Jay Middleton Announces Retirement after ASA SAT Championship

FLORIDA STOCK CAR RACING Complainers Corner
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SAW THIS ON 4m.net

24-Year Old to Step Out of the Drivers Seat
Some racing careers can last for several decades. Guys like Morgan Shepherd, Harry Gant, and James Hylton have pushed the driving age into the 50s and 60s. So when a young driver like Jay Middleton announces his retirement at the age of 24, you might wonder what is going on?

Recently, Middleton was involved in an on-track incident in ASA Southeast Tour competition with Taylor Satterfield. Middleton was victim of retaliation fueled by contact from Middleton earlier in the race that sent Satterfield in the wall. When the dust settled a few laps later, both Middleton?s car and Satterfield?s car sat wrecked in the first turn at Watermelon Capital Speedway (GA). Words were exchanged after the race between the two pit crews and penalties where handed out by ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour officials. So why the retirement? ?Because I am getting older and they?re taking 18-year-old drivers into Cup,? said Middleton. "With the economy the way it is, NASCAR is going to have a tough time trying to keep up with it. I have been taking a lot of different things into account and it was just time for me to make a change and go back to school.?

And then there was the Satterfield incident?

?It?s really not anything to do with Taylor (Satterfield). It?s more of the actions of the series. We got the exact same penalty as Taylor Satterfield and that?s not right. It?s just the last thing on a long list of things that I don?t agree with in racing. There?s really no way to protect ourselves and I just can?t allow my destiny to be handled by other people that don?t have my best interest in their heads.?

Racing is a hard sport and it?s not for the weak. Even those who deal with it for years get worn down by the uncertainties that can accrue on a race track. Economically, it?s a good decision for someone who has the resources like Middleton. With plans to return to the University of Florida for a law degree, Middleton says the cost of funding a Late Model program for a dream of one day racing in NASCAR is no longer appealing.

Jay Middleton won three race on his way to the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour championship. After the final race he has decided to hang up his helmet. (51 Sports Photo)?I?m going to go back to school and if I work hard, I?m going to get to a job that I?m going to make a lot of money and be very happy. If I work hard in racing, I might just get pushed around and beat up for the rest of life and never really get anywhere past where I am right now. At 24, with a wife and talking about starting a family, I just can?t justify taking abuse anymore.?

Middleton won three races this season driving for Mike Cope Racing. The combination of Cope and Middleton was a great fit as they logged six top-five finishes, and nine top-10 finishes. Along with the series championship, Middleton also won the Carolina Clash regional title and finished second in the other two as well. ?We?re going out as champions. We?ve been at a crossroads for a little while and I?m glad we came back, ran for this championship and won it. It wasn?t easy. We overcame everything and they?re not going to take that away from us.?

Don?t expect Middleton?s decision to be one of many retirements either. He?s ready to exit the sport and doesn?t plan on changing his mind anytime soon.

?This is a real deal and I?m not even interested in trying to do a whole lot in racing anymore,? added Middleton. ?It?s just too messed up of a system with the way things are running right now. There is really no one looking out for racers except for racers and racers don?t want to take care of each other because they?re [too much] in competition with each other.?

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Just like a little puppy;
Sit, now I said sit----and stay!(think he’ll stay?)

Let’s just see how long this self imposed quitting last.
Not long, I’ll bet.
24 years old, and he’s pissed off.

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When we began the yearly Pete Orr Sportsmanship Award in 2004, our first recipient was Jay Middleton.

Over the years this young man has always made us proud of him and thought he represented what the award stood for. There has never been any doubt that we made the right decision then, and still think that despite all of the elements of racing that at times conspire to bring out the worst in people, Jay Middleton is a class act who will do well in life whatever path he chooses.

He represents the best of the youngsters who have come up through the ranks of Florida racing in the last decade.

-Jack Smith

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Jack is right, Jay is a class act. I know he has gotten alot of bad deals over the years but I think Jay will make a fine lawyer and a great dad. I am very proud of Jay and always have been but he knows that.

Good luck Jay in law school and when you do finally have that little one on the way, please let me know.

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After watching this guy race the last few years I would have to say this guy got what he deserves from Satterfield.I can’t remember watching a race where Middleton didn’t wreck someone or at least try.Speedfest a couple years ago when he flat out wrecked Ben Rowe on a restart shows a lot of class.Will this post be deleted because I don’t agree with the chief?

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This an odd one to comment on. In no real order, here is what I thought when I read about the retirement of Jay Middleton.

