Jack Dover improved throughout each night of the 2 nd annual BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by MENARDS.
Dover guided the Rick and Chris Bowers’ No. 81 sprint car to a better result each round during the four-day World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series crown jewel event hosted by Huset’s Speedway.
“I just had to get in the rhythm,” he said. “I thought it was awesome. Our goal is to get better and we did that. It’s unfortunate we didn’t make the show on Saturday because that was my ultimate goal. For not being in that car other than one race at the beginning of the year, I’d say it was a solid weekend.”
A tough qualifying run hampered Wednesday’s preliminary night. Dover placed eighth in a heat race before maneuvering from sixth to third place in the C Main, finishing one spot shy of transferring into the Last Chance Showdown.
The next two nights mirrored each other as Dover timed in 37 th quickest – one spot out of the heat race inversion that would have put him on the pole of a heat race. He finished seventh in a heat race and advanced from 18 th to 16 th in the Last Chance Showdown on Thursday. Dover moved forward on Friday as he gained a spot to place sixth in a heat race before advancing from 18 th to 14 th in the Last Chance Showdown.
“We got beat out by the last driver in qualifying both nights to knock us out of the heat race inversion so that was a letdown,” he said. “When you run with the Outlaws they all seem to pick up two or three tenths come qualifying and that’s where we lack. We made changes and got better and better. It was good to get faster each night.”
The best run of the week came during the finale on Saturday when Dover hustled from seventh to fourth place in a qualifier. Unfortunately, rain invaded the track just after the qualifier and made passing a premium during the Last Chance Showdown. Dover ended seventh – only three positions out of making the prestigious main event.
“That’s honestly the best my car has ever been at Huset’s in that qualifier,” he said. “Once I got by Tim (Estenson) I got to the top and never lifted. I’ve never entered the corner there full speed. I gave it everything I had the last three or four laps and tracked down Robbie Price (for the final lock-in position into the main event), but we fell a lap or lap and a half short. Come the Last Chance Showdown the track was too good because of the rain. Everybody followed each other around the bottom. Kudos to Huset’s though. It rained quite a bit and they got the show going pretty quick.”
Dover will return to the seat of his No. 53 sprint car this Friday at Boone County Raceway in Albion, Neb., with the ASCS National Tour.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 21 – Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. – Qualifying: 47; Heat race: 8 (8); C Main: 3 (6).
June 22 – Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. – Qualifying: 37; Heat race: 7 (7); B Main: 16 (18).
June 23 – Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. – Qualifying: 37; Heat race: 6 (7); B Main: 14 (18).
June 24 – Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D. – Qualifier: 4 (7); B Main: 7 (6).
SEASON STATS –
9 races, 0 wins, 2 top fives, 2 top 10s, 2 top 15s, 2 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Boone County Raceway in Albion, Neb., with the ASCS National Tour
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