Welcome to the new site for Jake Knowles Racing. We are continually trying to add to the site. If there is something you want to see, please let us know.

A Local Trip adds make it 15 top tens for the season!

7/14/10: After a victory on the night JKR returned to the track, the team headed to Green Valley and scored another top 10. After their original plans to race at Cleveland Speedway were called off, Jake and Wade decided to head to the home of where it all started, Dixie Speedway. The team qualified 7th and ran 7th.

Jake has been back at the shop getting the car and rig for a weekend and next week filled with racing. It's that time of year again and the team will head to a favorite of Boyd's Speedway and Cleveland Speedway for the Southern All Star events, then catch on the Ray Cook Southern Nationals at Rome Speedway on Sunday. After a day of rejuvenation on Monday, the team will follow the Southern Nationals to East Alabama Motor Speedway and back to Cleveland Speedway on Tuesday and Thursday.

Triumphant Return!

7/4/10: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! JKR returns to the track after a month long hiatus for an engine rebuild in grand fashion. Jake Knowles headed to Fort Payne, Alabama on Friday night for a win and set blazing trails with a NEW TRACK RECORD! Jake went on to lead every lap and score a victory on his first outing with the new engine.

Where is Jake?

6/27/10: Many of you have asked, wondered, and grumbled "Where is Jake Knowles"? After blowing an engine during an event about a month ago, the team has been idle waiting on the engine rebuild. However, if you've been around local tracks, you have probably seen or run in to Jake. He's been going to area tracks, helping other teams, and watching the sport he loves so much. Jake is anxious to hit the clay tracks of the SouthEast soon and JKR is hoping to have the engine back in the car in the next couple of weeks.

A top 5 and Victory for Team 66 for the first weekend of May:

5/12/10: With the racing season now in full swing the first weekend in May hopes to set a summer trend. On Friday night, Jake and team headed to Boyd's Speedway in Ringgold, GA. After qualifying 4th in his heat and missing a locked in spot for the feature, Jake ran a heat race to place him 10th on the starting grid. After battling through traffic, Team 66 made their way up to 5th for night one of the weekend.

A last minute change of scheduled plans, Jake headed to Cleveland Speedway on Saturday night. Not looking back from the outside pole, Jake fended off repeated challenges from Todd Morrow to come across the line with his 3rd win of the year.

The team will head to Talladega Short Track Friday and Saturday of this week.

The real winner the last 2 weeks has been Mother Nature:

5/2/10: Jake and team headed to Talladega Short Track for a weekend of racing last weekend. After poised to start 15th for Friday night's action, Mother Nature rolled in, in a big way and won the weekend. In a last minute decision on April 30th, Jake decided to head to the Friday night lights of North GA Speedway. This time Mother Nature was not the winner and Jake came home with a 2nd place finish.

Headed to home stomping ground of Cleveland Speedway for Saturday night, Mother Nature rolled in early and cancelled the nights events. With the weather looking to stay north, JKR made the 30 mile trip down to North GA for Saturday night action. While Mother Nature only threatened, a slow moving lap car struck. While Jake was setting up another top 5 run, another car became disabled and rather than pulling down from the groove, simply slowed in front of the pack. Jake had no where to go and plowed in to the car. The car suffered heavy damage but the team will be busy all week getting everything together for this weekend.

Next up is Boyd's Speedway on Friday, May 7, 2010 and North Ga Speedway Saturday May 8, 2010.

2 Top 10s for JKR 4/18/10::

Jake and team headed to Boyd's Speedway in Ringgold, GA on Friday night. With group qualifying in effect. Jake qualified 6th in his group and went on to finish 7th in the heat race. Jake then started on the pole of the consolation race and went on to win. Starting 13th in the feature, Jake climbed to 10th scoring the 8th top 10 of the season.

The team headed to Green Valley Speedway in Gasden, AL on Saturday night. Again with group qualifying, Jake qualified 6th in his group but went on to finish 3rd in his heat. Starting 11th in the feature misfortune struck for a second week but this time with a flat at the green flag. Fortunately, a full lap was not made and Jake was able to rejoin the field before the next start in the 24th position. Working his way through the feature the 66 climbed to 8th by the end of the night scoring the 9th top ten of the season.

This weekend: Friday night Talladega Short Track $2000.00 to win

Saturday night Talladega Short Track $5000.00 to win.

Late misfortune ends night for Jake4/13/10:

Back at Cleveland Speedway for their double header race, Jake qualified 2nd for the 1st event. Jake was in stalking mode and quickly captured the lead by lap 5. However, coming up on lap traffic pretty quick, Jake, not knowing which way the car would go, let a close running Randy Weaver slip by. While running 2nd something went awry in the read end forcing the 66 to the pits. Not able to repair the car by the 2nd event, Jake and team were forced to watch Weaver win followed by Riley Hickman and Skip Arp.

Another top 5 for JKR 4/7/10:

Back at Cleveland Speedway for another week started out on a good note, Jake set the pace during qualifying by setting the fast lap. Jake went on to win his heat race to set the pace for the main event. At the green flag, outside pole sitter, Rick Rogersl, got the good run and passed Jake for the lead. As the race progressed and the front runners entered lapped traffic, the 3rd place runner of Riley Hickman slipped by Jake with just 3 laps to go. Rick Rogers then blew a tire with Hickman inheriting the lead. Jake could only watch from the runner up spot as the fellow Team USA vs. South Africa went on to the checkers.

