Jacobs In The Fast Lane As Car Owner In NASCAR Whelen All-American Series

Las Vegas, NV — Tim Jacobs walked through the Mandalay Bay Resort and took note of the changes since he had been here last year. In just his third year as a car owner, Jacobs has already become a fixture at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship banquet.

This year, Jacobs’ driver Steve Carlson will be in the spotlight as he is officially crowned the 2007 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion during Saturday’s banquet.

Also Saturday Jacobs will receive $5,000 for the Lincoln Electric Championship Car Owner Award.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet, what we’ve done this year,” Jacobs said. “But it is something I’m very proud of – that we could do it at home.”

Jacobs, a native of Sparta, Wisc., fields a three-car team at nearby Lacrosse (Wisc.) Fairgrounds Speedway.

In his first year as car owner in 2005, his driver Kevin Nuttleman won the Lacrosse Late Model champion and was the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division III champion under the old points format.

Last year, Nuttleman won the track title again and Jacobs provided a car for Carlson to run a majority of the races. This season, Jacobs expanded to three cars and added to the trophy case as Emily Sue Steck won the Lacrosse Late Model Rookie of the Year. Steck will be honored Saturday with the Wendell Scott Diversity Award. Carlson finished first in the nation and Nuttleman sixth.

“It all falls back to people,” Jacobs said. “It takes great people to do what we’ve done.”

The 38-year-old Jacobs runs Dutch Mill Trucking Inc., a company founded by his parents in 1971. His father, Neil, was also the airplane pilot for former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Dick Trickle back when Trickle was traveling all over the midwest and dominating the short track circuit.

Jacobs said his only driving experience was “racing Enduros in a big ol’ ’76 Monte Carlo” but had always wanted to give running a team a shot. When Nuttleman was released from his ride in 2004, Jacobs said the timing was right for the two of them to pair up.

In that first season, Jacobs also had a car that Carlson ran for three races. It was in the third race – the only one Jacobs would miss all season – that Carlson was spun by another car, flew into the catch fence and landed on Nuttleman’s car. Both drivers were unhurt, by Jacobs’ cars were destroyed.

“It was ugly,” Jacobs said.

Still, Nuttleman went on to earn Jacobs his first championship.

And Jacobs, who had spotted for Carlson when the latter was winning championships on the old NASCAR Elite Division, Midwest Tour, never wavered in his belief in Carlson’s abilities.

When 2007 started, the 50-year-old Carlson originally planned to run the local touring division. But when they got off to a torid start, Jacobs asked him to reconsider.

“I went to him and told him, ‘Steve, this is what we’ve got,’ “ Jacobs said. “ ‘I’m telling you, we’ve got a legitimate shot at it.’ I just laid it out for him. … I just wanted to make sure he was clear, I was all for it if he wanted to do it.

“Well, he made the right decision.”

Carlson wound up with eight victories and finished six points ahead of Connecticut’s Woody Pitkat to earn the title he called the highlight of a long and successful career. In the process, he brought Jacobs yet another championship celebration.

Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR WA-AS PR

• ← Carlson In Spotlight As NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Banquet Approaches
• Tickets Still Available For Saturday’s NEAR Movie Party →