Seeking European Place ?

Brad Jackson is presented with an award by Rachel Hodges, one of the staff at the Shakespeare circuit

AFTER just two outings as a professional Naburn teenager Brad Jackson is seeking a place at the summit of European drag racing.

The 17-year-old, who this spring launched himself into the pro circuit after four trophy-laden seasons as a junior, has made a superb impact.

Jackson is currently in third position of the UK Super Pro championship after the opening two rounds, his latest success being at the Shakespeare County Raceway at Stratford-up[on-Avon.

Following a points-gathering debut at the Festival of Power meeting staged by the Santa Pod track, Jackson – the focal point of the Brad Jackson Racing Team of which his dad Wayne is the team principal – surged to two more round wins in Shakespeare country.

That propelled the apprentice motor technician for York-based DM Keith Skoda, to the semi-finals, which he comfortably negotiated to set up a clash against Scott Hauser, the 2013 UK Super Pro champion.

Though Jackson drove the USA-built Worthy Dragster car expertly, he lost out by a mere four-hundreths of a second.

However, that advance to the last two showdown still nudged him into a challenging position for his next date with speed – the FIA European round back at Santa Pod over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.

So far a total of 47 entries featuring the cream of drivers from across Europe have been declared.

But there are just 32 places available for the final rounds, so Jackson will face a stern test to attain final race qualification.

Said Jackson senior: “Brad and the team had a great weekend at the Shakespeare track with Brad putting in several superb performances.

“Now we have the main event with the European round and Brad and the the rest of us are relishing the challenge.”

Published in”The Press” on

Debut in Style

Naburn’s Brad Jackson roars into impressive action on his pro debut at the Santa Pod Raceway near Northampton. Picture: Mark Skinner

PROFESIONAL debuts could hardly have been more dramatic or daring than that of Naburn tough of the drag-racing track Brad Jackson.

His first experience as a contestant on the Super Pro circuit almost very nearly evaporated for the 17-year-old, who for the past four years has revelled in an illustrious junior career.

After four promising test runs at the Santa Pod Raceway in Northampton, Jackson’s Nick Good Motorsport team detected the USA-manufactured Worthy Dragster car had suffered a severe gearbox and engine fault after the car had hit the rev limiter.

Four of the team worked through the night to effect the repairs, including fitting a new gearbox, but it meant the first qualifying session was missed.

But Jackson, an apprentice motor technician for DM Keith Skoda in York, was back in the cockpit for the second session.

He advanced to tenth place out of the 27-strong field, though bizarrely dropping to 19th in the third qualifier despite clocking a personal best of 7.73 seconds at a speed of 173.6 miles per hour.

The next qualifier was abandoner because of rain, but the next day Jackson won both the first and second rounds of eliminations.

Unfortunately, the rains came again and the meeting was abandoned, but Jackson had crowned his Super Pro debut with valuable championship points under his belt.

The next round is at the Shakespeare County Raceway at Stratford-on-Avon over the weekend of May to May 5.

Published in”The Press” on Thursday 24th April 2014

Speed Ace Primed

SPEED ace Brad Jackson is primed for maximum impact in the world of senior drag car racing.

After an illustrious four-year career on the British junior dragster circuit, the Naburn-based teenager has joined the successful Nick Good Motorsport for the new season which starts this at the Santa Pod Raceway near Northampton.

Jackson will helm the third car in the team, which is the only three-car Super Pro team in Europe.

And after testing at the Santa Pod circuit this past week, the team are raring to go, agreed driver and his dad Wayne Jackson, who is the team principal.

Said the 17-year-old driver, who is an apprentice motor technician for DM Keith Skoda in York: “I have competed in UK Junior Dragster class for the last four years.

“Moving up to Super Pro, I have already gained my licence for 2014 with a best run from a standing start of 7.78 seconds at 171 miles per hour over a quarter-mile.”

Said Jackson senior: “The car is all new and been fully prepared for the 2014 season by Nick Good Motorsport.

“We had the car livery and design commissioned by Pete Walters race design and Brad will be contesting all the rounds of the new season.”

The youngster, who has sponsorship from Lucas Oil and American Oil, an automotive products company, will be seeking a similarly meteoric rise in the senior ranks as he enjoyed as a junior.

Among his achievements over the last four years were winner of the 2013 FIA main event, fifth in the UK Lucas Oil National Championship 2012, winner at the Big Bang event in 2011 when he was also fourth in the UK National Championship 2011 and runner-up in the FIA European finals four years ago.

The Brad Jackson Racing Ltd team, which runs under the motto of “results, respect, excellence, integrity”, is completed by Jackson senior as team principal, Nick Good the crew chief, Cristiann Carlo and Dave Catton, the latter a mentor of the high-speed teenager.

For those petrol-heads of a technical mind, the car is a Worthy Dragster from the United States, standing almost 20 feet long. It boasts a Big Block Chevrolet V8 Enderle methanol-injected engine of 9,258cc and capable of 940 bhp.

Jackson junior’s licensing run is featured here...

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