An upswing 3/27/2010:

A return to Cleveland Speedway was on tap this weekend for JKR. A return to the classic red #66 and new a wrap on the car had Jake ready to go set the pace for Saturday night. Set the pace he did. Jake started from the pole but faded a bit by nights end and crossed the line for his 6th top 5 of the season, finishing 4th overall. Plans are tentative for this weekend but early plans are for Cleveland Speedway's local racing action.

A weekend to forget: 3/19-20-2010

A return to Boyds Speedway and Cleveland Speedway on Friday and Saturday nights would be better off forgotten for JKR. On Friday, Jake was making his way to the front when after a restart he got caught up in a wreck sending Jake to the pits for the night. On Saturday night at the Gobbler Jake was about 11th when problems ensued with the car and rather than tear up more equipment, he decided to pull it in and save it.

A return to red is in store as a new body, back to red, and new wrap will go on the car this week. A return to Cleveland next week for a local event will wrap up March events.

After a wet weekend in the North GA and Chattanooga, TN areas, the races at Boyds and Cleveland have been postponed until this weekend.

Back in the USA! 3/7/10:

After wrapping up a very successful trip to South Africa, Jake and team returned to the USA last week and immediately started preparing for a return to the red clay. On the schedule this week was a warm up for the upcoming Cabin Fever and Shamrock events next weekend. The event, season opener at Cleveland Speedway.

After setting fast time and starting on the pole of his heat, William Thomas got the jump and was out in front with Jake in tow. In the final laps of the heat however, bad luck would fall on Thomas as a brokena control arm would hand the heat race win over to Jake and the birds-eye view from the front row for the start of the feature.

The green flag would be dropped 3 times, the first 2 in favor of Jake with both being called back, the 3rd start would shuffle Jake back to 3rd. However, Jake immediately charged back to the lead. Jake held that lead until a caution with 7 laps to go slowed the field. On the restart, Derrick Ellis and William Thomas got by Jake for the closing laps.

JKR is now preparing for Boyd's Speedway in Ringgold, GA next Friday night and The Shamrock at Cleveland Speedway in Cleveland, TN on Saturday.

Updates on South Africa 3/1/10:

More detail to come however a quick update that Jake wrapped up the trip to South Africa with a 2nd place finish this past Saturday night and scored the title of the points for the overall tour. The team will head back to the states today. Jake comes back to the States with mixed feelings, as not only was he extremely successful, but he made lifelong friends while there that he will truly miss. Home is always a welcome sight too. More to come on the final race and more pictures of the Knowles trip to South Africa this week. Also, sponsors for 2010, a more detailed bio, and schedule will appear on the new website this week as well.

Updates on South Africa: 2/21/10

Jake has made it 3 in a row in South Africa. Jake who won during a warm up trip to South Africa back in December has now taken 2 in a row with the rest of Team USA in tow.

After taking the victory last weekend at Worchester Speedway in Cape Town, South Africa, and the rest of Team USA all scoring top 10 finishes, the team headed to the picturesque town of Port Elizabeth for their next event. Saturday night, Jake once again was victorious. There are 3 separate heat race events and then the feature. Jake won heat 1, in heat 2 he was running 4th and while passing for 3rd spun, in heat 3 he came in 2nd. Wade ran 3rd, 4th, and 5th in his heats, Riley Hickman ran 1st, 2nd, and 5th in his heats. Lee Sutton did not have as good of a heat race experience after spinning in his heat running 6th and was collected by another car. The team managed to get the car ready for the feature but Lee had to pull in during mid event.

For the feature, Team USA took the top 3 spots. Jake came across the line first followed by his father, Wade Knowles. While Riley Hickman wrapped up the top 3, he actually won the overall points for heats and feature for the night.

The team will spend some time sight seeing as they make the 8 hour trek back to Cape Town for their final race next weekend before making their way back to the States. GO TEAM USA!!!!!!

Updates on South Africa: 2/14/10

The team arrived safe in Cape Town, South Africa last Wednesday. Jake, Wade, Riley, and Lee quickly got busy working on their cars and practicing.

This would be the first time father and son prepped to take the track together. Wade Knowles retired from a regular racing when Jake began his racing career. Practice rounds initially saw Wade as the fastest car, however, by time trials Jake was on top and father and son would lead the pack in the pole positions for their first race together and on a different continent.

Caught in the middle of this drama was Cindy Knowles, their biggest fan. Cindy traveled with the team to South Africa and was left standing on the sides nervously watching her husband and son set the pace for a battle to the checkers.

In the end, it was Jake that came out on top with USA Team member Lee Sutton 3rd, Wade ended the night in 4th, and Riley Hickman 5th. The team is now prepping to travel 8 hours from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth for an event this weekend before returning to the Worchester track.

 

 

 

 

The team leaves tomorrow 2/9/2010 for South Africa.

Recent News: Jake went to Columbus this weekend to try out the new CTC525 Crate motor and new Hoosier tires. The combo proved successful as Jake finished the weekend with his first top 5 of the year coming in 4th in the main event.

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