Profile On: Jamie Ball!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Profile On: Jamie Ball, #5j 360 and 305 Sprint
Rookie of the Year contender Jamie Ball, is hoping for a strong finish for his inaugural sprint car season at the Knoxville Raceway. With the 360 Nationals just around the corner, Jamie is ready to put his 5j as far into the feature as he can.
The 20 year-old Knoxville native is no stranger to the half-mile. Jamie’s dad, Larry Ball, Jr. raced for 9 seasons in the 360 class from 1998 through 2006, with a highlight of 4th in points in 2005. Jamie credits his dad as being his most influential person, and looks up to his dad’s work ethic and strong sense of “if you work hard, you can get where you want to go” attitude that he’s passed on to Jamie.
Jamie is also working hard away from the track, as he is attending AIB, earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration in June of 2011. Skills in which he hopes will help him partner with his dad on their business, L & J Enterprises.
While Larry was winding down his racing career, Jamie was just beginning his in 2006. Jamie began racing weekly at English Creek Speedway, just south of Knoxville, in the 500 cc Outlaw Dirt Karts class. That initial season, Jamie racked up 4 feature wins and won the Arlo Goff Memorial race.
2007 brought Jamie back to English Creek again, where he doubled his feature wins that season. 8 feature win was enough to earn Jamie 2nd in points at English Creek in 2007. Jamie also began to do some traveling that season, and had highlights of making the A Main at the Got Milk Nationals in Hartford, Missouri, and earned 3rd place at the King of the Wings in Superior, Wisconsin.
2008 took the Ball team on the road, racing in states all over the Midwest as well as Montana and Texas. He earned 10 feature wins in 21 showings, and won the Lucas Oil Indoor Winter Nationals. Gaining versatility and learning new tracks, Jamie looked forward to transferring many of those skills as he moved up to sprint cars in another season.
With a goal of starting sprints in 2010, the Ball team stayed local in 2009, saving money and earning sponsorships. Jamie raced locally back at English Creek Speedway where he earned 8 feature wins, and grabbed the Championship that season. Jamie also earned 7th place ad the Wild West Shootout in Missoula, Montana, and moved up into the overall leader in career wins at English Creek Speedway, with 19 features.
Finally, 2010 got here for Jamie, as he began to fulfill a lifelong dream to race sprint cars. And not just one class, but two classes found Jamie behind the wheel. When Knoxville added several 305 races to the weekly schedule, Jamie was ready to jump in and race both classes, vying for Rookie of the Year honors in the 360 class in his Eagle Ostrich machine. Thus far, Jamie has a 2nd place finish in the 305, and hopes to gain a win before the season is over. In the 360, Jamie has a 17th highest finish, and has made the A Main 4 times on the season and would really love to get a top 10 yet this season. Jamie is also planning to run the 360 Nationals and to have a strong showing.
As for future plans for Jamie Ball, he hopes to continue to run both classes next year, as he completes his degree. After that however, Jamie hopes to hit the road and run the National ASCS tour, and run as much of the Midwest ASCS next season to get ready for racing on the road.
Jamie acknowledges his parents, Larry and Jeanie, as well as family friend, Jody Hegwood for making his dreams possible. His crew is supportive and they have a blast working together- Jody, Larry, Jeanie, Dwight, Jerry, Devin and Josh- all keep Jamie going. When Jamie isn’t getting ready for a race, he enjoys working out and spending time with his girl friend, Sadi Thompson.
Keep track of Jamie at www.jamieball.com!
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