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JACKSON HUMANIC

Jackson James Humanic1 (born August 19, 1992) is a race car driver. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has been raised and still lives in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Humanic began his racing career in kart AT AGE 8 and he is a five-time top ten finisher in [Pennsylvania Dirt Karting Association] points, three-time top ten finisher in [Tri-City Speedway] points and is the driver of the #17 Chevrolet Monte Carlo dirt oval [ProStock] car. At age 13 Humanic was the youngest driver to ever start a feature race in the 53 year history of [Tri-City Speedway]2, breaking the record previously set by then 14-year-old Jeff Gordon. On May 25, 2008, at age 15, Humanic became the youngest driver to ever win a feature race at that track.

The primary sponsors of the KHR3 race car are Eagle Hoist & Winch Company4, River Salvage Company5, Annie's ShowMobiles6 and Blue Ox Timber7 while [Betts Machine], [UltraGraphix] and [Pennewell Sandblasting] also supplement the team as secondary sponsors. His father, Ken Humanic, is the car owner and president of [Ken Humanic Racing, Inc]., a race team that also owns two [USAR / Hooter's ProCup] and [SuperCup] cars and sponsors the #34 [DBR, Inc. (Darrell Basham Racing]) [ARCA] team car, several late model race cars including those driven by [Darrell Bossard], [Bobby Whitling] and [Max Blair]. KHR also supports other classes of racing with sponsorships such as ProStock race cars #34 driven by [Matt Thomas].

RACING CAREER
Early Career

Jackson Humanic began racing at the age of eight racing dirt oval karts at tracks throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio. [Pine Hill Speedway] in Shippenville, Pennsylvania is noted as the first track Humanic ever competed on. His first time on the track, the 8-year-old Humanic took the KHR kart to victory. Humanic took the #17 kart to the winners circle 16 times over the next five years where his average speed on the 1/8th mile dirt tracks was a little over 33 miles per hour and he achieved speeds of nearly 40 miles per hour. In 2006 Humanic moved from dirt oval track kart racing to dirt oval track ProStock cars.

ProStock Career

At age 13 he became youngest driver to start a race in Tri-City Speedway's history, breaking the previous record held by (then 14-year-old) Jeff Gordon.

The 2006 season-opener race was on April 30, 2006 and Humanic ran a smooth, clean race, finishing on the lead lap in 22nd place out of a 26 car field without incident. The next race he finished 15th and crossed the checkered flag in 12th place the third week. The 4th race of the season offered a preview of where Humanic was heading in his racing career when he won the heat race to put him on the outside pole for the feature and he won the heat race again the following week, proving that it was no fluke. Humanic celebrated his 14th birthday the day before the 10th race of the 2006 season. Prior to the beginning of the 2006 season Humanic and then fellow KHR USAR / Hooter's ProCup and KHR ProStock driver; Gerry Bruce, agreed that Bruce would run the special event races where the competition is more aggressive and less predictable than in the weekly races. This meant Bruce would run five [Detroit Iron Series] races which included a year-end 100 lap race; [AppleFest 100], and Jackson would race the 16 regular season races.

Since Gerry Bruce had been tapped to drive the KHR ProStock in the 100 lap AppleFest race it was Humanic's intention to act as a pit crew member. A couple of weeks before the race, however, Humanic got an interesting offer from Rusty Kellogg, a ProStock driver who could not make the race and who had raced along side Humanic all year. Kellogg offered to let Humanic have the use of his car to try to make the field at the 2006 AppleFest 100 race. If Humanic accepted he would have to install the KHR team's spare engine and drive train and set the car up for the grueling 100 lap event in an extremely short amount of time. Humanic conferred with his dad and team members and it was decided that he could try to make the field for the race.

