Jake Hodge: Chasing the Dream

Jake Hodge earns an encore performance with the NHRA, jumps head first into race promotions.

When the NHRA traveling road show rolls into Chicago next week, there will be a familiar voice on the PA system. That’s right, Jake Hodge will take center stage once again at an NHRA national event. After a successful debut at the Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway earlier this year, Jake was asked to join the announcing team at the Route 66 Nationals.

The Route 66 Nationals is a great opportunity for Jake as the nations top sportsman racers will also compete at the Jeg’s Allstars during the weekend. This gives him a second opportunity to showcase his skills on one of the biggest stages of the season.

Jake Hodge: On the Mic article

Knowing Jake, he’ll make the most of the opportunity as he continues to chase his dreams within the racing community. Never one to sit still, Jake had an eventful weekend during his NHRA debut. It started on Thursday when he arrived at the track.

While attempting to get his credentials, he ran into a couple having problems with their RV. Jake jumped into action and diagnosed the problem as a bad starter. In his humble way, he offered to pick up a starter for them and help change it before the race was over. Needless to say, Jake was changing a starter in the late hours of the night after fulfilling his announcing duties.

This is just a small sample of the crazy, wonderful life of a guy that is passionate about drag racing. Jake lives and breathes racing whether he’s crisscrossing the country to announce or jumping behind the wheel of a borrowed car to race. His travels and epic fails have made him internet famous, mostly for the fails.

Wherever he goes, you know something’s going to break and there will be a good story. In the end, Jake continues to build quality relationships with everyone he meets. He’s the person that will drive all night and still help you change a transmission or engine in the holding lot at three in the morning.

There’s a reason that at just 25 years of age, Jake has made such a name for himself. He’s announced at some of the biggest and most prestigious sportsman racing events in the country. From his early days announcing at Muncie Dragway to SFG events and now with the NHRA, Jake has excelled through passion and hard work.

In addition to his racing and announcing escapades, Jake also produces a weekly podcast. Dialed-In with Jake and Zach is a popular podcast that covers the latest news and race results from sportsman drag racing. They routinely interview some of the most intriguing personalities drag racing has to offer.

Now he finds himself on the cusp of joining the NHRA announcing staff on what he hopes could be a permanent basis. An opportunity that would most announcers only dream of. While NHRA has lost some of its luster within the sportsman racing community, it’s still far and away the premier drag racing series.

As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate, Jake recently announced a new project. After working with and observing a number of race promoters over the last couple years, Jake decided to become one. In May, Jake announced the Working Man’s $10 Grands.

The event, designed for the weekend warrior, will be a two-day bracket race at Wagler Motorsports Park August 23-25. To find out more about the event, contact Jake Hodge through his Final Call Promotions Facebook page. DragChamp will release a full event preview in the coming days.