2/10/2024
Tony Jackson Jr
Tony Jackson Jr. rolls on with week at East Bay
Starting on Monday, the intense early portion of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) schedule shifted to Tampa, Florida’s East Bay Raceway Park for the final Wieland Winternationals. Tony Jackson Jr. continued his rookie campaign in the event with multiple feature starts at the “Clay by the Bay” aboard his Elite Trailers No. 25 Super Late Model.
The 48th annual event averaged more than 70 cars in the pit area each night, providing a wide range of stiff competition.
Monday night’s opener was rained out, with LOLMDS officials electing to complete the race in segments over the next three nights. Thus, Jackson first hit the 1/3-mile track on Tuesday evening. The Lebanon, Missouri, driver just missed a transfer spot in his heat race, but grabbed a runner-up result in his B-Main to move into the evening’s 30-lap, $5,000-to-win feature. He started in the 22nd position and finished 19th.
On Wednesday, Jackson started and finished fifth in his heat race, but couldn’t make the call for his “B,” ending his evening before the 40-lap, $7,000-to-win main event.
Thursday’s program saw Jackson fall back in his heat, and despite a valiant 10th-to-fifth charge in his consolation race, he missed out on a spot in the 40-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main. Earlier in the week, Jackson had also been unable to start his B-Feature to attempt a transfer into the night’s 30-lap, $5,000-to-win makeup of Monday’s big show.
On Friday, Jackson finished fifth in his heat race but notched the runner-up position in his B-Main to start 23rd in the 50-lap, $12,000-to-win main event. He clawed forward one position and came home 22nd.
In Saturday’s finale, Jackson narrowly missed transferring through his heat, but again was second in his B-Main to move on to the 50-lap feature. He picked up four spots after starting 24th on the grid in the $15,000-to-win race and took a 20th-place finish.
Full results are at www.lucasdirt.com.
Article Credit: Heath Lawson image
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