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The 2007 Mid-Atlantic Championship Series’ racing schedule concluded this past Saturday, October 6th after ‘The Rock’ Allegany County Speedway’s ‘Big Kahuna VII’ and when the dust settled it was York Haven, PA’s Jason Covert claiming his second series championship in as many years, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since 2005 National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee Lynn Geisler did it in 1999 and 2000. “To win the championship in two straight years is amazing,” mentioned Covert, “but to also be mentioned in the same sentence as someone like Lynn Geisler is something a guy like me would have never imagined.”
In 2006 Jason won his first career A-Main event accompanied by eight top-four finishes and sixteen top-ten finishes to propel him and the Barry Klinedinst Motorsports team to the championship. 2007 was a much more of the same only this year Covert found victory lane at four different facilities including Bobby Rohrer’s Eriez Speedway, Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, the Coleman Families Portsmouth Raceway Park, and Rick and Ernie Jones’, Oval Track Promotions, ‘The Rock’ Allegany County Speedway. Covert backed his wins up with eight top-five finishes and eleven top-ten finishes. “Our consistency starts in the shop, Barry and Bryan (Klinedinst) are at the shop pretty much every night working on the cars. No race team can run up front night in and night out if you can’t finish a race,” Jason quipped. “And the rest of the guys, Lou (George Crone), Drew (Covert), Brandon (Whitsel), Phat (Matt Thomas), Dellinger (Scott), and Heather (Shatzer) have all busted their tails this season. Everyone has their part and everyone’s part is as important as the other. I just can’t say enough about this BK Motorsports team. The cars they gave me were just tremendous.”
Covert’s 2007 MACS campaign started with a sixth place finish at Skyline Speedway in Stewart, OH after starting the event in the 19th position. The following night at Portsmouth Raceway Park, Jason had another strong run finishing third. Covert was finishing races well but struggled during qualifying. “All year we had issues with qualifying,” mentioned Jason. “We raced really well but qualifying was a hindrance to us all season. Maybe it made me a better racer but I think we could have challenged for a few more wins this season if we started races closer to the front.” Covert’s only ‘DNF’ on the 2007 MACS tour was at Dan Russell’s Central PA Speedway in Clearfield, PA. Jason was running in the second spot behind Ricky Elliott when his axle broke sending him pit side with a 22nd place finish and dropping him to fourth in the point standings.
The BK Motorsports team recovered nicely from their misfortune at Central PA Speedway by winning the next series event at Bobby Rohrer’s Eriez Speedway in Hammett, PA. “That first win at Eriez was big for us; we actually qualified well and then drew a good pill for the dash. Starting up for that race was huge for us,” Covert stated. “The car wasn’t as good as we would have liked but it was good enough for no one to get by us.” Two weeks later the tour stopped at Keifer Motorsports’ Bedford Speedway where Covert would work his way to a fourth place finish from his 17th starting position.
Covert, now third in the championship point standings and just 95 points behind Robbie Blair, figured it was time to put up or shut up as the tour made their annual stop to the immaculate Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, VA for Ernie Shelton’s 28th Annual ‘USA 100TM’. Jason visited ‘VMS’ a few times earlier in the season and had very impressive finishes against some of the toughest competition in the country and felt good about his chances during the MACS event. Covert set the fifth quickest time in qualifying then finished fourth in his 25-lap qualifier. Jason maneuvered his way into the second spot during the 50-lap main event behind Vienna, WV’s Steve Shaver, shot under Shaver for the lead on lap 38 and went on to win his second MACS A-Main of the season and his first ever $10,000 payday. “We had a pretty good (setup) book on ‘VMS’ and I love racing there,” exclaimed Jason. “To win that race (Ernie Shelton’s ‘USA 100TM’) is something special. To now be included with the list of drivers that have won that race is something that our team and I can be proud of.”
Jason’s win at ‘VMS’ moved him into the second spot in the season long battle for the championship only 55 points behind the 2004 Series Champion, Blair as the tour ventured to Don Martin’s Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA. Lernerville turned out to be the turning point in the 2007 MACS championship battle. Covert’s qualifying woes continued as Jason only qualified 40th fastest out of the 43 cars entered putting him in the back of his heat race. Covert made some headway in the heat finishing sixth but was still regulated to one of the two B-Mains. As the night went on Jason’s car got stronger and stronger as he finished second in his B-Main to put him in the 20th starting position for the main event. Jason strategically raced his way through the stout field to finish fourth while championship point leader Robbie Blair broke a rear-end. Blair’s misfortune left him with a 24th place finish and propelled Covert into the championship point lead by 45 points over Blair as the tour marched south toward the Coleman Family’s Portsmouth Raceway Park for a two day, two race weekend.
