Photo by 357Studios
Emerson Axsom is going to be one busy 16-year-old in Tulsa, Oklahoma over the next month. He will end 2020 and kick off the new year aboard the Ten-J Chassis house car in search of his second Golden Driller at the Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout. After the Shootout, Emerson will be making his Chili Bowl debut in the #15 for Petry Motorsports, January 11th-16th.
Emerson started 2020 in a great way, winning the Wing Outlaw class at the Tulsa Shootout. Starting the year off right allowed Axsom to have a solid rookie campaign in the Keizer Aluminum Wheels #15. Running a part-time USAC and a full-time POWRi National schedule, Emerson was able to pick up 7 Top 5's and 15 Top 10's between both series. While he may not have found victory lane on the national tour, Axsom did so at the regional level, winning twice with the USAC Midwest Regional midgets.
When the Franklin, Indiana native wasn't in the midget for Petry, he was running his #42A micro sprint. Even with a limited schedule in the micro, Axsom picked up multiple wins throughout the Midwest.
In November, Emerson and his family decided to head out to North Carolina for the KKM Giveback Classic. Axsom had a gnarly flip in his heat, leaving his car in ruins.
Emerson's micro sprint won't be ready in time for the Shootout. So, after receiving many offers to drive other cars, Emerson has decided he will drive the Ten-J Chassis house car.
This will not be Axsom's first time in a car built by Ten-J. He made his first appearance back in March at Plaza Park Raceway in California. Emerson saw success, winning the second night of the Outlaw Nationals over Brandon Carey and fellow USAC competitor, Jason McDougal.
With Axsom already comfortable in a Ten-J chassis and with Ten-J's proven track record in the Tulsa Expo Center, there is a good chance Emerson will win himself four more Drillers. As he will be entered into the Winged Outlaw, Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing classes, hoping to add onto Ten-J's Driller count. In just three years of competition at the Tulsa Shootout, Jerrod Huckleberry, the owner of Ten-J, has captured two Golden Drillers. He hopes Emerson can add to that total, "I think with adding Emerson to the lineup will help our odds! He is a wheelman and that is what you have to have. He doesn't settle for just a good run, he wants to win"
After Emerson tries his hand at the Tulsa Shootout, eight days later, he will take on the best of the best in the 35th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Axsom will once again enter the Tulsa Expo Center looking to finish on top and make a name for himself. Emerson is ready to go and filled with excitement as January 11th nears, " I am super excited to get in the Expo Center and get in a midget. I can't thank Scott Petry and everyone at Petry Motorsports enough for this opportunity and everyone else that has made this possible."
Emerson not only has great people at the shop but has supportive sponsors behind him as well. Ten-J Chassis, Adams Performance, Factory Kahne Shocks, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Advanced Shocks, and Impact have all been right there leading up to the upcoming events.
Having great teams beside him and being no stranger to winning inside the Tulsa Expo Center, Emerson Axsom will be one to watch in Tulsa.
-Lucas Halbert