Jacksen Smith is doing some mighty things in a still very young career.

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to champion thunder car driver Jacksen Smith from Las Vegas to the Auto Racers Workout Magazine.   Jacksen came into racing at age 12. The entry into the sport came as a surprise when his parents presented  him at the beginning of 2006 with his Bandolero car. The surprise formed Smith’s current race team, Milan Racing. Despite just turning 18, Jacksen has a total of 28 career wins: 23 on a oval track, and 5 on a road course.   Even more significantly, Jacksen is an outstanding student and recently graduated with honors in Automotive Technology from Southeast Career Technical Academy.

His list of awards include:

2007 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Most Popular Driver
2008 Bandolero Young Gun Silver State Road Course Champion
2008 Bandolero Young Gun Nevada State Champion
2009 Road Course World Finals Best Looking Car
2010 Bandolero Outlaw Silver State Road Course Champion
2010 Thunder Car Silver State Road Course Champion
2010 Thunder Car Oval Nevada State Champion
2010 Thunder Car Road Course Nevada State Champion
2010 Thunder Car Bullring Track Champion

 

So let's get to 10 Fast Laps with a  young racer on the rise, Jacksen Smith:

Q:  Jacksen, I see you are an Indiana native. I am from Minnesota originally.  You race mostly now in the west?  How long have you been out there and do you get back to the midwest much?

A: I am actually a Nevada resident, and was born in Indiana. Because I live in Nevada we focus on the west coast races more, although last summer I traveled to Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky to race.

 

Q:  In your mind what has been your biggest accomplishment to date as a Racer?

A: Winning 5 different championships in one single season is definitely my biggest accomplishment. Not only was each championship different, but I won three of them on road courses, and two of them on ovals.

 

Q: How would you describe your biggest strengths as a racer? What do you feel you do best? What are some areas that you feel you need to improve?

A: I’d say my biggest strength is definitely my communication, and my race trim skills. I’m extremely good at communicating with my crew chief and spotter as to what needs to be changed to make my car better, as well as fighting my way to the front of a given race. I need to improve very much on qualifying, I’ve never been a strong qualifier.

 

 

Q: You are also an accomplished automotive technician? Do you plan on continuing down that path or do you see yourself being more focused on racing?

A: I went to Southeast Career Technical Academy for automotive technology, and I love working on cars. Doing it as a profession though, would just not be my thing. The only way I’d follow a path of a technician, would be on a race team somewhere. I’m going to try my hardest to stick to the driving path, as I feel I’m better at it.

 

Q: I know quite a few racers who are accomplished mechanics; do you feel it gives you an advantage as a racer?

A: I do feel it gives me a pretty good advantage in the car, where if something goes wrong or isn’t correct, I can diagnose it before it gets back to the garage. I feel a racer being a mechanic speeds up the repair and diagnosis problems of the car.

 

Q: You just turned 18, but have had a race team since you were 13?   Can you tell the readers more of the backstory of the formation of Milan racing?

A: Milan Racing was formed way back in the 70’s when my grandpa, Bill Milan, drove the #98 Late Model to over 100 victories on tracks back in the Midwest. That being said, when I went back and won on two of the track he had won on, it was kind of close to home for me.

 

Q:  How hard was it to get sponsors? What tips would you give a young racer just starting out to gain sponsors?

A: In this economy, it doesn’t matter who you are, sponsors are very difficult to come by. For me, it was even difficult, although I knew some people from bigger companies. To a new racer trying to get sponsors, my suggestion is to just put your resume and offer anywhere you can, someone’s bound to say yes eventually.

 

Q:  We talked a little last week when Mike introduced us on the Kasey Kahne site about Racers Workout.  Is fitness an area that has been a focus of yours so far in your career? Do you see any of your competitors in your races who are taking race specific fitness seriously?

A: I take my fitness extremely seriously, as to contrary belief; it actually takes quite a bit of strength to pilot a race car. I would say from my experience, a few of my fellow competitors took fitness seriously, but not too many. To me, fitness could make or break a driver.

 

Q: Forward 5 years and fill this in:  In 5 years, Jacksen Smith will be ..............?

A: A professional race car driver for any given team.

 

I hope you all enjoyed 10 Fast Laps.  Be on the look out for Jacksen Smith. He's a name to know in this sport.

 

Filed under: Racing News

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