JR Mason Beat the Odds to be Where He is Today
Not everyone would be able to go on if their doctor told them they would never use their arm again. But JR Mason is not everyone.
After an amazing third place finish in the Summer Nationals, Mason was headed home when he was involved in an automobile accident much worse than any he ever faced on the track. His growth plate was broken twice, and doctors said he would never use his arm again, much less be able to race. Mason proved that beating the odds was his specialty when he sat behind the wheel of a go-cart in Tunica, Mississippi, one mere week after his cast was removed.
This sort of persistence really is not that uncommon for someone who has been around racing their entire life; and he has had some excellent role models to look up to. Mason grew up hanging around Late Model driver Randy Sellars, and his fellow Late Model driver, Jeff Walston took him under his wing.
“I always wanted to do it,” Mason recalled as the reason he took up racing, “Thanks to Jeff (Walston) for all the patience he has had with me.”
Mason’s first win came at a Sprint Feature Double Show in May 2005 at Marion, Illinois. How did he feel to pick up that first win?
Mason simply responded, “Happy!”
His favorite memory of racing was when he won his first Street Stock Feature in May 2007. Mason went on to win a $500 Street Stock Special and the 2009 track Championship at Paducah International Raceway. He is also the current points leader and has four Feature wins for the 2010 season. He also debuted his #83 Crate Late Model at PIR’s Night of NASCAR Stars1 where he finished 14th.
“I never dreamed I could win the track championship. It’s a huge honor,” Mason spoke on winning his first Championship.
Mason also races regularly at tracks in Flora, Illinois, and Clarksville, Tennessee, but Paducah International Raceway is still home.
“PIR is my favorite track to race at. It’s a big track and there is always a lot of competition to race against… all my friends and family come to the track,” Mason once commented on racing at PIR.
When asked where he hopes to be in five years, Mason hinted at his aspirations to make it to the NASCAR Nationwide Series when he answered, “Something on asphalt.”
He also hopes to be racing full time in NASCAR within the next 10 years. Mason currently drives the #83 Street Stock and Crate Late Model. His sponsors include Butler Built Seats, Mason’s Recycling, Tiffany’s on Broadway, and Webb’s Logging.
Mason is a student at Graves County Middle School where he also played football before his accident. His hobbies include hunting and fishing.
JR Mason is living proof that a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck do indeed go a long way. Come to Paducah International Raceway and watch him beat the odds, and the competition, on Friday nights.
