Another rung in the ladder

ALLENTOWN - Let's get one thing clear. Jon Henry is a good driver.

His 12 UMP Modified feature wins at various tracks - including four each at Limaland Motorsports Park and Eldora Speedway and another three at Waynesfield Motor Sports Park - confirms his talent.

Even by those standards, though, what happened two weekends ago at Attica Raceway Park was a surprise. In only his second start in the Holcomb Racing Late Model, Henry won the 25-lap feature Friday, July 18.

"We went to Millstream (Speedway in Findlay) and tested it, and it went really well. I got the feel of the car a little bit," Henry said. "They've got a car that no matter what driver you put in there you can go forward, as long as you're patient."

What might surprise those familiar with his usual top-side line in his Mod, Henry ran around the bottom in his Late Model. He made sure to mention that fact.

"I raced the whole time on the bottom. Most people think, ‘Oh, Jon Henry, he only runs the top.' Well, I ran the bottom the whole way," Henry said with a smile.

The next night, Henry took seventh at Oakshade Raceway in the UMP Summer Nationals. Henry set fourth fastest time among the 50 cars qualifying for the 60-lap feature.

The quick start has everyone around Henry smiling and shaking their head.

"We all knew he had potential to win, just not as quickly as it came about," car owner Shane Holcomb said. "We're really pleased with his performance so far."

Jim Henry, Jon's father said, "I said, ‘You're going to have to set your goals a little higher because we just wanted to make the race, and then you go out there and win. So, what are our goals going to be?'"

The driver had goals set for this season. After taking four feature wins in 2007 and a track title at Waynesfield, along with the top spot in Ohio for the UMP Open Wheel Modified, Henry just wanted to win more races.

Currently, he sits first in points at Limaland and Waynesfield, and second at Eldora. He is 12th nationally in UMP standings.

"I try to stay as humble as I can because I don't want to get worked up and get a big head," Henry said. "I do thank God for everything, giving me all of the opportunities. I try to stay humble to Him because if this isn't what He wants me to do, then I won't do it."

The Halcomb operation is based out of Bluffton, just 10 minutes away from Henry's home in Ada. When his driver quit midway through this season, Halcomb took the easy choice and tabbed the local driver.

Halcomb Racing has two cars, with another Late Model driven by Aaron Scott.

"Jon's a very smooth driver. He relaxes when he gets out there in the lead. That's what it takes to win races," Holcomb said. "There are other people who get the lead and they lose focus."

For now, Henry is focused on the Modified. He plans on running the Late Model in a few more races, particularly the World 100 at Eldora.

He's got the Modified points titles at three different tracks in his sights, which would be another nice feather in his cap.

"I've been watching (the points). We're up there, so we'll keep pushing it as hard as we can. If we fall off, eh, no big deal," Henry said. "Finishing in the top-5 would be great. Winning it would be even better."

Next year, though, is a different story. Henry plans on giving the Late Model a fulltime whirl, which brings a whole new set of goals.