Making History
Her Way
Homestead marks the end of the season for many drivers, but it's really the beginning of the next season for the team owner. Getting sponsors in line, getting drivers under contract and having cars, and/or trucks in
Jennifer Jo Cobb’s position, to race. This can all weigh on how they do during these final weekends.
The Chase might be of importance to the 12 who are involved, but there are many other drivers out there who don’t have the money or sponsors to race a full schedule. Some of the drivers are working on deals throughout the current season to make sure they get as much seat time as possible in the next season.
At
Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing, things are really falling into place. Although she stated in our recent Women in
NASCAR interview that she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed that she wasn’t at least finishing in the top 15 at every event, she is very optimistic in how next year is already lining up.
When Jennifer takes the checkered flag at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, she’ll make NASCAR history in her
LillysCosmetics.com Ford F-150 at
Friday night’
s Ford 200 Camping World Truck Series race. Cobb will surpass
Tammy Jo Kirk as the highest-finishing female in one of NASCAR’s top-three series, boasting 17th in the final point standings.
Jen tweeted from Miami after CWTS Rookie Meeting: Below is the exact tweet. I say it's about time! Final @NASCAR_Trucks rookie mtg. W Auton says take that yellow stripe off and congrats on bein a vet. Rode n Mustang arnd trk w our Champ! 
Underneath the beautiful pink #10
LillysCosmetics.com Ford F-150, pictured above, is the same truck Jennifer ran at both Texas and Darlington, claiming top 15s in both races. You’ll read later that this was actually a point of contention between Jen and Crew Chief Steve Kuykendall.
Jen made this comment on on her website:
"I hope that my team's accomplishments have been an inspiration.
I wanted to prove that you can't let age or gender keep you from
achieving your goals. I don't have the profile of a typical NASCAR
driver, but that never stopped me from chasing my dream. Our
team doesn't have a large budget by any means and we don't have
the resources that some of the larger operations have. We never let
that keep us from believing we could compete against NASCAR's
best. I hope that our accomplishments are an inspiration."
The truck and Jen’s firesuit have gone through a makeover to introduce her newest sponsor in
LillysCosmetics.com. Jen sent me the renderings of her new firesuit, which you can view below.
Renderings of Jen’s new firesuit
I thought this was a great time to sit down with Jen again and talk a little about all these huge changes, with the exciting news of her history-making event and addition of Homestead-Miami sponsor LillysCosmetics.com.
Let's talk about the fine last month for the carb issue. Explain to everyone what happened.
“It's not a big a big deal at all. The carburetor wasn't illegal, it was just overused. It's the same carb we've run all year in the Truck Series. It gets checked in every race. What happens is anytime you have something with holes in it, the more things that go through the whole such as air, fuel and sediments, then those holes are going to eventually erode away.
"The advantage in carburation is that the bigger the hole, the more air and fuel can glow through it and it will go faster. For us, it was just a matter that the holes were wallered out a little bit. If you picture a child’s toy that you put shapes into the holes, after a few thousand times, it gets easier and easier. So, it was not an illegal carb, it had not been tampered with. It was just overused. If it had been tampered with, it would have been a much stronger fine. It's a minimum fine from NASCAR in which they allowed me to pay in two payments. It's been paid and the whole issue is done with.
"A lot of teams get fined and get caught with something. We weren’t doing anything illegal; we just needed a new carburetor, and it's why we were being punished. In hindsight, a new carb would have been less expensive. What I wished would have happened it that we’d gotten a warning. Like, 'Hey guys, this carb is a little overused.’ A lot of times that's what NASCAR does when something is on the edge or on the line, but there was a bit of a crowd around and they want to be as black and white as possible, either it's right or it's not. So like I said, it's not a big deal at all, especially when it's something that's not illegal. The tools just didn't fit perfectly like they use to because it wasn’t brand new anymore."
