On Friday in Crawfordsville, Indiana, a driver who is aiming to make significant progress in a racing career change had a rather challenging night at the Volusia opener for the World of Outlaws.
Jacob Wilson started at the back of heat number four, and before long, he was careening wildly through turn three and four. He crashed heavily entering turn three and flipped multiple times before finally coming to a stop nearly 50 yards from the initial impact point. Fortunately, he emerged unharmed, but the car was severely damaged.
After the main event was completed, fans wandering through the WoO pits were greeted by a nearly stripped-down chassis of the 07.
Clinton Wilson, Jacob’s crew chief, was doing the bulk of the work. When asked if they were done for the weekend, he said, “We’re trying to get it back together and don’t think the frame is bent.” Continuing, he noted, “We don’t think the engine was damaged, but it took a beating on everything else.”
Explaining what happened, Clinton said, “We really don’t know, but Jacob said it seemed like something broke in the steering. We can’t tell for sure because the damage from the flip was too extensive to determine what broke when.”
The crew chief described the trip to Florida as eventful. He said, “We hope the engine is okay as we lost our Mopar last night.” Continuing, he noted, “We did well the first night at the All Stars in Bubba, but had trouble with the draw the next two nights and it was a tough stretch.”
Jacob Wilson is new to dirt track racing as he was a regular asphalt competitor until last year. He has participated in various racing events, including the legendary Little 500 in Anderson, Indiana.
Clinton said, “Last year was our first year on dirt and we’ve done around 25 shows. We’re looking to run many more this year.”
Determination and hard work are hallmarks of all racing, and already the Jacob Wilson team is showing they are ready to face the tough challenges ahead.
The car was back on the track for the rain-delayed portion of the WoO’s second night and time-trialed on Sunday afternoon as the team prepared to wrap up their second weekend in Florida.