2024 season summary

The 2024 season for JFG Motorsports was the beginning of a new chapter. The team purchased a Pro Late Model, a step-up from the Street Stocks and Super Stocks that Gusty has raced before. The team decided to focus on quality races instead of quantity, as a total of 29 races between 4 different cars were raced last year. JFG Motorsports agreed to put forth their best effort at every race to learn and improve their operations.

May:

-5/4: Lancaster Motorplex - Pro Late Model: 5th
JFG Motorsports unveiled their newly purchased Pro Late Model at Lancaster Motorplex. With months of anticipation and limited practice 3 days prior at a different track, the team looked to make some laps around the track and learn how the car raced against other Pro Late Models. Gusty completed all the laps in the event and brought the car to a 5th place finish. While the team heads home happy, it is evident there needs to be some improvement to be made on the car. This race with the Pro Late Model is a big milestone for JFG Motorsports, as it has been 13 years in the making up to this point.

June:

-6/8: Holland Speedway - Pro Late Model: 1st
With a full month of preparation, the team would participate in the first Race of Champions Pro Late Model event of the season. The team’s goal for this race was to get more seat time for the driver, data, and experience. Well, it was evident that the team struck on a good set-up for the car, as Gusty qualified 2nd for the event out of 14 drivers. During the race, Gusty quickly gained the lead after starting 4th and led his first couple of laps in a Pro Late Model. A couple of cautions bunched the field back up, as Gusty would battle for the lead. After the final caution in the event, Gusty propelled back to the lead and was able to hold off the rest of the field to score his first ever Pro Late Model victory. Unbelievably, Gusty won this race in his second race in the Pro Late Model division.

July:

-7/12: Spencer Speedway - Pro Late Model: 6th -7/20: Lancaster Motorplex - Pro Late Model: 4th
Uncharacteristically, Gusty would not practice or race in over a month in the middle of a racing season. The next race was the second race with the Race of Champions at Spencer Speedway. This is considered a "home" track, as the team and many of their sponsors are in the area of the track. With the momentum of the last race, the team was confident coming into this race. At the track, however, Gusty felt like the car needed to be better after the practice session. He qualified 6th and finished 4th in the heat. Gusty would start the feature mid-pack, and battled his way up to 4th. Unfortunately, rain hit the track mid-way through the race and Gusty slipped back to 6th. After that, the race was stopped and ended short of the scheduled lap count. While the result was not ideal, Gusty gained experience racing in the pack. After Spencer, the team went back to lancaster. The team made improvements from the previous race, with a second place finish in the heat and fourth in the feature.

August:

-8/10: Chemung Speedrome - Pro Late Model: DNF -8/24: Holland Speedway - Pro Late Model: 6th -8/31: Oswego Speedway - Sportsman Modified: 19th
The racing season would start to speed up for JFG Motorsports, where the third and fourth Race of Champions Pro Late Model races would happen at Chemung Speedrome and Holland Speedway. At Chemung, Gusty qualified in 5th and finished 2nd in the heat. During the race, Gusty was battling around the top five before he experienced brake failure. While he was able to stop the car in time, this was his first DNF in a Pro Late Model. Not only was the next race at Holland, the place where Gusty got his first Pro Late Model victory, this race was also the Rick Wylie Classic and highest paying Late model race in New York for the season. Gusty only qualified 7th and muscled his way to a 4th place finish in a chippy heat. This put Gusty mid-pack for the feature. During the feature, Gusty would quickly grab 3rd place. After a couple of cautions, Gusty would battle for the lead and led some more laps in the process. However, after a late race caution, the top 3, including Gusty, made contact, spinning out the leader. Gusty was sent to the tail end of the field by race control but rebounded to a 6th place finish. The month of August also saw Gusty's first start in a Sportsman Modified at Oswego Speedway. The car owned by Ricky Knapp Jr., typically driven by his daughter Madison Knapp, is a 602 crate engine Modified. This car has less horsepower compared to other Sportsman Modifieds. Gusty logged some laps for Knapp, finishing 8th in the heat and 19th in the feature. Gusty and JFG Motorsports are grateful for this opportunity and experience.

