Column By: MIKE TRAVERSE / RPW – MIDDLETOWN, NY – When you have a successful business that thrives in the summer, it means that work takes top priority. It can make it difficult to devote time to outside activities that coincide with the season. This would of course include racing.
This has been the case for Jay Silvernail, proprietor of Jay’s Pool Service of Middletown, NY. With the busy summer season, Jay has had very little time to devote to racing the past couple of years.
But for 2023, Jay is forming a plan that will get him back behind the wheel of his very awesome looking #36J.
“For this year, I plan on running the 6 Rookie Sportsman races at Orange County and Friday nights, I’m going to try to hit the Rookie races at the Accord Speedway. Having my own pool business, that takes priority over race cars and racing. Last year, I didn’t get to race nearly as much as I would have liked to. On the other hand, my son (Sportsman racer Jared Miller) is the main focus racing wise, so without the pools, there’s no racing for him.”
The six-race Rookie schedule works out well for Jay’s work schedule.
“That schedule definitely works out well for me as tentatively right now on my pool schedule, I marked all those days off. So hopefully, I will get the shot to run those races. But if push comes to shove, I have to put the business first.”
It was a spotty season for Jay in 2022 with just a couple of OCFS and Accord appearances.
“I raced a couple of times last year. Middletown, it was twice, I never actually made it into a feature. Once I wrecked in warmups and the other time was mechanical. Up at Accord, I ran a couple of times, finished one but had mechanical problems the other one.”
Jay got his start in racing as many racers do, helping out on a car as a youth.
“I started working on Pat Kelly’s Street Stock years ago while I was in high school. I ran his car several times at Accord in the Rookie class. I took it out in warmups at Middletown a few times. It was after that when I bought my own Go Kart. I raced many years with the kart and won a few championships. Raced at the Thunderdome Indoors, my favorite place to run. Raced at Oakland Valley, Mid Hudson Speedway in Poughkeepsie. We traveled around the northeast tour and did very well there, finishing in the top 3 in points.”
As a goal for 2023, Jay would like to take a checkered flag at the place he got his racing start at.
“I would really like to win one up at Accord. I started racing with Go Karts many years ago. Moved up through the ranks there. It would be really nice to win one with the big cars. Ultimately, it’s everyone’s dream to stand in Victory Lane at Middletown, but that might be tough.”
While he still is working on his stock car driving skills, Jay pays attention to who he is around and watches their approach.
“At this point in time, being so new to the big cars, I try to find someone out there that I can kind of pattern myself after. One night, up at Accord, I pulled out in back of Cody Higbie and I thought what a perfect opportunity. He is one of the best Sportsman drivers out there right now. I was thinking that this is great, I’m going to see a good line around this place. But the car wouldn’t stay in high gear. I followed behind in low gear for a couple of laps and pulled off before I was run over.”
One of the things that Jay finds appealing about racing is the feeling of being in control on the track.
“The ultimate racing experience for me is being out on the track and being in control of your own destiny. In racing, it’s a sport that you can say I. Most other sports are team sports where you depend on other people. We racers still depend on our crew and sponsors and so on. But ultimately, it’s you, the race car and the track.”
Jay has a number of sponsors on his car which includes Ralph Davis Welding, G. Richard Truex Plumbing and Heating, M & H Tractor, Brian Smith and Superior Remodeling, Ted’s Racing Photos (Ted Schmidt and AJ Yabroudy), Pools Plus, BKR Fabrications (Benny Rizzo), JAS Motorsports (in memory of Jaden Abel Matos) Designs, Jay’s Pool Service, Accurate Collision, Neighbor R/X Pharmacy, Hig Fab Chassis and Hollywood Towing & Auto.
Crew members are Marc Armotto, Raeleigh, Jay’s wife Casie, Jason, Martha, Megan, Jesse, Alexa, Jay Baker, and AJ.
Jay sends out special thanks to Mom & Dad, Tim & Tom Brown, Daniel-Son, Steve Heater, Dom Roselli, Tim Hindley, Dan Creeden, Russell Sharp, Signs and Graphics by Lenny (Lenny Dickson) and Simplicity Designs (Ryan Sacco).
Hopefully, Jay’s schedule will allow him to get on the track in 2023. As you can see from the number of people involved with his team, he is a very popular person around the OCFS and Accord pit areas. Rightfully so as Jay is a great guy.
Good luck to the Silvernail Motorsports team in 2023!!
