Jerrod and crew chief Scott Bonar in Victory Lane at Donnellson (Danny Howk Photo)
(Bill W) August 27, 2015 – Jerrod Hull and the Heartland Trailer Manufacturing #12 team picked up a pair of wins (career wins 17 and 18) last weekend with the Sprint Invaders. The victories came on Friday at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa and Sunday at Quincy Raceways in Illinois. The team has the Bill Waite Jr. Memorial at LaSalle Speedway in Illinois on this week’s calendar.
Jerrod would start outside row two in his heat at Donnellson last Friday. “We got the lead off the start,” he says. “Tony Shilling was really fast and so was the track. He was able to get around us and beat us, but second locked us into the Dash.”
He would start fifth in the Dash. “Scott (Bonar) made some changes for the Dash,” says Jerrod. “We ran fourth and felt really good. We were right there with second and third.”
The redraw saw Jerrod starting third in the feature. “We had a couple starts that didn’t go,” he says. “We had some crashes. On the third start, we got a good jump. We went around the top of one and two, and we were able to go to the bottom of three and four and get around (Bobby) Mincer.”
He would cruise from there. “From then on, the car was just perfect,” says Jerrod. “Scott had it dead on. It was kind of neat, because it had been exactly ten years since we had raced there and won. I like that place. It reminds me of a miniature Knoxville. The corners are wide and sweeping. It was right up against the fence in the feature. We feel really comfortable up there with this Maxim.”
Things did not go as well at 34 Raceway. “It was all downhill at Burlington,” says Jerrod. “I drew a 50 out of 50 for the heat. I wasn’t comfortable all night long starting in hot laps. We started ninth in the heat and finished eighth.”
Jerrod would start seventh in the B. “We made a few changes for the B,” he says. “We were able to finish third. It felt a little better, but I really didn’t know what was going on.”
He would make a charge in the feature, but the car was still not comfortable. “It took me all night long, including 25 laps in the feature to let Scott know that we were tight entering the corners!” says Jerrod. “We started 18th and we were still tight. We were able to get up to seventh. I knew if I could have communicated better, we could have at least had a top five.”
Jerrod would start on the pole of his heat at Quincy Sunday. “We ran second,” he says. “John Schulz was on the outside of the first row and got the jump. It was neat, because he ran high and I was running the bottom. We ran close the whole heat race. It was good racing.”
After winning the Dash, Jerrod started the feature on the pole. “They worked the bottom,” he says. “I ran the bottom mostly. I was fast down there in the Dash. I went to the top and Russ Hall got by us down there. He led for three and four laps before the bottom went away. I was able to get around him on top.”
He would cruise on the top of the track until late in the going. “I felt comfortable up there, but I heard someone coming,” says Jerrod. “I went down to the middle and it started taking rubber with three or four laps to go. Once down there, it felt really good.”
The two wins were big for the team. “We had a great weekend,” says Jerrod. “Our last racing was Illinois Speedweek (in July). We had some good finishes, but they were hard work. This weekend was a little more fun, and I need to thank Dan (Musselman) from Maxim for putting the car back on the jig and getting it straightened it out. I also have to thank Scott for all his help.”
Jerrod is looking forward to LaSalle on Saturday. “We’ve never won there, but we’ve been on the podium,” he says. “We’re looking forward to going there. We like that place. Maybe we have a little luck and momentum heading in.”
Jerrod and the #12 team would like to thank: Midland Performance, Super Shox, Sebastian Sand Blasting & Powder Coating, Inc., Chuck’s Small Engines, Don Hamilton, HRP, Lighthouse Christian Center, Rockstar Graphics, King Racing Products, DMI, KSE Performance Products, Hoosier Tire, Simpson, Weld, Automotive Machine, Maxim and Heartland Trailer Manufacturing.
Jerrod and crew chief Scott Bonar in Victory Lane at Donnellson (Danny Howk Photo)
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