PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT WITTY |
STEVIE ‘ FAST ’ JACKSON RIDES LIGHTS OUT MOMENTUM TO SEMIFINAL FINISH Two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion Stevie “ Fast ” Jackson wasted no time getting up to speed in 2024 after being sidelined during the 2023 season due to surgery for a neck injury . Just a week after winning in Radial vs . the World at Lights Out 15 , Jackson and his screw-blown Motion Raceworks “ Shadow 3.0 ” ’ 69 Camaro made a semifinal appearance at the WSOPM . He qualified No . 4 with a 3.623 at 207.11 in the final session .
On race day , Jackson worked his way through his chip draws , which included Scott Wildgust , Johnny Camp , and Randy Weatherford , before a semifinal meeting with Derek Ward , who went on to win the event . Jackson red-lit against Ward with a - . 070 reaction time to Ward ’ s . 044 and slowed to a 5.823 at 79.83 , exiting the $ 100,000-to-win competition .
“[ Ward and I ] have raced before at some of the outlaw races in Florida ,” explains Jackson . “ I think I whooped him a couple times , and he absolutely gave it back to me . I think he said on the top end I got him twice and he got me once . This is the first time he ’ s beat me , but that ’ ll go on my refrigerator that I owe him one .”
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Now reflecting on the WSOPM , Jackson looks at the event as a success for himself and Killin Time Racing . He and his team ’ s goal was to qualify for the main event on Sunday . Not only did Jackson make it into the show , but he was the quickest blower car on the property at Bradenton Motorsports Park .
“ Making it to the semifinals , especially our first time out with a brand-new car on big tires , was a huge accomplishment for our team ,” says Jackson . “ Anybody that tells you that you don ’ t feel the pressure and the weight of being down to four cars at a race like that is telling you a lie . The other three guys that were left in competition along with me , all of those guys are absolute killers .
“ You know that you have to be perfect , and when you put that kind of pressure on yourself , knowing that if you ’ re not perfect , you get to go home right now . It ’ s easy to make mistakes ,” he adds , referencing his red light .
Jackson is already looking forward to the next WSOPM and hopefully breaking through to the winner ’ s circle .
“ I ’ ve been to every one of these races that Wes [ Buck ] has done except for the year I broke my neck ,” he continues , “ and as good as we are , we ’ ve failed every single time . It ’ s really hard , and any time something is that hard to win , the atmosphere and excitement around it is unmatched . It ’ s kind of like a mix between going to a rock concert and a Super Bowl all into one .
“ You have 60 of the best Pro Mod racers on the planet , coupled with the best crew chiefs ,
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crew guys , and people that know how to run them ,” he adds . “ It ’ s the absolute best of the best in the field of what we do in door car racing , and when you put that much talent , that quality of equipment , and that much ego into one spot , you end up with an absolutely electric atmosphere .
“ It ’ s going up there for those night sessions and seeing how packed the stands are and how you know everybody is rolling the dice absolutely as hard as they can to put the best run they can together because it ’ s so hard to get in the show . It ’ s an atmosphere like none other . It ’ s really cool that it comes once a year . You have to wear an ass whooping from that race for an entire year . You don ’ t get to make it up in two weeks like you do another series .” — KAYLA ZADEL DI
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May / June 2024 |
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