COLDWATER, ON- After a stretch of rough outings for freshman Late Model contender Jordan Latimer, August 29th’s twin features at Sunset Speedway served as the ideal backdrop for the JL Motorsports team to rebound in exciting fashion. After a less than desirable qualifying effort, Latimer rebounded for a 7th and 5th place finish in 35-lap action against some of the province’s best.
“I think Saturday night was a relief as much as anything,” says the third-generation standout when asked about his performance. “It was the first time in a long time that the results actually showed how good this car is. When I got it back to the trailer at the end of the night – still in one piece – I think we all breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that we had a week ahead of us that didn’t include repairs was a nice change of pace”
When asked how he manages to continue his ascent through a division stocked with far more experienced competition, the teenager is quick to credit the work of his team – comprised solely of family and volunteer crew members.
“These guys have been with me every step of the way,” offers the high-school student. “These were the guys that were with me at our first practice when I was figuring out the best way to get this car around the track – and they’re the same guys that have propped me up every single time we’ve caught a bad night at the speedway. This sport can wear you out in a hurry if you aren’t surrounded by the right people, and I wouldn’t trade our team for anything. They’re like family. These guys have gone above and beyond anything I would ever have asked of them. They’re amazing”
With two nights remaining in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition at Sunset, Latimer hopes to rally to his first career Late Model podium before the 2015 season comes to a close.
“I just need to get better during time trials,” states Latimer matter-of-factly. “Our single car runs were really strong at the beginning of the season, but they’ve been missing something for the last month or so. We’ll go home and brainstorm and see what we can do to be better during qualifying. Because, once you’re tasked with working through traffic, you’re often either out of laps or out of car to make a serious run at a top-5 or a podium”
“I feel great heading into this weekend,” smiles the personable rookie. “This week is all about making this car faster – instead of putting it back together again – so that’s exciting all on it’s own. We’ll see what we can do to find a way to get this car even better than it was on Saturday night. I think we have what it takes to get this car on the podium – we just have to work for it.”
Jordan will be back on track this Saturday, September 5th at Sunset Speedway. For event details, visit www.SunsetSpeedway.ca.
Jordan’s 2015 Rookie of the Year bid is supported by 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)
Discussion about this post