Post RaceSaver Nationals℠ Interview with Jack Dover
By Greg Soukup
In the past few weeks, we’ve spoken to the winners from this year’s RaceSaver Nationals℠ Saturday A Feature and the Race of Champions. That leaves the Friday and Sunday A Feature winners; or should I say winner, as 1 driver grabbed the top spot in both races. Jack Dover, 26, from Springfield Nebraska won both his heat and the qualifying Feature.
Q: You won your heat on Friday, correct?
Jack: Yes. We started third and won the heat. I knew going out that we had to win our heat, because with so many heats you had to win to qualify for the A Feature; so that was our goal.
Q: Your started fourth in the A and got a GREAT jump.
Jack: That was the part of the race that helped me the most. I’ve never had such a great start in my racing career.
Q: You started on the pole on Sunday.
Jack: Yes. It’s pretty awesome to say that you started on the pole of the RaceSaver Nationals℠. Getting the #1 spot against 117 cars on the weekend made it even better!
Q: You race mostly 360’s and some 410 stuff, even having run with the Outlaws. What’s the attraction to come and race the Nationals?
Jack: I think that the RaceSaver Nationals℠ can be the next Knoxville Nationals. I think it’s going to do nothing but grow the next few years. So, just to be a part of it and to say that I won it twice is pretty awesome! To have my name on the winners list is great, and I’m going to keep coming back to see how many more I can win before my career is over,
Q: In your post-race interview you mentioned giving up a $10,000 payday to come and race at the Nationals.
Jack: Yes. I decided to not travel to the Jackson Nationals. The RaceSaver Nationals℠ is close to home, and there are so many great fans there. That’s what I love about Eagle; you have so many great fans, and they’re cheering me on. Plus, it’s the RaceSaver Nationals℠!! The pay isn’t as much, but just the prestige of winning it is awesome.
Q: Is it a big transition to run a Racesaver sprint after racing a 360 or a 410?
Jack: It’s actually easier for me, since I’m used to about 200 more horsepower. It’s a lot easier to drive, but like I told Roger the other day “You can’t let off the gas in a Racesaver and expect to make the ground back up with horsepower. They’re so equal it isn’t funny”. That’s what I like about them is because they’re so equal. It shows who’s a good driver, because if you’re a good driver and you’re smooth you’re going to be up front most of the time.
Q: What is your favorite part of coming the race the Nationals?
Jack: My drive to win. I mean, it’s the biggest Nationals of any sprint car race that there is; it’s bigger than Knoxville this year. Just like Donny Schatz is #1 at the 410 Nationals, to say that I was #1 at the RaceSaver Nationals℠ makes me feel really good.
Q: Although you’ve never had to use it, what do you think of the 3-day qualifying format?
Jack: I don’t think that there is a bad qualifying system. They’re all equal. You’re going to have to race everybody eventually, so to me it’s all the same.
Q: You’ve raced all over in your career already, but what’s it like racing with teams from all over the country?
Jack: That goes back to having 117 cars. If you have that many good cars and people from that many different states and being #1 that makes me feel great as a driver, and it shows just how good the equipment that my car owner Chris Roseland gives me. It makes me feel blessed just to drive for him.
Q: What do you think of the 3-wide start?
Jack: I like it. I mean, it’s something different that you don’t see anywhere else. And, it works!
Q: Anything you would like to say to the fans or racers that haven’t come to the RaceSaver Nationals℠ yet?
Jack: Just that the fans should come out and support their local racers who make the trip to the Nationals, because I think that one day the Racesaver Nationals is going to be THE biggest sprint car race in the country. The fans who come won’t be disappointed!!