September:

-9/14: Evans Mills Raceway Park - Sportsman Modified: DNF -9/21: Lake Erie Speedway - Pro Late Model: 2nd -9/28: Lancaster Motorplex - Pro Late Model: 2nd
September would see Gusty's second start in a Sportsman Modified. This time, Gusty would race Ricky Knapp Jr. 's 11teen Sportsman Modified with a competitive engine. He would get some practice the night before the race to get a feel for the car. Come raceday and after practice, it was evident that the Modified did not match Gusty's driving style. Gusty finished 7th in his heat, meaning he will have to start deep in a 26 car field. Jacob would carefully make his way up to the top 10 before pulling off for overheating issues. In September, the last race for the Race of Champions Pro Late Model series was at Lake Erie Speedway for the ROC weekend and Lancaster Motorplex for the U.S. Open. At Lake Erie, Gusty would qualify 9th and score 2nd in the heat. He would start in the middle of the pack and stay patient during the race, resulting in a 2nd place finish in the feature. At Lancaster, the heat was held on friday, as Gusty finished 3rd in the heat after getting spun before the initial start. Confident for the Saturday race, Gusty would lead for the first 20 laps of the feature. Unfortunately the caution would come out and Gusty battled with the 2nd place car. He would ultimately give up the spot, settling for a back to back 2nd place in the Pro Late Model.

October:

-10/5: Wyoming County International Speedway - Super Stock: 2nd
With all the Late Model races concluded in the area, Tom Brinser decided to bring out the "Bad Banana" one last time to Wyoming County International Speedway. The Super Stock has not been raced since Gusty won with it about the same time the previous year at the same track. 4 used tires were bolted up to the car and JFG Motorsports and crew had fun and celebrated its last ride. Gusty qualified 2nd quick and won the heat race. The feature saw Gusty quickly climb up to 2nd. Since the driver is acclimated to the different Pro Late Model tires, he used the tires up too quickly and could not get around the leader. Gusty settled for 2nd once again and the 2024 racing season concluded in a positive way.
Summary:Overall, the season has exceeded all of the teams expectations. The team sold all the race cars in preparation of only racing the Pro Late Model, a big risk. The Late Model proved to be a challenge at times, but the team was able to pull through and learn. The set up on the car utilizes different philosophies and measurements than the other cars JFG Motorsports have worked on and operated in the past. The ultimate goal for the season was to collect data and gain seat time with the new car. The first couple of practices and the first race achieved just that. However, Jacob would win his first Pro Late Model race in his second start, an astonishing accomplishment. This win came earlier than expected and turned many heads towards the racing team. After that, JFG Motorsports continued to work through the seasons and adjust to the various tracks in New York. While the win was great, there was still lots to learn about the Late Model. The team was able to finish strong and score 3rd in points with the Race of Champions. Gusty also experienced his first couple of starts in the Sportsman Modified division. The car is totally different from the Late Model, so Gusty wasn't too familiar with the handling of the car. JFG Motorsports thanks Ricky Knapp Jr. for the opportunity and we hope for more in the future. Also, Gusty has *potentially* raced his last race with Tom Brisner's Super Stock. This stint lasted since 2019, when Tom took a risk on a kid who raced nothing more than 4-Cylinders. While Tom will not be fielding a car for next year, we hope to keep him with the racing team for years to come. As of this write up, the plan for 2025 is to continue racing the Late Model at Lancaster and the ROC, as well as other tracks inside and outside of New York. The primary car has been checked and updated at Clattenburg Racing Fabrication and new parts have been installed. Also, the team is in the process of assembling a second Late Model to allow us to race at other tracks with different engine and suspension rules. There may be more additional news coming in the near future so stay tuned! This season, we have met some amazing people that help and support our racing adventures. These connections have helped us and elevate our racing program to a new level. This was a big risk the racing team took in numerous aspects, but we proved to ourselves we can do it. We thank everyone who has joined our journey so far and look forward to continuing in the future. To our fans, sponsors, crew, family and supporters, we thank you and will see you in 2025.