Engine Woes Plague King, But Determination Remains

Michael King Jr. has endured a rough summer in his No. 14jr dirt late model.

MANY, La. – A frustrating summer stretch for Michael King Jr. in his family-owned dirt late model continued with the Mississippi State Challenge Series at Sabine Speedway.

King was originally slated to contest a doubleheader with the regional tour, but ended up only being able to race the Friday portion of the weekend after problems right at the start.

During qualifying at the quarter-mile dirt oval, King hurt the engine in his No. 14jr, forcing he and his team to go into conservation mode for the rest of the program.

Though he was able to complete his heat race in fourth and start the 30-lap feature, King was only able to complete six laps before retiring the car to prevent further damage, ending with a 19th-place finish.

“It’s crazy the kind of luck we’ve run into … going all the way back to last year, really,” said King. “It’s the kind of things that happen in racing, but to have them stack up the way they have against us has really been a challenge. It just seems like no matter what we do, we can’t catch a break right now no matter which way we turn.

“As soon as we got through qualifying at Sabine I knew something didn’t feel right with the motor; it’s one of those things that you sometimes can tell as a driver,” he added. “We creeped in, but that killed our night overall. We were able to at least get the start money, but it certainly wasn’t what we wanted out of the night and hate it took us out of the Saturday race [at Super Bee Speedway] as well because that’s a track I’ve always been confident at.”

With limited track time all season due to numerous rainouts and the schedule from his full-time job, King’s main focus is on a complete reset once engine parts are available to get his car fully repaired and back on track.

“At this point, it’s been a whole lot of ‘not racing’ more than anything,” he noted. “You see it happen even with the professional guys, but it’s tougher on a family team like ours that doesn’t have the name to be able to lean on during the rough times. It’s certainly been a challenge that affects not just me, but the entire team during a stretch like we’ve had.

“It makes it difficult to stay focused at times, when you’re not able to race for two or three weeks at a time … and then when you are racing, you’re having to fix things instead of being able to work on those small bits of finding speed and continuously getting better,” King continued. “It’s not a lack of effort, though. That’s one thing we can assure … and we’re determined to come back that much stronger.”

King would like to thank APE Engines, PPG Paint, Thurmon’s Heat & Air, M&A Wrecker Service, Advanced Specialized Services LLC, Black’s Metals of El Dorado, Hartman Walsh Industrial Services, J&J Motorsports, M&A Wrecker Service, ML Performance, Next Level Designs, SUPE, Team 5 Enterprise, Team Forty-Eight Motorsports, Thrifty Liquor, Stratosphere Design Studios, Race Face Brand Development, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their partnership and continued support.

His next race date will be determined and announced once engine repairs are complete.

About Michael King Jr.

Michael King Jr. is a 24-year-old dirt late model and dirt modified racer from Paducah, Ky., who now calls El Dorado, Ark., home. He’s in his eighth season of racing with his family-owned and operated team, spearheaded by his parents – Michael Sr. and Leslie.

King started in the front-wheel drive class in 2018, collecting 14 wins in his rookie season, including highlight victories during the Louisiana State Championship Race at Boothill Speedway and the Spooky 50 weekend at Super Bee Speedway.

He advanced into Limited Modifieds in 2019, and has racked up eight victories in the class, as well as the 2020 Super Bee Speedway track championship.

His late model tenure took off in 2022, and he debuted with the Titan Legends Late Model Series the next year, where he contended for rookie-of-the-year honors and narrowly missed out to Preston Farmer. King has also made two appearances at the prestigious Gateway Dirt Nationals in St. Louis, Mo.

King’s family is no stranger to racing, either, as his mother Leslie is a longtime shock builder under the ShocKing Shocks banner.

He counts dirt late model legend Don O’Neal and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson among his racing inspirations, and away from the racetrack, King is a supporter of the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation’s efforts in the fight against pediatric cancer.

Visit King’s website at https://michaelkingracing.com/ for more information.