Following the footsteps of multiple NASCAR stars coming from road-race karting, late model standout Jacob Engle will make the move to the ARCA Racing Series in 2014, driving for Mooresville, North Carolina based team, Empire Racing. At just the ripe age of 21 years old, this young man has done everything on his own, building and organizing his own late model team for the past three seasons, and making a name for himself on the racetrack at the same time.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Empire Racing next season,” explained Engle. “They had great results last year and I’m confident that with the relationship between Roush-Yates Engines and Empire we are going to have a very successful program.”
“We were introduced to Jake this past summer at a charity military event at Myrtle Beach Speedway,” said John Bellesfield from Empire Racing. “He is a talented driver with a great relationship with his marketing partners which is something that is hard to find today in racing so we are looking forward to a successful 2014.”
The deal with Empire Racing also includes the potential for some starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series next season as well. Running the ARCA cars and getting used to bigger cars on bigger race tracks will give Jacob the experience he needs for to move up through the NASCAR ranks.
While growing up in Southern California, Jacob cut his teeth racing go-karts in the San Diego Karting Association (SDKA), US Karting Championship, International Karting Federation (IKF), Stars of Tomorrow, and the World Karting Association (WKA). Engle was dominant, winning 159 races in just 286 career starts, an amazing 56% winning percentage. Jacob picked up an SDKA Championship and three WKA Championships in his time racing karts from the ages of 10-16.
In 2008, Engle made the move to full bodied stock cars, racing super late models at Orange Show Speedway and Irwindale Speedway. In 2009 and 2010, Jacob ran full time in the ASA Late Model Series, picking up his first career win at Orange Show Speedway. Over the next five seasons, Jake raced his super late model at some of the biggest races in the country including the All-American Showdown at Irwindale and the Myrtle Beach 400, getting top-15’s in both races.
In 2011, Jacob made the move from El Cajon, California to the home of NASCAR, Mooresville, North Carolina, where he competed in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Myrtle Beach Speedway. All told in his late model career, Jacob made a total of 60 starts picking up three wins, four poles, 24 top-fives, and 58 top-tens.
The off season is a short one in racing, especially for the ARCA Racing Series teams. The series will hold its official test session this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Engle and his Empire Racing team will get their first opportunity to work together while Engle turns his first ever laps around the famed Super Speedway. Fans can follow along with the team’s progress at www.arcaracing.com starting Friday, December 20th at 9:00AM EST.
Empire Racing PR
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