UMP Dirtcar Racing's Jon Henry Leads the American Late Model Series' Points
- 19 Aug 2011
"Racing has been in my family before I was even born. My dad and Grandpa grew up racing Modified Midgets together. My dad also raced three wheelers, and UMP modifieds while my grandpa raced stock cars, sprint cars, and the old Modifieds back in the day," says Jon.
Henry started racing go-carts when he was 12, then, at age 14, he jumped into a Modified Midget and competed at Waynefield Raceway in Waynesfield, OH. That time in the driver's seat was short lived. By the time Jon turned 15, his dad started racing UMP Modifieds at tracks around Ohio, mainly Limaland and Eldora. Sill not old enough to jump in the seat, Jon already had the itch to drive so he did the next best thing and became a "wrench" for the team. Finally, in 2002 at age 16, Jon got his opportunity for his debut in the seat. He recalls, "We went to Montpelier, IN. I had no practice what so ever so I had to just jump in and go race. I remember hot laps were awful. I got through the heat race in one piece and had to start on the front row of the B-main. The front row is definitely not a good place for a rookie. I went into turn one and spun out in front of the entire field. I had some damage but I was able to continue but unable to transfer to the A-main." After that harrowing start, he returned to the track a couple more times that year and continued to improve. In 2003, after only his fourth time in a UMP modified, Jon was able to win his first race at Waynesfield Raceway on an exciting last-lap pass coming out of turn four! Then finally, in 2004, Jon Henry was able to put his first full season in modified racing under his belt. "It took a lot of ups and downs to find success," admits Henry. "In 2007, I won my first track championship at Waynesfield. I followed that season up with 17 wins and a championship at Limaland in 2008 and also got in opportunity to race a UMP Late Model for Halcomb Racing out of Bluffton, OH." In 2009 Halcomb racing and Jon Henry raced full time and were able to win 10 races and the American Late Model Series Championship and Rookie of the Year, which made history for the first champion to be a rookie! Henry Racing was back, after Halcomb and Jon split ways in 2009 and Jon purchased his own late model. "We struggled a lot in 2010, as I still split time from the late model and the modified. Our late model program was in the new stages and we really had a lot of learning ahead of us. After an up and down season I was still able to grab my fourth straight championship in a modified at the one and only Eldora Speedway. That championship got away from me in 2008 as I finished 2nd but two years later I finally got it" Henry speaks of his proud moment. Jon Henry Racing Ltd. was established in the beginning of 2011 when the family realized they needed to start treating their racing endeavors more like a business instead of a hobby. Since then JHR has been able to knock off 12 wins, 24 Top-Five finishes and 26 Top-Ten finishes in 30 races. Jon is also on track to win his fifth straight championship as the team is currently leading the American Late Model Series, a championship he also won in 2009. Jon also adds "I have also started a program called "Share the Experience" which shares the ups and downs of racing in order to bring those experiences to fans, affiliates and young drivers for development. I have three cameras on my car ever night I race and I put a lot of hours editing these videos so all my fans can continue to follow our success even if they couldn't be at the track. Check it out at jonhenryracing.com" Jon's success has not come easy. It's taken a lot of hard work and great people & products behind him. K&N Filters has been involved with JHR since 2008. "I introduced myself to the K&N team in 2008 at the PRI show in Orlando Florida. Since then we have built a great relationship and have continue to produce winning results together. The most important part of making our engines last longer is by keeping dirt out, and that's what K&N is able to do for us." Jon gets much needed support from his Father and Mentor, Jim Henry, adding, "my dad puts his heart and soul into our program and is the main reason I'm on the track." Jon also relies on childhood friend John McClain, "he's been good friend since we were kids and has always been around for a helping hand." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
