Jason Covert is anxiously counting down the hours to the World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Conococheague 50’ this Saturday night (May 30) at Hagerstown Speedway.
“I can’t wait for Saturday,” said Covert, a 38-year-old from York Haven, Pa., who has become one of the Northeast’s top regional dirt Late Model racers. “I always look forward to the Outlaws coming to Hagerstown. It’s one of my favorite races of the year.”
Covert, of course, has a good reason to be excited about Saturday’s $10,000-to-win show. With two special-event victories under his belt this season at Hagerstown and a history of strong WoO LMS runs there, he can realistically dream of upsetting the national tour’s stars.
“The confidence factor is high for us at Hagerstown,” said Covert, who has won three consecutive Mid-Atlantic Championship Series (MACS) points titles. “We feel pretty good about racing on that red clay; we’ve been running well in that type of condition. And our American Racers (tires) seem to work real good at Hagerstown, so I feel like we should have something for ‘em.”
Covert enters Saturday’s action coming off a triumph in last Saturday night’s Three-State Flyers Series event at Hagerstown. He also won a Three-State Flyers feature there on April 11 – a race in which he took the lead from Outlaws regular Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who has captured two WoO LMS A-Mains at Hagerstown (both in 2004).
But while passing Eckert was certainly an impressive achievement and buoys Covert’s confidence, Covert knows that move will mean nothing come Saturday night.
“When all the Outlaws are together, they take it to a whole different level,” said Covert, who helped Eckert as a crewman before breaking out as a dirt Late Model regular. “It’s gonna be tough with all those boys coming in. We’re gonna have to be about flawless to beat the Outlaws – and have some racing luck on our side.”
Now in his fourth year driving Pennsylvania car owner Barry Klinedinst’s Rocket No. 43A, Covert proved two years ago that he could run neck-and-neck with the Outlaws at Hagerstown. He finished second to Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., on June 2, 2007 – his career-best finish in WoO LMS competition – and he charged forward from the 16th starting spot to place third on July 21, 2007.
With a large group of Covert’s family and friends expected to make the short drive to Hagerstown on Saturday, a Conococheague 50 victory would be extra sweet for the personable chauffeur. But win or lose, Covert will leave Hagerstown’s pit area with a smile on his face.
“I’m excited beyond belief just to have a chance to win a World of Outlaws race,” said Covert, who makes his living working for Verizon as the on-site phone and fiber-optics technician at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Londonderry Township, Pa. “It’s a dream for me to race these cars. I mean, this is my love, my passion, and I’m lucky enough to be able to do it because I have a great car owner.”
Covert will have to outrun plenty of top-notch racers on Saturday night, including four WoO LMS travelers who have won tour events at Hagerstown – Eckert, Babb, Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., and current points leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.
Last year’s WoO LMS event at Hagerstown was canceled due to rain and not rescheduled – marking the first year since the tour’s rebirth in 2004 that the series did not visit the half-mile oval – so anticipation is high for Saturday’s return engagement. A typically solid field is expected; the average car count for the track’s two WoO LMS shows in 2007 was a robust 48.