It was a long shot. All the top contenders from neighboring tracks as well as the top drivers from Tri-City Speedway; 41 cars in all, would be vying for the coveted 26 feature slots. Fifteen drivers would be sent home. Four 8 lap heat races would be run and only the top 4 cars out of 10 cars competing in each heat race would win a place in the feature. In addition, those cars not making the feature by way of the heat races would have a second chance in one of two B Main races, with the top four in each of those races joining the field in the feature. Two drivers would have provisionals for the race, which guarantees them a starting slot due to their status as past track champions. Those two drivers were Gerry Bruce, who won the championship for the KHR team in 2005 and the 2006 track champion, Bobby Whitling, who was also driving a KHR sponsored car. Up against these experienced drivers, Humanic knew he would have his work cut out for him.

Humanic and his crew worked hard and got the car together. On race day there were two cars in the KHR pit; the orange and black #17, piloted by Gerry Bruce, and the #47X car, on which Humanic was pinning his hopes.

There was a drawing (pill draw) for which heat race the drivers would run. Humanic pulled the second heat race and Gerry, the forth. Then the drivers had a second drawing (pill draw) to determine their starting position in each of those races. Bruce pulled the pole position for the heat race in which he would compete. Humanic was not so lucky. He pulled a 7th place starting slot.

When the cars took the track for the heat race Humanic was ready. Out of the gate he moved up to 5th and then, on the 2nd lap made his way to 4th. He dropped back a spot to 5th on the 3rd lap and it looked like he wouldn't make the feature by way of the heat race, but on the sixth lap he gained two places, moving into third and was able to hold that place to assure himself a starting spot in the 2006 AppleFest 100 race!

The KHR Pit was ecstatic! Humanic, at age 14, had done what many felt was impossible. But the hard part was still to come; the punishing 100 lap race.

Humanic started in the 10th place position out of the 41 cars that qualified for the race. He held on to his center of the pack position, staying out of trouble and picking his line, while teammate Gerry Bruce stayed in the top three spots for the entire race. When the dust had cleared and the checkered flag fell Humanic had not only finished the race, but had taken 5th place, only 3 spots behind Bruce! Humanic, his dad and his team were overwhelmed with excitement.

Humanic not only had his best finish of his Pro-Stock racing career, he was named the Atkinson Fire Safety Rookie of the Race.

The 2006 season wrapped up and Humanic proved himself as an upcoming force to be reckoned with on the track. Although he is respectful of other drivers, Humanic is no shrinking violet behind the wheel. He has proven himself to be a contender. At the annual Tri-City Speedway banquet, in January, Jackson was named the 2006 Rookie of the Year. He finished the 2006 season, with help from teammate Gerry Bruce, in the 7th place points slot. The 2007 season he took 10th place in the points for the ProStock division.

For the 2008 season he is once again behind the wheel of the KHR Chevy Monte Carlo ProStock. On May 25, 2008 Humanic, at age 15, made history again at Tri-City Speedway by becoming the youngest driver to ever win a feature race.

Personal Life

Humanic has carried a nickname since he started racing ProStock race cars; The Teenage Sensation. Humanic's parents are Christy Ann Humanic (nee Codori) and Kenneth Joseph Humanic of Titusville, Pennsylvania. He has a younger sister, Malissa Marie Humanic, who is this beginning her own racing career driving dirt oval kart on a limited schedule. Humanic is currently attends cyber school and is home schooled.

ProStock Career Season Results

2006 SEASON RESULTS: Finished in 7th place in points

2007 SEASON RESULTS: Finished in 10th place in points

2008 SEASON RESULTS: Finished in 6th place in points

References

1. Ken Humanic Racing, Inc. website at http://www.kenhumanicracing.com/new_page_3.htm 2. Tri-City Speedway, Inc. website at http://www.tricityspeedway.com 3. Ken Humanic Racing, Inc. website at http://www.kenhumanicracing.com 4. Eagle Hoist & Winch Company, Inc. website at http://www.eandkequipment.com/products.htm 5. River Salvage Company website at http://www.riversalvage.com 6. Annie's Showmobiles website at http://www.anniesshowmobiles.com 7. Blue Ox Timber, Inc. website at http://blueoxtimberresources.com