands are YAMAHA ATV, motorcycle, utility vehicle, watercraft, snowmobile, scooter, KAWASAKI ATV, motorcycle, utility vehicle, watercraft. For more information, go to www.BlackHillsPowersports.com or call Todd at 605-342-5500. Located at 3005 Beale Street, Rapid City, SD 57703 (South side of I-90 between exits 60 and 61).
Ossenfort Racing would like to thank the following product sponsors; Weld Racing (www.weldracing.com), Rosenbaum's Signs (www.rosenbaumsigns.com), HRP Racing Products (www.HRPRacing.com), Wesmar Racing Engines (www.Wesmarracing.com), Don Ott Racing Engine (www.donottracingengines.com), and Maxim Racing Chassis (www.raceMaxims.com)
Jacob in the Don Ott powered Knology #99J (Laca Ossenfort Photo)
KayLea Zumbach
KZ Communications
Newton, IA USA
[email protected]
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