Sixteen-year-old Jacob O’Neal from Fuquay Varina, N.C. won the 2021 Allison Legacy Race Series champion after winning four races and capturing 11 top-five finishes in 13 races.
Although he is only a teenager, O’Neal has been competing in motorsports since the 2016 season, when he got behind the wheel of a Bandolero race car at Wake County Speedway in Raleigh; however, winning this year’s Allison Legacy Series championship is the highest achievement of his career.
“It’s unbelievable to have won the series championship this year,” O’Neal said. “At the beginning of the season, winning the championship was not something I thought would happen. There are a lot of people that have helped me out during my racing career, and I could never list them all. Chris Woods [Woody] has been the main contributing factor to my success this year, as well as my sponsors, Trident Technology Solutions and Smokin’ J’s BBQ.
“My parents have supported me since day one and are the reason I’m a two-time track champion and the champion of the 2021 Allison Legacy Series. There are many other people on a weekly basis that have also helped me succeed this season, and I want to say thank you to all of them.”
O’Neal was in contention at the beginning of the season, but it took him until August to capture his first win. He did so at Florence Motor Speedway located in Timmonsville, S.C., and then weeks later, he visited Victory Lane once again at the track. The momentum shifted for the team and O’Neal later earned two victories at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C. O’Neal won the championship by topping Kingstree, S.C.’s Drake Williamson in the standings.
“Drake was my number one competitor at Florence and gave me a good battle every race,” O’Neal said. “He ended up getting the best of me the first handful of races, but that’s how racing goes. The competition I had was overall a good experience, as well as clean and fun racing. Competing in the Allison Legacy Series was awesome. I learned how to drive a different car and more or less have conquered it, and am looking for the next challenge.”
O’Neal plans on returning to the Allison Legacy Series for a handful of races in 2022, but he is also hoping to advance his career as well. O’Neal joins NASCAR national series driver John Hunter Nemechek and former NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Trevor Bayne and Chad McCumbee as series champions.
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