Return Trip To Columbus Motor Speedway Next For 15-Year-Old J.J. Haley
Youngest Ever ARCA Racing Series Pole Winner At Elko Speedway To Take On ARCA/CRA (Special from J.J. Haley Racing)
June 25, 2014
Winamac, Indiana (June 25, 2014) – J.J. Haley has had a whirlwind 2014 racing season.
After starting the year with an impressive fourth place finish in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars
Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance portion of SpeedFest 2014 at Watermelon
Capital Speedway (GA), his year continued into February. The World Series of Asphalt
Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway (FL) saw the Hoosier State teenager gain
valuable experience on his way to a ninth place finish in the final Speedweeks points.
Then Haley picked up his first ever win in a Late Model when he scored the victory in the
2014 season opener, for points, for the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour at Springport Motor
Speedway (MI) on May 4th. Fast Forward to the weekend of June 21st and the 15-year-
old had a decision to make. He was leading both the overall and the Howie Lettow
Memorial Rookie of the Year points in JEGS/CRA as the series' next stop was at Salem
Speedway (IN). The ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards was also racing the
same day at Elko Speedway (MN). So a tough decision had to be made.
Haley gave up the points leads in JEGS/CRA in order to make his second career start in
the ARCA Racing Series as he and the Venturini Motorsports Team made the trek north
to Elko Speedway (MN) for the 3rd Annual Akona 250 Presented by Federated Car Care.
The 3/8 (0.375) mile semi-banked paved oval located just 30 miles south of Minneapolis
is shortest track on the ARCA Racing Series schedule. Haley joined Venturini
Motorsports teammates Justin Boston and John Wes Townley.
The 15-year-old would make ARCA Racing Series History at 15 years, 53 Days as the
Winamac, Indiana teenager won the Menards Pole Award with a new track record in his
#55 Braun Auto Group / Toyota. In the race, Haley fell back at the start, but stayed in the
top five for the entire race on his way to a career high third place finish in his second
career start in ARCA.
"I made a mistake on the start of the race," said Haley. "I spun the tires! But as the race
went on, we were better. That's what we are here for, to learn those things. It was a good
race. The Venturini team gave me a fast car and great pits stops all night long. This is a
tremendous opportunity and I just can’t thank everyone enough,” the 15-year-old added.
This was the second time that Haley has made history in the ARCA Racing Series as
back on May 18th at Toledo Speedway (OH), Haley became the youngest driver in series history to start a race. In rewriting both records, he erased Kyle Benjamin's name from both.
The next ARCA Racing Series event for Haley will be on Saturday-Sunday, July 5-6th at a track he's familiar with; the legendary 1/2 (0.500) mile high-banked paved oval of Winchester Speedway (IN) for the Herr's Chase the Taste 200 Presented by Federated Car Care.
As for his Late Model exploits and by missing the JEGS/CRA race at Salem, Haley fell down to 12th in points, but with the Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie standings stating that a driver can drop their worst two races, he is still mathematically alive in that regard. But it would take a lot of catching up to do in order to retain the overall points lead. With that in mind, Haley is going to focus more so on gaining valuable experience not only in JEGS/CRA, but in Champion Racing Association's premier series; the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS.
The next race on the schedule is the JEGS 125 Presented by CoughlinCars.com is at the fast 1/3 (0.333) mile semi-banked, circular shaped paved oval of Columbus Motor Speedway in Columbus, Ohio is on Saturday, June 28th. "I can't wait to jump back into the #99 Late Model for my second ever start in the ARCA/CRA Super Series. My team has been working very hard in the shop, all year and I can't thank them enough for building me great race cars." Haley offered. "We've already been to Columbus once this year, in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, starting on the pole and finishing third with no power steering, I am very positive going into this weekend." He ended.
For the rest of the 2014 racing season in Super Late Model and Pro Late Model competition, Haley's black #99 J.J. Haley Racing Chevrolet as well as the rest of the fleet of J.J. Haley Racing entries with Crew Chief, Bobby Blount calling the shots on top of the pit box all season long, will sport sponsorship decals and support from Braun Ability as well as Braun Auto Group, Two Guys Mechanical, JMR Trucking, T.J. Racing Lubricants and M.P.H. Promotions.
For more information about the J.J. Haley Racing and to inquire about sponsorship opportunities for the remainder of the 2014 campaign, please email Nathan Dennis at: jjhmotorsports@yahoo.com For more information about Venturini Motorsports, go to their website at: www.veturinimotorsports.com The new J.J. Haley Racing website is up and running at: www.jjhaleyracing.com You can also go to the teams’ Facebook Fan Page at: www.facebook.com and search “J.J. Haley Racing” and finally on Twitter by logging on at: www.twitter.com/jjhaley_racing
