Hagerstown Speedway
Fresh off win, Covert ready for WoO's Hagerstown visit
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Jason Covert
Jason Covert is anxiously counting down the hours to the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Conococheague 50 on Saturday 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.” | World of Outlaws schedule/results
Covert, of course, has a good reason to be excited about May 30's $10,000-to-win show. With two special-event victories under his belt this season at Hagerstown and a history of strong WoO 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 April 11 — a race in which he took the lead from WoO regular Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who has captured two WoO victories at Hagerstown.
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 crew member 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 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.”
