As soon as school lets out in May, Jak Crawford, the graduating sixth grader and world-class karting star from Texas, heads to the East Coast for over two months of Legends Car racing based out of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The headline races will be the 2017 Bojangles’ Summer ShootOut with ten rounds of tight oval-track racing every week beginning June 5 and ending August 1. Other races will be thrown in the mix in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, the heart of grassroots, oval track racing.
This is Jak’s first year racing Legends Cars having just turned twelve May 2nd and now meeting the minimum age requirements. Earlier in the year, the racy youngster was given a waiver to run one event in Charlotte in March.
That first Legends Car race saw Jak qualify first in his competition class, the Young Lions, only to be involved in a nine-car pileup on the first lap of the race that mixed in Pro and Masters racers. As the ‘meat in the sandwich’ during the wreck, Jak’s new car was destroyed but not his burning desire to get back in the car again.
The Bojangles’ Summer ShootOut is the premier Legends’ Championship event in the country and is held on the main front-stretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The car counts are always high and the racing is always close.
Jak will be racing with Chase Pistone, Inc. of Mooresville, North Carolina, one of the most established Legends racing teams. With numerous wins and championships since 1999, CPI also fields late model race cars.
Chase Pistone says, “We are excited to have Jak on our team. We only spent two days with him at the track, but his car control is exceptional, he delivers his footwork smoothly, and he isn’t shy to pass so we should be very successful together. He just needs seat time.”
While Jetpak Jak, a young pro-karter, isn’t giving up his highly successful karting career, the remainder of 2017 will be a concentration in Legends Car racing. Karting will still include SKUSA national races and one or two trips to Europe including competing with Team USA in the Rotax Grand Finals in Portugal, the Olympics of karting.
“Karting is my thing and I am excited about my kart races, but I am also excited about learning new things racing a very fast and loud, slippery Legends Car. I hope to race in a big time dirt oval race later this year too,” says Jak.
Jak will continue working with Race Tech Development as it explores racing opportunities in both the Charlotte and Indianapolis racing communities. Jak’s relationship with OMP America, racing’s premier equipment supplier, will transfer over to car racing as well.
The 2018 racing emphasis and calendar is yet to be determined. For more information on Jak Crawford like him on facebook: @jetpakjakcrawford and on Instagram: jakcrawford52. Jak’s marketing website is jetpakjak.com.
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