DirtonDirt Dispatches
Dispatches: Home run coming for WoO rookie
Jake Timm (Austin Bumgarner photo)
Among the latest notes and quotes from around Dirt Late Model racing the first weekend in May, including Schaeffer's Spring Nationals and Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series action (look elsewhere for most Lucas Oil and World of Outlaws coverage). Also find a listing of live-streaming video from specials around the country:
Timm’s home run
It wasn’t long ago when Jake Timm spent his summers off from high school mowing the grass at Mississippi Thunder Speedway, dreaming of wheeling something with about 800 more horsepower around the track.
At that point, the Fountain City, Wis., track had a low profile and the Timm family had bought it to save it from closing. Fast forward a few years, and the track’s outlook is bright.
Mississippi Thunder is now home to marquee events, highlighted by this weekend’s $75,000-to-win Dairyland Showdown for the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series.
“With our family owning it and being associated with it for so long, I saw where it was when they got it,” the Winona, Minn., driver said. “The track was shut down; somebody had bought it and opened it for a year or two and then they were going to shut it down again. Dad took it over, and to see what it’s become, all the work he’s put in that didn’t really pay off for a long time. To see a race like this, and then the World of Outlaws sprint cars coming later, the $100,000 modified race. What it’s turned into, what it’s become, seeing all his hard work finally pay off, Tyrone (Lingenfelter) and everybody involved with it. It’s really cool to see.”
A modified racing standout, Timm is a four-time Wabam Dirt Kings Tour winner at Mississippi Thunder and this season faces his biggest challenge in the full-fender division as a WoO rookie. He’s made four feature starts in 11 tour events and is still looking for his first top-10 finish.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Timm said. “These guys are the best in the business and the best race car drivers in the world, so we knew what we were up against. The biggest thing is just staying positive, keep pushing forward to try and get better and make progress. It’s hard to stay positive when you’re getting your butt kicked every night. But I think as of late, we’ve definitely been starting to make a little bit of progress.”
WoO’s schedule is full of tracks Timm has never seen, so a three-race weekend at Mississippi Thunder is appealing.
“Just looking forward to this weekend for a lot of different reasons,” Timm said. “It’s going to be nice to race at home in front of our own fans and people we know. Going from tracks that I’m not familiar with at all to the track I’m most familiar with is hopefully going to make a big difference in how I perform and our results. After this, there’s a lot more tracks on the schedule that we’ve been to before like Deer Creek (Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.), Cedar Lake (Speedway in New Richmond, Wis.), so I’m just excited.” — Spence Smithback
Streaming schedule
Among upcoming Dirt Late Model special and sanctioned events available via live streaming:
Thursday, May 1
• World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis. (DIRTVision)
Friday, May 2
• Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis, Ind. (FloRacing)
• World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis. (DIRTVision)
• Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series at Lavonia (Ga.) Speedway (Hunt the Front TV)
• Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin’ USA 604 Series at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway (Crate Racin’ USA TV)
• Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals at Sugar Creek Raceway in Blue Ridge, Ga. (FloRacing)
• Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park (DIRTVision)
• Malvern Bank West Series at Electric City Speedway in Butler, Mo. (Dirt Crown TV)
Saturday, May 3
• World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Models at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wis. (DIRTVision)
• Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky. (FloRacing)
• Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C. (Hunt the Front TV)
• Schaeffer’s Spring Nationals at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga. (FloRacing)
• Jay’s United Late Model Series at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va. (Dirt Rich TV)
• Ultimate Heart of America Series at Paducah (Ky.) International Raceway (Pit Row TV)
• Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series at Fremont (Ohio) Speedway (Rev Limit TV)
• Malvern Bank West Series at Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, Mo. (Dirt Crown TV)
• Ohio Valley Late Model Series at Rockcastle Speedway in Mount Vernon, Ky, (Dirt Rich TV)
• United Rebel Late Model Series at Dodge City (Kan.) Raceway Park (Racin Dirt)
