South Boston, VA…..Jacob Borst had a solid season at South Boston Speedway in 2019, placing third in the final NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division point standings and scoring three wins and five pole wins.
“Last year was more of a learning year for me,” said the 16-year-old high school junior from Elon, North Carolina.
“We were a lot better than I thought we would be. I learned a lot last year from Danny Willis Jr. and myself battling a lot. I’m trying to bring all of that experience to this season and try to win the (division) championship.”
Winning the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division title is Borst’s goal for 2020. Last season Borst earned nine Top-Five finishes, 16 Top-10 finishes and led the most laps in the division along with winning three races. With that record and the experience he gained last year, Borst should be among the title contenders again this season.
Borst has won several championships in his young life, however, winning a championship at South Boston Speedway would be special for the teenager.
“It (winning a championship) is the biggest accomplishment you can get, especially winning at South Boston Speedway,” Borst pointed out.
“You know you did well all season to get that reward. It’s a really big deal. A lot of people say that once you get the first one, it’s not as hard to get the second one. I’m hoping we can come out here this season and win it.”
Racing is an important part of Borst’s life. The forced break from racing resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has, however, opened the door for him to do other things he enjoys doing.
“We have a lake house at Hyco Lake and we usually go up there,” he explained.
“The last couple of years we have been so busy racing that we haven’t been able to go up there that much. Since we have been off, I started doing wake surfing and wake boarding just to have fun and spend time with family. We’ve been going to the lake a bunch and getting a lot of projects done around the house that have needed to be done for a long time. It’s different, but you get to spend a lot of time with your family.”
Due to national and state mandates resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic South Boston Speedway cannot yet open for racing. However, the speedway is open for teams to practice and test.
Drivers and teams wishing to test must contact the speedway office during office hours and schedule practice via telephone or e-mail at least a day in advance. Practice hours will be from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and the pit area must be clear by 5 p.m.
Borst and his team tested at South Boston Speedway last week to prepare for the start of racing at the .4-mile oval.
The test went well, according to Borst.
“We came out wanting to shake down the car and see how it was,” explained Borst.
“We wanted to make sure that everything stays in one piece and nothing breaks. We rolled off of the trailer quick. We’ve been doing some fine-tuning. We’ve been really happy so far.”
