Jimmy Owens in Smoky Mountain Speedway victory lane with track owner Roger Sellers
If someone had looked at statistics such as laps led and races led from the 2018 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season it might have been thought that three-time series champion Jimmy Owens had once again gone into the final weekend as a contender for the season-long title. However, that proved not to be the case. Although the 47-year-old driver from Newport, Tenn. led an astounding 18 races during the campaign, he only managed to win two of those events as mechanical issues and/or getting caught up in other people’s messes dashed his hopes on multiple occasions.
Granted, there were still plenty of bright spots in 2018 for the ‘Newport Nightmare’, particularly a $40,000 triumph in the much coveted Knoxville Dirt Late Model Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa. But it could have also been described as a season in which so many races got away.
For example, Owens was dominating the LOLMDS feature at Tazewell(TN) Speedway and looked like a sure winner only to have mechanical trouble ruin his night with only five laps remaining. In the highly prized Show-me 100 the ‘O-Show’ led 61 laps only to see the race slip from his grasp after a mishap incurred while lapping another driver. And perhaps most stinging of all, the No. 20 machine appeared primed for victory in the lucrative Dirt Million main event until mechanical issues struck again on lap 82 of the race that paid eventual winner Earl Pearson, Jr. over $200,000.
However, things appear to be trending in the right direction for Owens in 2019. After a disappointing Georgia-Florida SpeedWeeks, the popular racer seems to have found better luck.
On March 23rd, Owens scored a $12,000 win at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, TN in a World of Outlaws Late Model Series sanctioned event and has since followed that up with a third place effort in a Southern All-Star Dirt Racing Series feature at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC and a runner-up result in a Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals contest at Senoia(GA) Raceway.
Following his Smoky Mountain win, Owens expressed how good it felt to get a good car to the checkered flag and ultimately into victory lane.
“Yeah, it was a relief for the crew and the sponsors and stuff like that,” Owens stated in an interview with InsideDirtRacing.com. “It just reflects on how hard everybody is working and how much we are learning.”
Even for a driver who has accomplished as much as Owens has over the course of his career, it can be difficult to maintain a positive outlook when luck seems to be working against him. But it isn’t just for him personally but for the many people who depend on his success for their own well-being that Owens is concerned with.
Owens was dominant in his Rocket Chassis at Smoky Mountain
“You try not to let it get to you, but yeah, it gets to you,” Owens admitted. “I mean I love to race. I love going around in circles and going fast. I like winning, but I feel bad for the people that invest in me, sponsors and things like that, because you want to compete and do good for them and for your fans too. But as far as me personally, as long as I’m racing, I’m having a good time. But that other stuff weighs on you.”
Once a driver has reached a high level of achievement such as Owens, he points out that there are many more people and entities dependent on his success.
“No, it’s not just about me,” the veteran driver declared. “There’s a lot of people to please. And then you have your crew, those guys work their tails off and it’s a heartbreak for everybody when something goes wrong, not just for the driver.”
Owens predicted earlier in the season that he was confident his team would have a great season in 2019. When asked if he still believes that to be the case, his answer was a simple one.
“Oh yeah.”
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season will resume this weekend with a Friday night race at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, TN and a Saturday night event at North Georgia Speedway in Chatsworth, GA.
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