SHAKESPEARE, ON- After nearly two months away from competition, Super Late Model rookie Corey Jones will be back with the OSCAAR Tour for Round 9 of the 2014 schedule at Sunset Speedway on Saturday, August 23rd.
The former Canadian Vintage Modified standout is returning from his recent wedding and honeymoon, and is anxious to continue his bid for a first career OSCAAR podium.
“Taking a mid-season break was the perfect way to recharge my batteries”, explains Jones. “The OSCAAR season is a grind, and it’s a lot of hard work. Concentrating on other things for a couple months allowed me to refocus myself and regroup for a late-season push with the tour”
Jones owns a pair of top-10 finishes in 5 starts with the tour this season, and believes a number of recent changes to his program will yield favorable results at Sunset.
“We’re focused on putting together a complete 50-lap race”, says Jones. “Our trouble this season has been our tendency to fade late in the race. We get a great start, and begin to taper off after the halfway mark. To be able to compete with the top-end talent on this tour, we have to be good for every single lap”
“The adjustments that we’ve made will hopefully make for a stronger car overall”, continues Jones. “We want to be better in the long haul. Because it doesn’t matter how fast you are on lap-10 of a 50-lap race”
The Shakespeare, ON driver outlines a simple plan for his first race back with the tour, one that focuses on consistency and equipment preservation.
“I’m just hoping to stay out of trouble in qualifying and hang around long enough to implement our new strategy in the feature”, says Jones.
“Our primary focus will be getting ourselves reacquainted with the car. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been able to practice it. We’ll be putting a bunch of laps down throughout the day to test out our new adjustments and move forward from there. We’re not afraid to take a big swing if we have to throughout the night, but we want to make sure that we have a feel for the car before we start changing anything”
Jones’ return to competition will carry extra significance to his J Star Motorsports team, as they remember Corey’s recently departed Uncle.
“Our race at Sunset is going to be all about remembering my uncle”, says Jones. “He was hugely supportive of everything I’ve ever done – especially my racing endeavors. He passed away suddenly right after my wedding, and I’m very much looking forward to honoring his memory on Saturday night”
Corey Jones’ 2014 campaign would not be possible without the support of Castle Building Centres, RBC, Accountable Automotive, Dan Simpson – RBC Mortgage Specialist, Lafleche Roofing, Anmar Cleaning Services, Inno-Tech, Ken Robinson Refrigeration, Oktane Productions, Epic Racewear and Westmeadow Dental.
Fans can keep up with Corey on Twitter @CoreyJones82 and visit the team’s J Star Motorsports page on Facebook.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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