ROBERSONVILLE, NC :: When a driver is the ‘first’ to accomplish something in their career it is often something they will remember forever. That is especially true for Jeff Shiflett.
Shiflett has been racing for more than 15 years and he can add a new trophy to his collection this year as the first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track champion at East Carolina Motor Speedway.
The speedway, located in Robinsville, North Carolina, just completed its first year under the NASCAR banner, and the veteran wheel man took home the first track title under the new partnership.
Shiflett, who also competed in the track’s limited late model division in addition to its premiere late model stocks, finished in the top 10 in all 14 starts at the track last season with 13 top-five finishes, highlighted by four runner-up showings.
“We had a great year and we had a lot of good competitive cars throughout the season,” Shiflett said. “Although we didn’t get a win, we led laps and finished second to Deac (McCaskill) a couple of times and he is one of the best late model drivers on the East Coast.”
Despite not getting a win during the regular season, Shiflett got to celebrate in Victory Lane when it counted the most after clinching the track championship. The veteran proved consistency matters in the weekly racing series.
“I won a lot of races when I ran on dirt tracks years ago and even won 12 races in a row back in 1999,” Shiflett added. “We decided to move to asphalt in 2000 and we have run very good at times. We had a great season last year and it’s an honor to win a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship at East Carolina. To finish in the top five 13 out of 14 races really says something about our team and I am proud of how hard everyone worked to get this title this year.”
The .375-mile high-banked track offered challenging competition throughout the season and was the only Friday night NASCAR-sanctioned track in North Carolina last season. The facility, located about 90 miles east of Raleigh, brought some of the best late model stock drivers from the southeast in for races and Shiflett welcomed the challenge.
“Although our car count was a little low at times, we had some really good drivers competing and that just got better with more cars as the season went along and I expect it to only get better next season at the track,” Shiflett said. “My crew chief Gary Hamlin and crew members Joe Zentovich and Colin Pippen jumped in and worked hard to give me a great car each week. I really appreciate all of their help and dedication to our team.”
In addition to his volunteer crew, Shiflett made it a family affair with his wife Sheila spotting for him each week and daughter Sarah always there to lend a hand.
“One of the great things about racing in NASCAR is that you can have your whole family involved and it was great to celebrate together in Charlotte,” Shiflett added. “It was a special year for us and to have my family there with me is something I will always remember.”
Shiflett was rewarded with recognition alongside champions from each of the 58 NASCAR-sanctioned tracks at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards on Dec. 12 in the Charlotte (North Carolina) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“NASCAR does a top-notch job making the event really special and it was a great experience for us to go to Charlotte and represent East Carolina at the banquet,” Shiflett said. “We are already working to get back to the track next year and race for another championship.”
