Dover Posts Career-Best Short Track Nationals Result With Top-Five Run – Speedway Digest

Jack Dover produced his career-best result during the 38th annual Short Track Nationals on Saturday at Texarkana 67 Speedway.

The Tim Estenson Motorsports driver made his debut at the track, which hosted the event that had been held at the now-closed I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., for more than three decades. It was Dover’s first time racing in the Short Track Nationals in a decade.

“I’m very happy,” he said. “I wouldn’t say we had a car capable of winning, but we were a little better than our results showed. I think I could have done a little better job and the car probably had a little more in it for better results. Overall, it was a good weekend.”

Dover kicked off the two-day event on Friday by qualifying fifth quickest in his group. He then placed fourth in a heat race to lock into the main event.

“I thought we were decent in qualifying,” he said. “In the heat race I should have been at least a second-place car. I slid Cole Macedo twice for the lead. When I did that it killed my momentum and allowed two guys to get around me. Coming in afterwards and talking with the guys, I should have just settled for second. Then in the feature I putted around the bottom for most of the race and gained what I could.”

Dover advanced from 12th to eighth place in the main event.

A third-place result in a heat race opened Saturday’s program and sent Dover directly into the 41-lap A Main.

“In the heat race I was trying to slide for second,” he said. “I fell back to fourth and somebody fell out so that put us third as we finished where we started. In the feature it was kind of a survive game. That’s what we did. As the race went on and we lost our fuel load we got faster. On Lap 38, with three laps to go, we were the second-fastest car. But my nose wing broke with two laps to go as I was getting ready to pass for fourth. Considering we hadn’t been to that track and didn’t have any notes, it was a decent weekend.”

Dover’s fifth-place result was his top finish during a Short Track Nationals finale. It marked his 16th top-five outing of the season.

Up next is a POWRi Honest Abe Roofing 410 Outlaw Sprint League doubleheader at The Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, this Friday and Saturday. It will be his first time competing at the track.

“I’m excited for a big track and something new,” he said. “I think we’ll have some good competition to go up against to see where we stack up.”

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 31 – Texarkana 67 Speedway in Texarkana, Ark. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 4 (2); Feature: 8 (12).

Nov. 1 – Texarkana 67 Speedway in Texarkana, Ark. – Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 5 (11).

SEASON STATS –

47 races, 2 wins, 16 top fives, 24 top 10s, 29 top 15s, 33 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday and Saturday at The Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, with the POWRi Honest Abe Roofing 410 Outlaw Sprint League

ILP PR