Jay Drake - 2017 Hall of Fame inductee
Jay Drake is not just a three-time midget champion - he is also the son and the father of midget racing champions. Jay’s father, Mike was the National Midget Auto Racing (NMRA) 3/4 (TQ) midget series champion for the 1981 and 1982 seasons and Jay’s son, Nick was the 2010 and 2011 United States Auto Club (USAC) Focus series champion.
Jay started racing quarter midgets at age 8, then started in
USAC TQ midgets in 1990 and was a sensation, as he won both Rookie of the Year
and the series championship. After he repeated as TQ champion in 1991, Jay
moved up to the USAC Western States midget series full-time in 1993 and was the
Rookie of the Year. After he captured the 1996 USAC Western States title, Jay moved
east to the USAC national series to showcase his talents in midgets, championship,
and sprint cars.
During his National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame worthy
career Jay drove for such legendary names Keith Kunz, Pete Willoughby, his
uncle Kelly Drake at Steve Lewis’ Nine Racing, Ralph Potter, John Lawson, Steve
Beneto, Andy Bondio, Dave Ellis, Tony Stewart, and Tony George.
Jay scored midget wins in USAC TQ, National, and Western States races as well as with the NAMARS and Badger series and tied AJ Foyt’s record with nineteen overall USAC wins in a season. Along the way Jay also won the 2000 Indiana Sprint Week championship and the 2004 USAC National Sprint Car Championship.
Jay scored midget wins in USAC TQ, National, and Western States races as well as with the NAMARS and Badger series and tied AJ Foyt’s record with nineteen overall USAC wins in a season. Along the way Jay also won the 2000 Indiana Sprint Week championship and the 2004 USAC National Sprint Car Championship.
Jay won four of the five elite national midget races – the
Turkey Night Grand Prix at Bakersfield Speedway in 1998, the Hut Hundred at
Lincoln Park Speedway and the Fireman’s Nationals at Angell Park in 2000, the
Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo in 2001 and came within 8 laps of winning at
the Belleville Nationals on the High Banks in 1996.
After a stint in the IRL Infinity Series, Jay retired from regular competition and continued his success out of the cockpit. While he was the team manager at Tony Stewart Racing, Tracy Hines finished as the runner-up for the 2008 USAC National midget title. Today Jay works as team manager for the multiple championship winning Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM) midget racing team.
After a stint in the IRL Infinity Series, Jay retired from regular competition and continued his success out of the cockpit. While he was the team manager at Tony Stewart Racing, Tracy Hines finished as the runner-up for the 2008 USAC National midget title. Today Jay works as team manager for the multiple championship winning Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM) midget racing team.
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