  1. That sound you hear in the background is no one caring.
  2. I did like that Redneck Pepper seasoning I bought at Lakeland to support Jay.
  3. Why did Jay give all the chicks at Lakeland a free shirt and not me? After all, I bought his seasoning and they didn’t.
  4. I guess he didn’t want to be a racer very bad or he’d still race at a hometrack or, perish the thought, the Sunbelt Series.
  5. Is that all that kids coming up care about, making it to NA$CAR? And if they can’t, they give up? Does no one want to be a great short track driver?
  6. How many other drivers feel washed up by their mid-20s?
  7. That’s one less super late model driver for our quickly drying up ranks in this state.

I was never overly impressed with Jay’s driving but the few times I met him I liked him and I did buy stuff off his sponsor to support Jay (the redneck pepper, not his family’s medical sales company). I even had Jay autograph the seasoning container and I waved the dumb thing in the air every time Jay passed someone at Lakeland. I didn’t wave it much. :slight_smile:

I see Travis Kittleson selling everything he owns and taking any (generally bad) ride thrown at him just to drive and try to make his dream a reality. That’s someone that wants to be a racecar driver.

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I agree with your points Tripper. The thing about it was he came into the sport with the money/backing and just had to work on driving and when it became apparent he wasnt going anywhere he packed up his toys and left. Probably the smart thing to do financially, but ironically it also shows probably why he didnt make it.

He’s a smart kid and a likeable one too, but seemed to me like he was dabbling in it.

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Typical of todays young-racer mentality. Too many people think they can throw a bazillion dollars at a short track team, catch the eye of someone like Gibbs or Childress and become the “next Joey logano” (note: used to be the next Jeff Gordon theory).

The truth is, they aren’t looking for someone with talent. They are looking at someone who can write big fat checks, bring in a sponsor, pay for all the stuff they wrecked along the way… and, oh yeah, win a race the first year.

Jay got in this for the wrong reasons… not to be a good short-track racer, but to be picked up into the big leagues. When it didn’t happen, he took his ball and went home.

What a shame guys can’t be happy being a good local racer anymore. If it ain’t Nascar, it ain’t worth doing?

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I know a guy who used to be a young racer. He quit and went to college, got married, started a family, but got back in and has had a blast on the weekends for almost 20 years. I never considered it as a career path, but it has been one heck of a fun way of life.

“Law school”, jeez. Like we need more of those.

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I’m jus’ sayin’…

With such a glowing “exit” review by the powers that be here in Karnacland…

…how come 4m.net got the scoop on such a hot topic but Middleton’s PR dept. forgot to notify Florida’s premier race reporting network?

Maybe he skipped that “class”.
For the record, I’m with Trip, Frass and the Bone on this one.

Oh well.

What’s one less Toterhome drawn, double-stacker in the pits…there will be another silver-spooner soon enough. I’m sure somewhere there’s a 12 year-old, go karting, wunderkid already bugging his mommy to bug his step-dad to get off his wallet and make him the next 15 minute phenom.

Always has been…always will be.

Ahmedohjai

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It’s people like him that ruin this HOBBY!! I grew up watching my dad race. When I was 16, I started racing [dad stepped aside] his car which was a late model. I had no business being in it but that was all he had. I raced for almost a year and then stopped. Came back when I was 20 on my own because I wanted to race. I had 2 reasons. Biggest one was that I wanted to go fast and win. Second reason was to try and do better than my dad did [ego here]. I’m lucky enough to say that I did both. I won and also won a “local” track championship…With that said, fast forward to now.
For almost 10 years now, we [myself and my son] have ran karts. He’s 14 going on 15 and it’s time to move up to cars. I’m 99.9% sure that he will not make it to the “Big Time”…OK…OK,… You got me, We live in Ocala,Fla., It’s never gonna happen!!!LOL… BUT we do it TOGETHER, because I know he likes it. We don’t have alot of money, but atleast I get to spend alot of time with my son. We don’t really connect on any level anymore except for racing, So it’s kinda like a Mastercard commercial…PRICELESS!!
It just sucks that you have people with alot of money that come in to this sport ,and don’t stay, But drive up the cost and could carer less.

I’ve rambled enough!!!

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Key word right there, Hobby.

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I cannot believe what I’m reading!

