JACKSONVILLE, NC – Dustin Jolly, following in the footsteps of his older sister, Abby, is setting new goals for his racing career in 2022 with hopes of finding victory lane at Goodyear All American Speedway.
Jolly, 18, from Swansboro, North Carolina, picked up six podium finishes at the Jacksonville track last season, including two runner-up finishes. Jolly feels confident entering the 2022 season, his second full season of racing, and hopes everything he’s continued to learn will pay off.
“It’s just a matter of time and learning,” Jolly said. “I think, this season, I should be able to win. What I learned off the track, hopefully I can apply on the track. It would mean everything to get that first win. It would be a lot of stress relieved. Once you get it, it’s easier to get more.”
This weekend, Jolly will race in the U-CAR division at Goodyear All American Speedway – his first race of the 2022 season. After a strong 2021 season, Dustin and his father, Joe, continued to work on the car in preparation for a busy 2022 season and Saturday will be the first opportunity to see if the preparation will pay off.
“This weekend is more about dialing in the car and see if the changes we made are for the good or the bad,” Jolly stated. “We’re kind of figuring it out for this race and hopefully it will positively affect the car, but only time will tell.”
Dustin’s older sister, Abby, has been racing since 2018. Last year, she moved to Georgia, where she has continued to race on occasion, and Dustin began racing full-time after driving some in 2020.
“Abby’s definitely a big reason why I’m racing,” the younger Jolly sibling said. “I’ve always liked racing my whole life, but I didn’t get into it until I was 16 or 17 though.”
Since getting in the car, Jolly has steadily progressed as a driver, learning more about the car and its handling, becoming a contender, and even scoring a pole last season at Goodyear All American Speedway.
“I’ve learned how to control the car more and get feel for the car,” Jolly explained. “Feeling what it would want to do, going just a little harder and not pushing it too hard – because that just slows me down.”
Jolly developed an interest in racing when he would go to Darlington Raceway with his father and sister to attend NASCAR races at the historic South Carolina track. Prior to the Jolly siblings racing, Joe Jolly was a sponsor on Chris Burns’ Late Model when he competed in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series in 2017.
Saturday’s race will be the first race of the calendar year for the U-CAR division at Goodyear All American Speedway. The race is the second race and the penultimate race for the division in the Winter Heat Series – where Jolly sits fourth in points.
Tickets are available for Saturday’s race at the gate for $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/military/students (with ID), $5 for youths ages 6-12 and kids five (5) and under free. Grandstands open at 12pm and the green flag drops at 2pm. Chargers, Legends, Bombers, and Bandoleros will also be in action.
Goodyear All American Speedway is Jacksonville’s Action Attraction featuring racing and other events. For more information about Goodyear All American Speedway, check out the speedway’s website, like/follow “Goodyear All American Speedway” on Facebook, or follow the track on Instagram.
