Kansas Double Represents A Role Reversal For Jake Timm

Jake Timm (Emily Schwanke photo)

CONCORD, N.C. – Throughout his freshman campaign with the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTvision, Jake Timm has been the one flying blind.

Most of the schedule is made up of tracks Timm had never seen until this year, and he’s been tasked with beating drivers who have been ripping around them for years.

Next weekend, however, the roles will be reversed.

Many of the veterans on tour have little to no laps around Humboldt Speedway or 81 Speedway given the short history of Super Late Model racing at both tracks, but not Timm.

The Sunflower State has been a regular battleground for the United States Modified Touring Series for decades, giving the Modified standout plenty of chances to tackle both facilities.

The first stop of the weekend at Humboldt on Friday, Oct. 3, is extra special for Timm as the site of one of the most thrilling nights of his career. The quarter-mile oval wasn’t one of his best tracks in his first handful of starts there, and Timm’s trajectory didn’t seem much different on the final night of last year’s USMTS visit, when he rolled off 14th in the feature.

But that was when things started to click.

“Qualifying didn’t go so hot, we drew bad and had to start in the back of the heat,” Timm recalled. “I kind of remember starting the night out thinking we had a stacked heat. I was starting last row or something, thinking, ‘Man, this night’s going to suck. We’re probably going to have to take a provisional and just do the best we can.’ I was thinking top 10 [or] top five would be really good for where we started the night.

“Things just kept falling our way, we had a really good car and I was able to march my way up through there in the heat and the feature. The last few laps were just really fun. I had to chase down the leader a ways, and then I caught him and passed him, but then the third-place car ended up going around both of us. Slid him in the last corner for the win.

“It was fun; it was pretty exciting. I think I only had the lead for that one lap.”

The Winona, Minn., native hasn’t yet found victory lane two hours down the road at 81, where the Outlaws will go to battle on Saturday, Oct. 4, but he’s been relentlessly knocking on the door for the past half-decade. In seven USMTS appearances since 2021, Timm has finished second or third five times.

“That place can be tricky,” Timm said. “I feel like it’s been a pretty different track almost every time I’ve been there. It generally gets a little bit of character to it, which can make it tricky and really changes the lines from one night to another. It seems like it’s not super consistent, so every night is kind of its own. Obviously, there’s lines that work better than others usually, but some character and stuff can kind of get in the way sometimes. I’m excited to go there for sure, because I’ve got quite a few laps around it compared to most running the tour.”

While Timm’s primary focus in 2025 has been chasing the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws, he still takes advantage of some of the breaks in the schedule to return to his open-wheel roots.

Timm picked up a win on one of those occasions on Aug. 30 at Deer Creek Speedway, where he raced from 14th to finish ninth in the track’s season finale, the $15,000-to-win Fall Jamboree.

“It’s a lot more laid back when we go Modified racing now,” Timm said. “It’s a lot more just for fun. Obviously, we want to run good and try to win money, but there’s no points pressure or anything like that. It’s definitely a lot more laid back than when we go Outlaw racing. But we have plans to put that aside going forward and put all our eggs in the late model basket.

“I’m really just trying to enjoy it and soak up some of my last modified races here for the year.”

As much as Timm loves modified racing, he knows that becoming a household name in the late model ranks will require him to put 100 percent of his effort into that side of his program. He also knows that success at the pinnacle of the sport isn’t going to come overnight, and his rookie year is merely the first step in a long-term process.

Timm’s current position of 13th in the standings with four top 10s on the year isn’t where he wants to be, but it’s all part of laying a foundation to build on in the future.

“It’s discouraging at times, that’s for sure,” Timm said. “The guys are so good, if you’re off just a touch, it looks like a lot. We’ve just been trying to build our notebook and learn as much as we can, so when we go back next year, we give ourselves a better chance.

“It’s definitely frustrating at times, but when you have a decent run, it makes it feel that much better,” he added. “It’s a balancing act, and we’re just out here trying to get better each and every race.”