Michael Self at 9 pm ET on Monday, August 3, 2015 Photo – JD Motorsports Facebook page
Michael Self is our guest on Fan4Racing Fan2Fan NASCAR & Race Talk on Monday, August 3, 2015 at 9 pm ET. Call 714-202-9918 or tweet @Fan4RacingSite @Sal_Sigala or @ZRoethlisberger any questions or comments during our LIVE broadcast.
Hailing from Park City, Utah, and with success as a NASCAR K&N Pro Series driver, Michael Self was happy to make his NASCAR XFINITY Series début this past weekend at Iowa Speedway with JD Motorsports with Gary Keller.
“This is something I’ve looked forward to for a long time,” said Self, 24. “I feel really ready to move up, and I’m doing it with a good team and a great group of guys. I can’t wait to get to Iowa. To become the first person from Utah to compete at the national level of NASCAR means a lot to me. Utah is considered the ’state of sport’ and has been home to Olympians, Super Bowl champs, and pro athletes across nearly every sport and now I get to introduce NASCAR to it.”
A six-time winner in the K&N Pro Series West, Self drove the No. 01, filling in for JD Motorsports regular driver, Landon Cassill for the US Cellular 250. Self’s six K&N West victories span the 2012 and 2013 seasons with him finishing fourth in points in 2013.
For JD Motorsports, putting Self in the No. 01 seat this weekend seems like a good idea. Especially at Iowa Speedway where Self brings an impressive K&N West resume with two wins, four top-five and five top-ten finishes in just six starts at the Newton, Iowa track.
“We’re looking forward to having Michael with us this weekend,” said team owner Johnny Davis. “He’s a young guy, but he has a lot of valuable experience at Iowa, and he’s shown what he can do. We’ll put a good car under him this week.”
After qualifying inside the top-20 at 19th for Saturday’s event, there was plenty of reason for optimism for Self and his team. During the US Cellular 250, Self raced into the top-15, proving his experience at the track held great potential.
The day took a bad turn around lap 175 when Self parked his car after blowing a tire. Self came home with a 32nd-place finish for JD Motorsports in his NASCAR national series début, which was not a true reflection of his performance up to that point.
“Overall, this weekend was incredible for my Xfinity début and first time back in a car in a year and a half,” Self said. “I learned a tremendous amount, and the guys at JD Motorsports were great to work with. We practiced well, qualified inside the top-20, and raced inside the top-15, which was like a win for me.
“Unfortunately, the blown tire really set us back and forced us to settle for a finish we didn’t deserve, but I’m proud of what we accomplished.”
The good news is that Self will return to the XFINITY Series with JD Motorsports for several other races this season, giving him an opportunity to build on his experience this weekend.
In the meantime, Self stays busy within the K&N East as a spotter and driver coach for JJ Haley, who has an impressive début season in progress and is ninth in the series point standings. Self also has extensive karting experience and is a driving instructor at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.