We sat down with Jackson Denton after Round 7 of the Cook Out Summer Shootout, fresh off winning his fourth UNC-Charlotte Young Lions feature. Now, he’s the 2023 Young Lions Summer Shootout Champion, after winning five features! His goal is to follow his favorite driver’s footsteps and one day race on the biggest stages of NASCAR. And as you'll read, he may be gunning to drive the famed no. 24.
Hometown: Port Orange, Florida
Number: 124
Division: Young Lion Legends
Team: Team VIP
Favorite Movie: Top Gun
Favorite Vacation Destination: Florida Keys
1. In a three-way race, who would win between Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon?
Jeff Gordon, I’m a big Gordon guy. He is also one professional driver that I would want to meet.
2. Video games or being outdoors?
Video games, iRacing specifically. Driving Daytona is my favorite track on iRacing.
3. Favorite place to eat around Charlotte Motor Speedway?
Cook Out, for sure.
4. If racing was nonexistent, how would you be spending your time instead of racing at the track?
I would be playing football.
5. What makes Jackson Denton different from other race car drivers?
The mentality, how determined I am to win.
6. Has this summer racing and at the Cook Out Summer Shootout given you a clearer vision of how you see your racing career panning out?
Yes, I had a good interview that got a bunch of views about talking about a pro-late model. Then, I won four out of the seven [at the shootout] so the better I do in the series and in the INEX points the better shot I have at going pro (Denton went on to win five or the 10 rounds).
7. Adding on, what have you learned from the Cook Out Summer Shootout about racing?
I’ve learned how to pass. The Cook Out Summer Shootout is better because everyone uses their bumpers. I’ve learned how much space you have behind you. Most racers just shove their nose in there and it really won’t be there, so you have to learn to stick with it and don’t let up on people.
8. Most drivers drive with 2-digit car numbers, why did you decide to go with the number 124?
I used to race go-karts, and I was 24 because of Jeff Gordon. There were many cars with 24’s, so in go-karts I decided to put the 1 in front of it, because you’d have to put an x or a decimal, one of those little things. Then 124 just stuck, so that is my number now.
9. What is your favorite garage activity before or post-race?
Definitely, a pre-race handshake from my crew chief. It’s a two-clap, two fist bump, handshake, dap up, and fingers up.
10. What’s your relationship like with your crew chief? Is he a mentor to you?
Amazing, he’s awesome. He’s 19 so we get along. He is a mentor, he used to race [as well], so he keeps me going.
11. Fifty years from now, how would you want to be known?
Most NASCAR Championship wins.
12. What’s your goals in racing and beyond?
The ultimate goal is to be a millionaire and my parents can retire comfortably. I want to go down as being really good in late models and the big goal is to race NASCAR.
13. Who is currently your favorite NASCAR driver?
Kyle Larson is my favorite driver ever since he started in the 42 he was my favorite. Then he had to leave and go to dirt. He came back and won the championship so I don’t think you can get much better than he is.
14. Who do you race for and why did you choose racing?
I race for Jim Smith and Chase Lloyd of VIP Racing. I race for them because they’re from Florida, that’s who I started out with in racing. They are very affordable compared to other teams.
15. Even deeper than that, who do you really race for when you put on that helmet?
Really racing makes my dad proud. For everything he does for me, all the money he spends. That’s why the ultimate goal is to win a championship to see a big smile on his face.
16. When you first started racing, why did you ultimately choose it as your sport?
It really started out when I was five, when I was just getting into sports. Whenever the motor fires up, everything else leaves and the adrenaline starts rushing, it just feels like the sport for me.
17. In seven rounds thus far at Charlotte Motor Speedway, you’ve won four UNC-Charlotte Young Lions victories. What do you attribute to your recent successes?
Definitely my team. The track is really technical and you need a good car for this track. It changes up a lot during the day when it gets tighter and closer to the nighttime when it gets loose. In the daytime the track is hot, so I really just like the adjustments my team makes. We know what to do when we need to do it, and that’s how we win.
18. If you were to race on any track in the world, where would it be?
Daytona. The Daytona 500 is the big thing. That’s my ultimate dream, it’s so close to home for me too.
19. What do you think is different about U.S. Legends than other car divisions?
U.S. Legends obviously is a huge series; I think that we have a lot of talent. There’s going to be some good people that are going to go pro, there’s a lot of money wrapped in here. I think that out of any other series, we will have more drivers go pro from U.S. Legends.