Information By: JUSTIN SYNDER – A2DPR / SCOTT HESS RACING – BEDFORD, PA – The consistent roll continues for Tony Jackson and Scott Hess Racing as the No. 88 machine secured a solid fifth-place finish in Winged Sportsman competition this past Friday at Bedford Speedway.
The result extends Jackson’s impressive run of consecutive top-five performances across both winged and wingless events.
Racing activities were canceled on Saturday at Path Valley Speedway Park as a result of inclement weather.
“The results will show a top five, but the rain really did a number on the track and made it tough to pass,” said Jackson. “Mother Nature just seems to be messing with us whether we’re racing or not, so we’re just kind of rolling with the punches and making the best of things.”
Jackson kicked off the night by participating in a pre-race radio show sponsored by Middleswarth Potato Chips and a late-afternoon storm briefly delayed the night’s racing schedule. However, once the track was ready, Jackson wasted no time getting down to business.
He finished where he started – fourth – in a heat race and as a result earned the seventh starting position for the A-main. Struggling to make up for difficult track conditions, he was able to persevere forward two spots to take the checkered flag in fifth.
“It was one of those nights where you kind of were at the mercy of where you started and hoping for some help,” he said. “Ultimately, we passed two cars, which was about as good as it got considering all the rain they got, so I guess there’s nothing to hang our heads about.”
With two wins already this season and a string of podiums and top-five finishes, Jackson and the Scott Hess Racing team are riding high with confidence and momentum.
Next up, the team will turn their attention back to winged action with a single night of racing this Saturday at the BAPS Motor Speedway. However, as an added bonus through a combined effort with team owner Mike Callahan, Jackson will pull double duty and compete with the USAC East Coast cars as well.
“I’m a little excited, honestly. We tagged onto the field the other week at Port Royal and ran well lap time-wise with the series when we were running our Sportsman motor,” said Jackson. “We’ll have a little better 358 motor this time out that lines up better with the series, so it should be a lot of fun to see where we can stack up against some good cars. More track time is always better, and I’m confident we’ll be able to really hold our own and compete for a win.”