Jack Croaker continues to turn in good finishes with NOSA
Jul. 20—GRAND FORKS — Jack Croaker pulled into Fergus Falls, Minn., last Thursday to compete in NOSA-IRA sprint car challenge.
He had a tall task. There were 38 sprints present for the first of three legs. And it was a track he'd never visited.
"I don't think any of the sprint drivers there that night had raced there before," Croaker said.
But the East Grand Forks driver seems to be running well no matter where he races these days.
Croaker finished on the podium, grabbing third place in the feature in Fergus Falls. Two nights later in Grand Forks, Croaker added another top-five finish in the $5,000-to-win King of the Wings finale at River Cities Speedway.
"I think it's just confidence," Croaker said of his strong finishes this season. "Everyone's car is the same. Everyone buys the same parts off the shelves. Everyone has nice motors. It's how you carry yourself. If you think you're going to lose, you're going to lose. If you think you're going to win, you're going to win. We're knocking at the door."
Croaker has reason to believe his first trip to Victory Lane is coming soon with his growing list of top-five finishes and his top-10 spot in the NOSA point standings. Croaker enters this weekend seventh.
"You've got to have a strong beginning of the night," Croaker said. "We've been really good in qualifying. We've been really good in heat races. You have to start in a good position in the feature (to have a chance to win). If you start last, it's a hole you can't come out of."
Croaker plans to race in Big Motor Mania at River Cities Speedway on Friday, July 21, 2023.
The event will feature the three largest horsepower cars in this region: sprints, late models and A-Modifieds.
It will mark the first RCS race for the late models since the Greater Grand Forks Fair last month. Dustin Strand holds a three-point edge over Brad Seng in RCS points.
In the sprint division, NOSA drivers will enter the weekend with confidence after dominating last weekend's head-to-head challenge with the IRA tour. NOSA drivers won all three nights. Mark Dobmeier won Thursday in Fergus Falls and Friday in Grand Forks. Austin Pierce won Saturday at The Bullring.
Croaker is eagerly anticipating when that moment comes for him and his team.
Last week, when the track announcer introduced the drivers, Croaker was taken aback by the crowd's reaction.
"I didn't realize there were that many people behind us," he said.
Croaker figures the support is due to a few factors. First, he's a local driver. Second, his main sponsors, Hugo's and Right Temp, have a considerable number of employees in town. Third, his team has made efforts to initiate with the public.
"If we win," he said, "it will be quite a night."
When: 7 p.m. Friday.
Where: River Cities Speedway.
Classes: Sprints, late models, A-Modifieds.
Of note: Late models are returning to the track for the first time since last month's Fair races.