When we last spoke, you'd talked a about being a little disappointed because you hadn't been finishing in the top 15 each race, which had been a small personal goal you had set for yourself. Now you're being recognized as the highest-finishing female with your run at Homestead. Is this making up for your disappointment, giving a high point on which to move on from into 2011?"Yes, it's really exciting because there is a lot of recognition that is coming right now because of that. Even from higher officials in NASCAR as I had seen a tweet earlier from @SiriusXM128, who tweeted that Wayne Auton (director of the Camping World Truck Series) stated that Jen Cobb will be the highest-finishing female in NASCAR national competition history, she'll finish top 20 in points. So yeah, I definitely think it's something to be proud of.
"If you can look back over your season and say was it enough, I say, 'Hell yeah!' We were there every week. We finished the majority of our races with very few incidents. Our equipment stayed together. We just want more. We’re hungry for more speed and we’re hungry for better finishes. And if we weren’t, we shouldn't be out there. But in hindsight, can we be proud of what we accomplished? Absolutely we can. The best part of it all is you're hungry for competition and you want that speed, but at the end of the day it’s the people that matter. What we have accomplished this year with an amazing crew and even employees we had to let go that I am still in contact with. Still texting on a weekly basis to say ‘good luck’ and ‘how ya doing,’ ‘I got this sponsor prospect for you.’ I think that’s what matters if you run a successful business and you put people first, and work, and better results each and every week, and I figure that’s what’s going to count for longevity.
"As we end the 2010 season, we have more and more sponsor possibilities than I’ve ever had. So it's just my job to capitalize on all of that and work it. I’m so excited going into next year because not only am I being recognized, as a racer that can stay in the top levels of this sport, but as a team owner and as a business we have other drivers that are coming over and saying they want to bring their sponsors, too. I want to race with you.
"Like what we saw with driver Cody Cambensy. Now I’ve got two other potential deals working for Daytona with two other drivers in both ARCA and trucks. So just to see as an entire organization and looking at the big picture, I’d say it was quite a success.”
Cody Cambensy racing for JJCR at Martinsville
Jimi or Star?
“We learned so much and one of the things that we learned, and I learned it weeks ago, but it had to be proven. When Steve called me yesterday and said, 'You finally proved it to me, you’re absolutely right. I didn’t want you to be right. I tried everything I could for you not to be right.' But what we thought was our top-10 truck, Jimi, was not our top best truck. They proved it finally and we made the decision not to take that truck to Homestead. We’re taking another,
Star, that had the two top-15 results. I said that
Star is the truck that has performed better than any. We’ve not had any problems with Jimi, it just doesn’t perform like
Star, with our best finishes. So we’re bringing
Star back out for Miami. I wish we’d done that at Kentucky, Chicago, the 2nd National race, Vegas. We would have much better performance had we, but that’s all part of learning.”
So you landed a new sponsor with Lilly’s Cosmetics, correct?“Yes, I am so excited that finally my two favorite worlds have collided. I love makeup and I love racing. I have lots of friends and fans who love the same. And I’m sure my male fans are annoyed so I’m making sure I throw the technical updates in there as well when we talk about makeup this week.”
Photo credited to Michael MyersIt's just Homestead right now and then we are already talking about stuff for next year.
Finally, how are you feeling going into Homestead?“I’m so excited! I have a new sponsor and a new look! I haven’t have a new firesuit in like three years. So I have a new pink suit, our best truck is being wrapped pink. I get to drive a pink truck which is all about makeup and I think that the fans are going to be excited about it. Please go to
LillysCosmetics.com and help support that great sponsor. You’re going to be in love with the products on there. Momentum into next season all begins at Miami. I am so grateful for a wonderful 2010 season and what a fitting way to wrap it up with a new sponsor.”
CONTEST: Not affiliated with or has any connection to SkirtsandScuffs.com or @SkirtsandScuffs.
Enter to win 2 tickets to the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Daytona race on Friday, Feb. 18, 2011.All purchases from this shoppe on Friday, Nov. 19, will be entered to win.To enter without purchasing, e-mail your name, address, e-mail address and phone number to sllilly@earthlink .net. Enter "Race Tickets" as the subject line.
is proud to sponsor
Jennifer Jo Cobb
in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2010 Season Final Race
Friday November 19, 2010
Affordable Beauty ...
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