RPW Exclusive: Solid Finish At Land Of Legends Showcases Continued Momentum For Jack Lehner

Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – CANANDAIGUA, NY – Jack Lehner came home third in Wednesday night’s Super DIRTcar Series SummerFAST feature at Land of Legends.

The finish is the best of the year in SDS points paying events for Lehner. Earlier in 2023, Lehner came close to a DIRTcar Nationals win in Volusia but fell to Mat Williamson on a last lap pass.

“I feel like we’ve been pretty strong on the tour,” Lehner told RPW. “We started out with DNFs, but we’ve been rolling out top tens, now in the top five the last two night. Feels good to be consistent and make progress like that.”

Lehner drew the second spot for the 60-lap feature. Him and Mike Mahaney were side by side at the start with “The Ginja Ninja” leading lap two on the outside before the race’s lone yellow for Darren Smith and Felix Roy. Restarting as the leader on lap six, he held serve before Mahaney took the lead back next lap.

“I was excited to be on the top, took off and felt really good up there. Right before the caution, I saw Mahaney show a nose on the bottom and didn’t know what I’d do. aI went the bottom to take it away from him. Maybe that wasn’t the right move. We still finished third.”

Tim Fuller nearly took away the bottom step of the podium from Lehner late in the run to the checkers, but it wasn’t enough to stop Lehner.

“I think I saw him show a nose on the outside of four when we were in lapped traffic. I knew Fuller has been excellent lately and knew he’d be coming. Just tried to find grip around the lapped cars and it worked out.”