Jackson returning to racing after 3 decades

By Ken de la Bastide

Ray Jackson laughs when commenting he will be the oldest driver competing in the Mel Kenyon Midget Series. Jackson, 60, said it was a “mid-life” crisis that led to the purchasing of two Kenyon Midgets from Colin Grissom and Sam Hinds for the 2022 season. He hasn't raced in 30 years and has never sat in an open wheel race car, that will change during the March practice session at Anderson Speedway. Jackson has an extensive background in racing having driven stock cars, tractors used in pulling competitions and still owns an ARCA stock car.

“My whole family raced,” he explained. “I've been around race tracks my entire life.” Jackson has also constructed race cars and believes he has purchased two competitive Kenyon Midgets. He plans to race one of the two midgets and possibly have his nephew, who is a regular competitor in the second car.

“I'm really looking forward to it,” Jackson said of the upcoming season. “All my racing experience is on dirt, so racing on asphalt will be different.” The two cars will carry the numbers 4 and 65, numbers used by his grandfather and father when they competed. “My better half is okay with it,” Jackson said of venturing back behind the wheel of a race car for the first time in three decades.

In preparing for the 2022 season Jackson has watched a lot of videos of previous Kenyon Midget races. “I'll be cautious,” Jackson said. “I'm not afraid to put the pedal to the metal, but I don't want to wreck my cars or anyone else.” Jackson anticipates racing the car that Grissom drove to the championship in 2020 and to a runner-up showing in 2021. “That car has a little better set-up,” he said.