2/26/2020
RacinBoys
Yaggy set to tackle Lucas Oil MLRA
By Billy Rock (Wheatland, MO) -- Following a devastating roll-over crash that brought what looked to be a promising 2019 campaign to an abrupt halt, Rochester, Minnesota driver Jordan Yaggy is excited and ready to get back behind the wheel and on track in 2020. The 28-year old driver expects to make his season debut when the Lucas Oil MLRA series gets underway April 10th - 11th at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO.
Yaggy and his Arnie Ranta Motorsports team started off strong in 2019 MLRA action, recording an 11th place finish in the "Slocum 50" at 34 Raceway, to go along with a pair of top five finishes at the Davenport Speedway and Stuart International Speedway. "We only ran a minimal schedule in 18' and to come out strong in 19' we were really enthused about that," said Yaggy.
PHOTO: Jordan Yaggy--CREDIT: Lloyd Collins/Fast Track Photos
Like many MLRA regulars, Yaggy knows how challenging it can be to juggle a demanding work schedule while trying to compete at a high level with a national or regional touring series. When not at the track he works operations for the family's trucking business, Yaggy Transportation. "When you get up to the World of Outlaws or Lucas Oil caliber it can be very demanding," said Yaggy. "The appeal to us with the MLRA schedule is that it seems to be a series where a guy can go race professional caliber racers and go to nice tracks, and still tend to your business back home."
After following the WoO Series in 2015, the team has opted to stay closer to home without chasing a series full-time in recent years. "It has been our intent the last couple of years to run more MLRA races. Last year we were really taking a good hard look at running the vast majority of the MLRA schedule until we had our wreck. We are definitely looking at getting back on track this year," commented Yaggy.
Leaving West Liberty Raceway with a destroyed race car last May was a low-point for the father-son racing team, led pit-side by Jordan's dad Steve Yaggy. With a New XR1 Rocket Chassis on order for the upcoming season and Pro Power Racing Engines under the hood, they are looking to return to podium form and grab their first career MLRA win. His Career best MLRA finish came at the Southern Iowa Speedway in 2016, when he crossed the line in second behind eventual series champion Jesse Stovall.
Being forced to the sidelines for the balance of the 2019 season Yaggy said, "It was a huge bummer. We really felt like we had our program in a pretty decent spot, putting some good runs together and were really excited to see how the summer was going to unfold. So to have that wreck happen so early in the year and essentially end our season the first weekend of May, it was definitely a bummer and we were pretty stir crazy throughout the summer."
Surprising as it may be, he is excited for the MLRA's return to the West Liberty Raceway on May, 9th which will mark his second career start and a chance to turn his luck around at the ½ mile facility. In addition, Yaggy commented, "I have grown kind of fond of Davenport Speedway and actually a track I had never been to before last year, Stuart Speedway. That was a fun little track to go to. It seemed like the racing was really good in the feature and I am definitely looking forward to going back there."
Having competed in close to 15 events total over the past two years, Yaggy says the plan for a full schedule this year will only help elevate their all-around performance. "There is no doubt that being in the car more makes you better, and you make smarter decisions both tuning the car and driving the car. It makes everybody a little bit sharper. In 19' we were going to try and make our emphasis the MLRA schedule with a few others sprinkled in, so hopefully we can turn our 2020 in what we were trying to do last year."
Motivated and fueled by both the ups and downs from a year ago, he concluded in saying, "Just the fact that we can run with those guys (MLRA) when we have our program going good, it has been our motivation to get things back together. It sucks the wreck happened when we were running so good, but it's also been our primary motivation to get back out there too."
#77 Crew: Steve Yaggy, Evan Doty, Steve Monohan, & Matt Jedlicka.
Yaggy Motorsports Marketing Partners: Arnie Ranta Motorsports, Tralo Companies, Blaine Brothers Inc., Tim Logan Racing, Yaggy Transportation, Bechers NAPA of Rochester, MN, Pro Polish, BOE Electric, Dillon Radiators, Vaith Cycle.com, Joe Provo Race Wear.com, and North American Trailer.
For all of the latest news and information, including the full 2020 schedule, fans are encouraged to visit the series website at http://www.MLRARacing.com.
Fans may also "like" the Lucas Oil MLRA Facebook page by clicking http://www.Facebook.com/lucasoilmlra or follow us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/MLRA.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott
