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– EAGLE, Neb. (June 14) – He picked up the win, the check and the attention, but it wasn’t quite how Jack Dover would have scripted it.
The 21-year-old from Springfield, Neb., inherited the top spot when leader Jordan Boston spun out in turn four with a little more than two laps remaining last Saturday at the prestigious Eagle Nationals – an ASCS National Tour event hosted at his home track of Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb.
“It was a gift, but then again it kinda sucked because I wanted to race him and see who was going to win,” Dover said. “We were coming up to lapped traffic and we were both fast, so I think we would have really put on a show.
“I was going to set him up that next lap. I was going to go low in turn one and do a slide job. If it didn’t work then he’d think I was going to try it on the last lap and when he’d go down there to block, I’d fly by on the top.”
While Dover pocketed the $6,000 winner’s share for his fifth career ASCS National Tour victory, it was anything but easy and far from a freebie.
Dover started sixth in a heat race featuring former ASCS National champions Zach Chappell and Shane Stewart. Boston and veteran Jeff Swindell also started in front of Dover, who figured he needed to get a top three in the heat to earn a bid into the redraw.
“I figured if I came from sixth to third, it’d give us 101 points and there wasn’t much passing in the first two heat races,” he said. “I knew I had to get third or second, or even try to win it.”
Dover quickly worked his way into fourth before a pass on John Klabunde midway through the heat race gave him third. He then reeled in Swindell, but was a lap from being close enough to make a move.
Sure enough, that gave Dover enough points to advance to the redraw, which determined the first four rows of the 30-lap feature. He drew a four to start on the outside of the second row.
Dover drove into third on the first lap and hovered in that position, patiently cruising on the bottom of the track the first half of the race.
“I was saving the tires until about halfway,” he said. “When I saw them throw the halfway flag, I went for it.”
Dover passed Seth Bergman for second with 10 laps remaining. A lap later there was a caution, but two lapped cars stood between Dover and Boston. Dover split the lapped cars in the first corner and began the chase on Boston, who at that point had a straightaway advantage.
As the laps flew by, the interval lessened until Dover closed to within a couple of car lengths with three laps to go. However, as the cars exited turn four, Boston’s mistake gave Dover a clear shot at the victory.
“Even if we didn’t have lapped traffic or he didn’t spin out, I think I would have got him,” Dover said.
It was the fourth consecutive year that Dover has claimed an ASCS National Tour win.
He is scheduled to compete Friday at U.S. 36 Raceway in Cameron, Mo., with the ASCS Midwest and Warrior Regions, and Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway in Wheatland, Mo., which is an ASCS Warrior race. If those go well, he might race on Sunday at Double-X Speedway in California, Mo.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 11 – Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Neb. – Heat race: 3 (6); Feature: 1 (4).
SEASON STATS –
15 races, 4 wins, 11 top fives, 14 top 10s, 15 top 15s, 15 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at U.S. 36 Raceway in Cameron, Mo., with the ASCS Midwest and Warrior Regions; Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway in Wheatland, Mo., with the ASCS Warrior Region; and potentially Sunday at Double-X Speedway in California, Mo.
FAVORITE NUMBER –
5: ASCS National Tour victories for Dover, including at least one in each of the past four seasons.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS –
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JackDoverRacing
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/jackdoverracing
ON THE AIR –
Dover was a featured guest on the ASCS Show with Racinboys on June 14 after his win at the Eagle Nationals. His interview starts around 18:40.
http://www.meridix.com/mbp/general/index.php?liveid=Racinboys&recordid=19427
He was also on the ASCS Show with Racinboys on June 7. Check out the link below for his interview, which begins around the 6:50 mark.
http://www.meridix.com/mbp/general/index.php?liveid=Racinboys&recordid=19351
Here’s a link to some on-board video of Dover winning his heat race at Knoxville Raceway on June 4:
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Thorpe’s Body Shop
Located in Papillion, Neb., Thorpe’s Body Shop has been a leader in body work and repair for almost 30 years.
“Thorpe’s Auto Body makes my car look the best every year,” Dover said. “My godfather owns it and his team do an awesome job on my race cars.”
Dover would also like to thank Trail Performance Coatings, Inc., Home Pride Companies, Inc., Certified Transmission, Shaver Engines, Eagle Motorsports, Inc., The Oil Medics and ButlerBuilt for their continued support.