COLDWATER, ON- Third-generation competitor Jordan Latimer experienced a gamut of emotions in Sunset Speedway weekly competition on August 8th. After earning a head-turning top-5 finish in the first half of the night’s twin 35-lap Late Model features, Latimer suffered a blown engine in the second half that threatened to unceremoniously end his 2015 freshman campaign.
The team immediately began working to secure a replacement powerplant and, after an entire week’s worth of late nights in the team’s North River Motorsports shop, Latimer will be ready to return to Sunset on August 15th.
“I didn’t really know how to feel when we rolled out of the pits last weekend,” admits Latimer when asked about the up-and-down affair.
“On one hand, our run in the first feature was probably the best we’ve been all year, but then we blew up in the second feature and it seemed like our season had just ended. It felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach. I didn’t want it to be true”
When asked about the team’s long road to having their No. 90 back in race-ready condition for Saturday night, Jordan is quick to point to his father Jason as the driving force behind the week of repairs.
“Man, I can’t say enough about my dad. He’s amazing,” beams the 16-year old. “We weren’t even back at the house until early morning on Sunday, and he got a few hours of sleep then he was out at the shop pulling the motor to see how bad it was”
“As soon as we knew it was damaged beyond repair, he looked at me and said ‘Don’t worry – we’ll be back on Saturday one way or another’. I can’t ever thank him enough. He works so hard to keep this thing going. I’m nothing without him”
Latimer and team – led by car owner Ken Semkin – will be ready for August 15th’s twin 35-lap features. With only 4 points nights remaining, the freshman knows that the intensity levels across the division will be at an all-time high.
“You can feel it when you walk in the pits on Saturday morning,” says Latimer in regards to the late-season energy. “It’s tough to explain. You can just tell that everyone is ready to go that extra inch at this time of the year. Every pass you make now takes a lot more effort than it would have in June. Everyone is on their A-Game”
“We’re prepared to finish strong,” continues the Rookie of the Year contender. “There’s only a few points nights left in the season, and we want to make sure we go out on a high note. The way you leave the speedway in the Fall can have a big impact on how you arrive in the Spring”
“A few more top-5s would mean the world to us, and would give us a huge boost to take this program to the next level in 2016.”
Jordan’s return to competition is made possible thanks to KICX 106, 104.1 The Dock, Creechers Design, Kitchen Tire, Krueger Electrical Services, North River Motorsports, Tax Smart, T&C Construction & Welding, AC Electric, TSS Top Shops, HWY 400 Transmission, Shepherd Family Trucking, JRH Auto Body, EPIC Racewear, Get Jack @ RE/MAX and OnePromo.ca.
Fans can follow Jordan on Twitter @LatimerJordan and stay up to date on the team by visiting the official JLMotorsports page on Facebook.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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