By Skip Jackson, Dave Hill Photo
May 31, 2010 – Two solid weeks of results at the Knoxville Raceway have Skip “Action” Jackson just one point out of the top five in points. The runs come before a big three-night race week with the World of Outlaws Thursday through Saturday.
On May 22, Skip started outside row six for the main event. “We were a little tight early on, and unfortunately, we didn’t qualify too good (14th),” he says. “The first half of the race, we were o.k., but a little tight.”
After running in place for much of the feature, Skip caught fire towards the end and started picking cars off. He would register fourth at the checkers, and earn hard-charger honors for the night. “The track wore out as the race went on, and we kept getting better and better,” says the two-time Knoxville Raceway track champion. “It was nice to pick off a couple of cars at the end.”
There has been some added experience in the pits the past two weeks in the form of wrench Troy Renfro. “Troy has been helping us out the last couple of weeks, but I think Larry (Woodward and driver Johnny Herrera) is ready to go back racing now,” says Skip. “It was good to have Troy around.”
Last Saturday night, in front of the biggest weekly crowd in recent memory, Skip qualified 13th in the 21-car field. After winning his heat handily, he again moved forward in the feature. “We went from tenth to seventh, so we weren’t terrible,” he says. “We just weren’t good enough to get that last little bit that we needed. We’re going to keep working at it. The guys up front were going really good.”
The big crowd on Pella Corporation night was not lost on Skip and he hopes it can continue. “That was the best crowd I’ve seen in years and years,” says the veteran. “Hopefully, there will be some of those people that want to come back.”
The World of Outlaws, and several other invaders will be in this Thursday through Saturday for the Mediacom Shootout Hall of Fame Classic. Skip looks forward to the challenge. “They bring out the best in you,” he says of the WoO. “Sometimes you get hammered pretty hard when they come in, but they give you a good reality check. I like racing with them because it makes you get better.”
To learn more about Skip Jackson and the J&S Auto Sports #2 team, visit www.SkipJackson.net!