Oklahoma-based racer Jeremy Maples is in competition at the U.S. Nationals this weekend for the first time in his career, competing in the 8.90-index Super Comp class. And so far, he is making an impressive Big Go debut, winning the first three rounds of Super Comp, taking out Trevor Larson (round one), Michael Bailey (round two), and Megan Strassweg (round three). His average reaction time for the first three rounds of competition is a .010, so there’s no doubt that he’s here with winning on his mind.
Maples said he knew Indy would be a big race, but he was overwhelmed with the amount of racers here. “I’ve been to a lot of big-money bracket races, but it seems like when we got here on Tuesday the cars just kept rolling in, and rolling in” says Maples. “Then on Wednesday, I was like, ‘are they going to stop?’”
Although this is probably the biggest stage he’s ever raced on, Maples said his mental strategy hasn’t changed much. “My state of mind is pretty much the same, no matter if it’s a big bracket race, a national event or the U.S. Nationals. I like to race the same all the time, but I’m definitely trying my best to stay focused here,” he says. “I do think about the tendencies of people I’m racing when I can, but most of the time I try to stick to the game plan.
“Racing in Indy on Monday would be a dream, but right now we’re just excited about racing on Saturday.”