I must be going nuts! I always thought when you had a child that graduated with a 4 point average and decided to go to college to plan a secure life for their wife and future children that it would be a proudest moment. Jay Middleton may not be the best racer in your opinions but i don’t understand for the life of me how anyone could degrade him for making such an adult mature intelligent decision!
Racing is teetering right now and you expect him to be loyal to a “hobby” that may or may not survive the times??? You expect him to give up a chance to be a good provider for his family? Truly you don’t believe that racing as it is now will ever pay him enough to support his planned family?
I’ve read some very nasty comments about Jay on this board. It really pisses me off because I have known Jay and his family since Jay had teenage zits!
While other teen racers were hanging around wasting time in the pits, Jay was in his trailer doing homework.
His dad was at every race… his mom & dad supported Jay in everything he did… It is my opinion that there are alot of JEALOUS people in racing because they always pick on racers who come from comfortable families. they did the same thing to a couple of our racers who just happen to be able to afford the sport. I guess if you ignore your wife and kids and put all your money in a car and dont pay your bills that you are a hero for taking from them to be a loyal racer??? Not to mention that Jay never said he would never race again. he simply said he is leaving to go to college… WOW… what a sin! Good God… you make me wonder how i can stomach this…i am so shocked by the posts!
Scott Middleton is successful in his business… he worked his a$$ off for many many years. an honest decent man who wanted to do something special with his son! NOTHING was given to them!
JAY, if for some crazy reason you are reading all of this … I wish you a very happy life and I know you will be successful at anything you decide to do. I will miss you alot but I am so proud of you for making such a wise decision for what is right for your life! For your family’s life.
We will stay in touch !!!
Much love to you and your family…
carolwicks aka OZZIE

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Jay made the right decision for himself and for his future family. I am and always have been very proud of Jay and saying that he is a special friend of mine. He knows that and that is all that counts. People can say and think what they want about Jay but unless you really know him other than watching him in a car on the track, you don’t know him. People are going to judge Carol, you know that, but it doesn’t make those of us who love Jay feel any different.

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We didn’t stand up and applaud because it sounds like he is whining a bit.

I’ll give you this: I probably shouldn’t have commented on his new career choice.

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Why did this get moved? It doesnt sound like a complaint to me.
Hey boneman, there is a lot of things that we shouldnt say these days.

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It got moved to the Complainer’s Corner because the powers that be love Jay Middleton, isn’t it obvious? So let’s make it a real complaint then!

"Racing is teetering right now and you expect him to be loyal to a ‘hobby’ that may or may not survive the times???

Short track racing isn’t going to survive the times? That’s a bold proclamation from CCMP’s biggest cheerleader. Hope you didn’t read that Bobby Diehl. Your ombudsman isn’t doing her job.

And you hit the nail on the head, it was a hobby for him. But I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have to earn your rides.

Truly you don’t believe that racing as it is now will ever pay him enough to support his planned family?

Ever heard of the Anderson family? Dave Steele figured it out when he ran USAC. How about Lee Faulk? His ads are on this website. How about Scott Bloomquist? Brett Hearn, perhaps? I could make you a list of a lot of short track drivers on pavement and dirt across this country that have somehow figured out how to make a living off short track racing. But it’s not a hobby for them.

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Jack Tripper…

do you think racing can support a family?
As for Jay… when Jay was young he dreamed the same dream as alot of other teens in SLM cars. he was single and had very few responsibilities.
now he is an adult planning a family… times have changed for him and priorities have changed. i need to look back on my post. i dont remember saying racing was a hobby for him… jay took it very serious.
actually jack… my argument was that i dont think some of the posts were fair. the ones calling him a traitor to the sport. he put quite a few years into racing and now he is moving on to something that will benefit him and his wife and future children. do you not agree that he is doing the right thing.
i dont think its worth arguing about. you have a right to feel the way you do and so do i… we both said it sooooooooooo… :wink: hope you have a great day…
as for me promoting racing. i never stop but it is a cold hard fact that because of the economy…racing is suffering. we are working alot harder to get people in the stands and cars on the tracks. it isnt easy. bobby will never complain about me. he knows how hard i work as do many many others who care…
carol

i just looked at my post… i had hobby in parenthesis because that word had been used so many times. if whatever youre doing doesnt support your family it is basically a hobby… Jays dad used to support him …thats what dads do. but now Jay is an adult and he is showing responsibility and supporting himself.
i understand Wayne and David… its different for them. :wink: but we were discussing Jay…

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Just for you guys know Jay is a class act i worked for Jay for five years and two years as his crew chief. the thing with Ben Rowe at speedfest Ben ran out of gas just like he told us at speedweeks Jay never tore a car up when i was with him and the man has plenty of talent just never got the breaks in the sport he needed, yes his dad has some money but he doesn’t have enough to buy a ride like Logano and he didn’t want his son to make it that way so if you don’t know the man don’t run your mouth about him. Just because you got his autograph at the track doesn’t mean you know him at all because he will sign an autograph for anyone. Jay you’re a class act period.

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If you think Joey Logano’s family bought his way into NA$CAR, you’re delusional. Roush passed on Logano when he was 15 and Gibbs picked him up. Hell, the rides that Logano’s famiy had put together for him up to that point weren’t even as big time as the series that Jay Middleton has competed in.