Patience Paying Dividends For Young Jordan Pickrel At South Boston Speedway This Season

Jordan Pickrel may have more patience than any 18-year-old in America. But he understands the rewards of patience. It’s the reason he made his first trip to Victory Lane at South Boston Speedway Saturday night.

 

“I have to be patient. I know you have to wait on the opportunity and then make the most of it when it comes around,” said Pickrel.

 

That’s what the youngster has been doing this season: making the most of an opportunity. After being away from the track for a year – more about that later – he has finishes of second, ninth and first headed into this Saturday night’s Halifax Insurance presents the NASCAR Late Model 100.

 

Racing patience began early for Pickrel, the son of Mark and Marie Pickrel of Keeling. He fell in love with the sport when he watched his first race as a young boy. But there was no quick trip to a speed shop to purchase a go-kart.

 

“It was something as a young kid, when I watched my first race, I liked it,” said Pickrel. “My family didn’t have the money, so we saved for about seven years, saving my birthday money and everything to buy the first Bandolero car.”

 

In three seasons in that Bandolero car he won 10 out of 16 races. In 2014 he claimed the track championship at Orange County Speedway.

 

In 2016 he made the move to Pure Stocks at South Boston Speedway.

 

“A guy who watched my success in the Bandolero bought a Pure Stock and gave it to us, so we could move up,” said Pickrel, who puts family and faith above all else. “We had to find sponsors and work on it, but he bought it for us.”

 

It was a good move for Pickrel. He finished the 2016 season as South Boston’s Pure Stock rookie of the year and was fourth in the points.

 

And then he didn’t start a race in 2017. A bit of youthful foolishness forced him to be patient once again.

 

“I didn’t run in 2017. I had an off-track accident. I wrecked my mom’s van,” said Pickrel. “I was doing something stupid. I was messing around on a dirt road. It wasn’t a hard wreck, but because I did wreck it, they didn’t want me to race. I had to work to pay for that. I needed to understand the consequences.”

 

It’s been a big spring and early summer for Pickrel. He returned to the track, graduated from high school – he was home-schooled – and went to work for Sellers Racing. And of course, got his first stock car victory.

 

“I’m working at Sellers Racing, just trying to learn the ins and outs of Late Models, so when I make the jump up it won’t be so expensive. I can work on it myself,” he said.

 

Pickrel is still trying to absorb last Saturday’s win. “It was huge. My mom said she didn’t know if she had ever seen me that excited.”

 

And he believes that win will help fuel return visits to Victory Lane.

 

“Not having a win puts pressure on you. Now with a win, I can work on being consistent,” said Pickrel, who gets sponsorship help from Commonwealth Driver Improvement, Sellers Racing, Midnight Performance, Trophy and Sign Center and Custom Cuts Meat Processors. “And we had a really good car. That should help the next race, too.”

 

That next race comes this Saturday night in a 30-lapper for the Budweiser Pure Stock division. Other action on tap includes a 100-lap Late Model Stock race, twin 25-lap Limited Sportsman races, a 15-lap Budweiser Hornets race, a 25-lap Ground-Pounder race and a 35-lap USAC Eastern Midget race.

 

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. with the first race beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults with children 12 and under admitted free.

 

SBS PR