Portsmouth is one of Jason’s favorite places to race and it showed with an extremely strong showing in the two events. Covert’s Portsmouth weekend started off with an incident in his heat race that he could not avoid. A couple cars got sideways in front of the point leader and Jason couldn’t help but be collected. The damage sustained from the incident forced the BK Motorsports team to a back up car for the rest of the evening. The backup car was just as good as his primary car as Covert finished the A-Main event seventh after starting 21st. The second night turned out to be even better as Covert held off Jackie Boggs to capture his third MACS win of 2007 as well as another $10,000. The win extended Jason’s point lead to 135 points over Wheelersburg, OH’s ‘Hot’ Rod Conley.
The tour stayed in the Buckeye State for the next two events which where held at Jeff Norris’ Hilltop Speedway in Millersburg, OH and Skyline Speedway for the second time in 2007. Jason continued his consistent ways at Hilltop as he finished third behind race winner David Scott and runner-up Steve Shaver. Covert’s second trip to Skyline was not as pleasant as his first as he was left out of the top-ten for the first time since his ‘DNF’ at Central PA Speedway as he would finish 16th in the final rundown.
Jason would take a 135 point lead over Conley into the seventh edition of the ‘Big Kahuna’ at Rick and Ernie Jones’, Oval Track Promotions, ‘The Rock’ Allegany County Speedway in Cumberland, MD. Covert brought his ‘A’ game on what would become his championship weekend as he won his heat, won the dash, and went on to hold off Steve Casebolt to take his fourth MACS win of 2007 and fifth of his career setting himself up for the final night of MACS action where he would only need to start the main event to clinch his second straight MACS championship. Covert did just that after transferring to the 50-lap finale through the B-Main and slicing his way through the field to finish the event fourth and finish the 2007 MACS season 160 points ahead of Conley.
“We are just tickled to death,” Covert said about his second straight championship. “I have to thank all of our sponsors Pre-Mach, Inc., Red Wing Shoes, Hershey’s Racing Engines, Rocket Chassis, Baker Carburetion, Bam’s Auto Center, Kuppy’s Diner, Dennis Eberly Building & Remodeling, JNJ Motorsports Media, Rick Kaylor Jr. Computer Consulting, American Racer Tires, and I can’t forget about Robbie Allen Enterprises. Without any of them none of this would be possible, we appreciate all the help we get and we’re glad we have been able to get them the exposure they deserve. This year, this championship…personally, was a little tougher. We wanted to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and I think that put a lot of pressure on us but on the other hand, these guys gave me a great race car pretty much any time we hit the track, “ Jason continued. “It’s just a treat to be associated with the MACS guys and employees and be able to represent them. They are a great group of people and we’ll most likely see them again next year.”
Jason defeated 283 different racers and earned over $42,000 after competing in all thirteen series events en route to his second championship in as many years.
Covert will be honored at the Annual Mid-Atlantic Championship Series Banquet held in January. More information on the banquet will be released when available.
2007 FINAL Mid-Atlantic Championship Series Point Standings:
1. #43A – Jason Covert 3,595 pts.
2. #71R – Rod Conley 3,435 pts.
3. #E1 – Mike Balzano 3,340 pts.
4. #12D – Doug Drown 3,200 pts.
5. #21 – Matt Lux 3,170 pts.
6. #W11 – Rob Blair 2,865 pts.
7. #14P – Jack Pencil 2,430 pts.
8. #5 – Chuck Clise 2,310 pts.
9. #119 – Jim Bernheisel 1,970 pts.
10. #21D – Dan Stone 1,585 pts.
Additional information on the Mid-Atlantic Championship Series can be found on www.macsracing.com.
Thank you for your continued support of the series, host facilities, drivers, and sponsors.
Andy Geesey – President – (724) 549-1480
Matt Geesey - Vice President – (724) 465-4282
Jeff Geesey - Secretary/Treasurer – (724) 465-2222
Email - macs1@verizon.net
Written and Distributed by:
Jason Shank – JNJ Motorsports Media / Mid-Atlantic Championship Series
www.jnjmotorsports.com, www.macsracing.com |
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