Focus on Derby: Dossey Preps for First Trip to Snowball Derby
Special from Speed51.com – For the second straight year, Jack Dossey III ended his season in the Midwest by clinching the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour championship at Winchester Speedway during the Winchester 400. In past years, his season would have ended there, but in 2018 his team has added another big date to their schedule: the 51st Annual Snowball Derby.
Dossey and his team will head down to Pensacola, Florida for the biggest weekend in all of asphalt short track racing. As of now, he is entered for both the 51st Annual Snowball Derby on December 2, as well as the Snowflake 100 on December 1. It will be the Indianapolis, Indiana driver’s first time at the 1/2-mile speed plant.
Dossey has competed in some of Late Model racing’s biggest races with success. He finished fourth in the 2017 Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway (IN) and third in the Masters of the Pros 200 at Birch Run Speedway (MI) in June against some of Pro Late Model racing’s best. But Dossey admitted that the Snowball Derby presents a new set of challenges.
“Our biggest challenge will be that this is our first time going to the Snowball Derby, let alone Five Flags Speedway, with two cars,” Dossey told Speed51.com. “I hope to adapt to the track quickly. From the things I’ve heard about this track, it fits my driving style, so I can expect that I can flourish and be one of the top contenders.”
The race tracks in which Dossey races at on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour circuit are known for their character from long, cold winters in Indiana and Michigan, as well as some of the most historic tracks in all of racing. Despite this, he says there isn’t a track he’s raced at that can be compared to Five Flags Speedway.
“I’m unsure about that,” Dossey said. “I haven’t heard of any track that I have past experience with that really comes close to Five Flags. I think we’ll be able to adapt quickly. I don’t doubt for one second that it’s not something my team and I can’t overcome.”
A driver’s first trip to a new track always presents new challenges to face, but the Snowball Derby has its challenges that no other race in America has. From the rough driving surface to the always-suspenseful Snowball Derby qualifying session, just making it into the race is an accomplishment. Despite this, Dossey is heading into the week with a major confidence boost after his JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour championship and good runs in past big races.
“It’s really a big confidence boost,” Dossey stated. “I feel like my team and I have created a great operation. I think we can take this team across the country and be a top contender anywhere we go.”
The Snowball Derby will take place on Wednesday, November 28 through Sunday, December 2 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL. For more information regarding the event, visit Snowball Central presented by Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants.
-Story by Koty Geyer, Speed51.com State Editor (IN & MI)
-Photo credit: Speed51.com
