By James Essex
Seymour’s Jamey Wilson, coming off a spectacular 2017 racing season in which he captured the track championships at both Brownstown and Bloomington Speedways in the super stock division, is looking forward to a new challenge this season — racing in the modifieds division.
Wilson’s family has a distinct racing pedigree. His father Kevin Wilson raced at Brownstown Speedway for several years, and his grandfather Jim Curry is the all-time winningest driver in the history of the Jackson County Fairgrounds quarter-mile track that began racing in 1952.
“I decided to switch to a modified this year for a couple reasons,” the 35-year-old racer said. “The first being that my daughter is playing travel softball, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to race as much this year, so I decided that it was time for a different challenge. The reason I chose a modified was basically all about finances. The crates are spending crazy money on components and not running for much more than the mods, and the modified still has what I like to call real racing suspension on the rear, which is the challenge I am looking for.
“As far as expense-wise, I was lucky enough to sell my car for enough money to make the switch without too much trouble. I still have the same great sponsors as last year and am very fortunate for them to have made the switch with me. We really don’t have a set schedule right now. We are just going to work around softball and race when we can, which could lead to running some different tracks on different days of the week.
“We took the car to practice at Brownstown the other day, and it was pretty good right out of the gate. We turned five or six pretty good laps, and then for some reason, it snapped right and tried to knock the wall down, so now we are repairing it without having even raced the darn thing.”
Wilson’s sponsors on his Bob Pierce Race Cars modified are Jason Ayers Trucking, Hanner’s Barber Shop, Therese Graves, Kendall Farms/Beck’s Hybrids, Wilson Tree Services, J.C. Cattle Co., Dave’s Body Shop, Ace’s Emergency Roadside Service, Happy Herman’s Package Store, Collings’ Brothers Excavating, Advanced Racing Suspension and Ault Signs and Graphics.
His crew consists of his father Kevin Wilson, Doug Asbury, Tyler Collings, Matthew Collings and Jamey’s grandfather Jim Curry.
Icebreaker postponed at Brownstown
Unseasonably cold temperatures and the large percentage of rain has forced officials of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and Brownstown Speedway to postpone tonight’s scheduled Indiana Icebreaker to April 14.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will make its first of two appearances at the track. The same purse and format will be utilized next month, with $12,000 going to the winner of the 60-lap main event. The race pays $1,000 to start. Also competing will be the modifieds and super stocks.
After nine events in Georgia and Florida in February, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heads to Brownstown on April 14 with 2015 series champion Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Georgia, atop the points standings. Davenport dominated the dirt late model scene in 2015, when he accumulated nearly $700,000 in earnings during his record-setting season. Davenport returns full-time to the series this year.
Defending series champ Josh Richards of Shinnston, West Virginia, who captured the first two events this year in Georgia, currently sits season second in points. Richards, who ran the full series schedule for the first-time last year, is just ahead of top rookie Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Florida, four-time series titlist Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Florida, and Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Illinois.
Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tennessee, a three-time series champion, is sixth in points, followed by last year’s series Rookie of the Year Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville; Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pennsylvania; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, New York. Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Illinois, rounds out the top 10.
Brandon Overton of Evans, Georgia; Don O’Neal of Martinsville; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Kentucky; Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tennessee; and Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Illinois; complete the top 15 in the national championship points standings. Bloomquist is the defending Jackson 100 champion after winning for the seventh time the track’s most prestigious race last September.
Previous Indiana Icebreaker winners who will be competing next month will be five-time winner Don O’Neal, two-time winners Jimmy Owens and Earl Pearson Jr. and former event winners Dennis Erb Jr. and Scott Bloomquist.
With the large crowd expected on April 14, fans are urged to get to the track early. Gates will open at noon. There will be a driver autograph session with drivers meeting at 5:30 p.m. and hot laps start after that at 6:00 p.m.. For more information, call the track at 812-358-5332 or visit brownstownspeedway.com.
Next weekend will be an open wheel bonanza for sprint car fans, with back-to-back shows for the 410 non-wing sprinters. On Friday night, Brownstown will host the “All in 25” for sprints, along with the Indiana Pro Late Models and Modifieds.
On March 24 will be the 10th Annual “No Way Out 40” for sprints. Also, in action will be Modifieds and MMSA Mini-Sprints. Chad Boespflug is the defending race winner.
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected].
