Bailey Jacobs returns to winner’s circle
Warsaw racer snatched top spot away from leader in final laps
At first glance, he comes across as quiet, reserved and shy.
But once Bailey Jacobs slips inside his #60 Super Stock machine at Peterborough Speedway, the 21-year-old from Warsaw undergoes a transformation into a highly competitive racer, in search of victory lane.
Heading into Saturday’s action, the second-generation speedster occupied the runnerup position in the point standings and was only 12 points out of the lead. Jacobs – who works as a heavy equipment apprentice mechanic – felt ready for another feature win and was quietly confident when it came to time to assess the team’s 2018 performance.
“Like everyone else, we’ve struggled a bit this year but our team has never stopped working to give me the best possible piece,” he said. “We’re always prepared when we get to the track. I wouldn’t want to unload the car unless I thought we were going to be in a position to win. We owe that level of commitment to our sponsors, fans, family and friends.”
Coming away from fifth place in the 15 car starting field, Jacobs had 20 laps to get to the front of the pack, but there was some tough competition that stood in his way.
With the race’s initial start waived off because of a yellow flag, the pack was regrouped for a second attempt at getting things underway.
The #60 machine made it to third place by the time the lap counter was showing seven laps complete and restarted inside the second row following a caution flag for an incident in the third turn around the halfway mark. With the field back under racing conditions, Jacobs went for an opening on the bottom groove and was able to snatch the top spot away from the leader with just a handful of laps remaining and hung-on for his second victory win on the season.
“I had to work hard for the win, but that always makes you appreciate the checkered flag even more,” the driver admitted. “My Dad, Tyler & Luke Handley and Jay Peacock do a great job through the week at the shop. That attention to detail is what makes this car as good as it can be.”
The Jacobs Motorsports crew appreciates the support of their marketing partners M&M Disposals, Keene Truck, NAPA Lakefield, T.G. Quirk Towing, Dart Heating & Air Conditioning, Norm’s Cash & Carry, Parkhill Excavating, Close Quarters Tree Removal, Chemong Home Solutions, Klotz Canada, Carl’s Race Engines, Chris Mitchell Racing and Clarke Motorsports Communications for being part of the team’s 2018 season.