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Topic: REMEMBERING JESSE "THE ROCKET" HOCKETT
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May 26, 2012 at
08:42:01 AM
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With this being the 2yr anniversary of the ROCKET passing away lets reflect on some of our favorite memories!!! Mine would be a few yrs ago at STN on a sat day race when he blew up the rightrear & was towed off the track to a standing ovation!!! RIP JESSE!!!
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May 26, 2012 at
10:51:59 AM
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I'll never forget the first time I met, or ever heard of Jesse Hockett. It makes me smile and sad both everytime I think about it. It was either a Wednesday or Thursday night of the Knoxville Nationals. We normally sit low, towards 4, on qualifying nights instead of sitting in the crowded upper rows. There were three young guys (teens) sitting behind us. I struck up a conversation with them, and found out they were from Warsaw, MO. Being from Missouri, too, the conversation turned to local racing. It was a really enjoyable and refreshing conversation because of their great attitudes and politeness. They were three great young men. The one young man said he drove (if I remember right) a 305 at the time. He was definately confident of/in himself, and made the comment that he would be racing the Nationals in a couple of years. Kinda thinking to myself, yeah right, I asked his name and told him I'd be watching for him. He said, "Jesse Hockett." RIP Jesse
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May 26, 2012 at
11:53:07 AM
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First time I met Jesse was at Devil's Bowl, I think 2006, when I didn't even know who the guy was. I remember we were just walking around in the pits and he saw my little brother, who at the time was about 7 years old, and said "You gonna buy one of my shirts?" Jesse had a big ol' smile on his face like he always did. We had a short conversation with him and ended up buying a shirt. We were Hockett fans since that day.
We were back out at Devil's Bowl for the 2009 Spring Nationals and were in the pits that night. Talked to him for a short while and my dad took a few pictures. We emailed them to Jesse and he used them on his website. My dad thought that was so awesome, I guess cause it is. Jesse knew how to make people smile like that.
We met with him various times at Knoxville Nationals and always made sure to talk to him there and wish him luck.
At 2010 Devil's Bowl Spring Nationals, I was helping pit for a team and got a perfect view of the cars coming off turn 2. I remember with only a few laps left in the race, Jesse put one of the biggest slide jobs on Brian Brown coming off of 2 that got me out of my seat and yelling. He knew how to wheel it!
I remember what I was doing, who I was with, all those details on the day he passed away. I was in shock when I received a text from the ASCS Facebook page stating that he was gone. It's one of those days I won't forget. You never expected a guy like Jesse Hockett to pass away so early. I think that's why it's tough for all of us. He was one of the best racers on the dirt and an overall great guy. He was a guy with a dream and was making it a reality.
We miss you Jesse Hockett. Long live The Rockett. JHR Forever.
made alive.
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May 26, 2012 at
12:12:16 PM
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This message was edited on
May 26, 2012 at
12:13:03 PM by outlaw_fan_7_8
i remember that dreadful day when i read the tweet from Dollansky saying something about R.I.P Jesse Hockett. blew my mind away. I was stuck at work and kept getting tweets from Woo and others. I dont cry much but that night when i got home and got on Hoseheads and saw it was real i couldnt help myself. I never had the pleasure of actually talking to Jesse but i was a huge fan. It was like he was the pride and joy of Missouri Sprint car fans. He is greatly missed.
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May 26, 2012 at
01:01:55 PM
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I only saw Jesse race twice but didn't get to meet him in person.
The year before the tradedy he was at Thunderbowl for the Trophy Cup. A cali racer named "Cowboy" Craig Smith was there but not competing. He wanted to meet Jesse and approached him in the pits. He introduced himself as Craig Smith and Jesse's response was, "Cowboy" Craig Smith? The Cowboy said, "Yeah, how did you know that?" Jesse said, "I grew up watching "Wheelies, Flips, and Foto Finishes!"
"Wheelies, Flips, and Foto Finishes" was the year end recap video of all the races on the left coast. We (Quality Race Video Productions) produced a 2 to 2.5 hr video every year from volume One in 1987 thru the 20th Edition in 2006. Each edition had somewhere between 55 to 95 races that ran between Woo in Feb to post season racing in November. In 1990 we put a half page color ad in Open Wheel magazine. We got orders from 26 different states, and one of those states was Missouri - - - and you guessed it. Looking back in our records, sure enough Jesse's dad was buying a copy every year! I'd like to think watching our west coast action had even some small part of ramping up the great racer he became!
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May 26, 2012 at
04:38:08 PM
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Took this picture in Knoxville 2009. What a great driver and a great guy.
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May 26, 2012 at
06:22:06 PM
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There just isn't enough words to describe what emotion comes over me when I hear these stories and see pictures....I remember working in Charlotte and getting the call from my dad. I somehow was able to get a rental car (even though they were technically closed) and my girlfriend, daughter and I drove straight to MO. We made it in about 15 hours or so....still about the worst day of my life. Everyday we think of Jess and the many memories he graced us with. There's simply too many to speak of. Its just so fitting that Jesse went out on his terms, how he'd want to....winning a LOT of the major races at major tracks within the year or so before he passed, but even more special, by winning 3 different races at 3 different MO tracks, and celebrating with some awesome donuts at what is now known as "Jesse Hockett's" Double XX Speedway.
"Grip it and Rip it, just don't Flip it!"
R.I.P. Lester
Tbird
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May 26, 2012 at
09:11:37 PM
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Jesse Hockett-
As most of
the race fans across the country are sitting at our keyboard thinking of the
great memories of you and your racing dreams..How can we pick just 1?
You had
this knack of running well on these tight bowl-rings with a wing, while unbelievable
talent on the big tracks without a wing.The biggest memory of mine is the day I met you at the chili bowl.You were rim riding in Rick Jackson’s #0
midget is a scatv-4.At this time I had
no idea who you were…yet!However
seeing you whip that midget in the corner and giving everything that Scat had,
I knew right then and there were was talent sitting in that seat of that #0
midget.From that point when I met you
that day, I was a fan of you.
From there I followed you to many races including assisting
you in getting some rides at the Chili Bowl and Million Dollar Eldora
race.However, US36 Raceway was a
special place for Jesse Hockett!There
is no doubt in my mind that place was invented for your driving style and
commitment of running the cushion as hard as possible.The 1st time I saw you race
there. I was in awe!Unreal how fast
the VKCC #75 was @ US 36 Raceway.
Probably the proudest moment has to be the Ultimate Challenge.The look on your dad’s face when you won
that race, is worth a million $’s.He
just kept saying “That’s my Boy, That’s my boy”.
So as we all sit here and think of memories, we can pin
point different racing wins and tracks that you have visited victory lane.However we all have different moments of
great enthusiasm of what your driving talent has thrilled the sprint car fans
across the country!
A Jeese Hockett fan for life-
KK
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May 26, 2012 at
10:39:35 PM
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Reply to:
Posted By: kkpromotions on May 26 2012 at 09:11:37 PM
Jesse Hockett-
As most of
the race fans across the country are sitting at our keyboard thinking of the
great memories of you and your racing dreams..How can we pick just 1?
You had
this knack of running well on these tight bowl-rings with a wing, while unbelievable
talent on the big tracks without a wing.The biggest memory of mine is the day I met you at the chili bowl.You were rim riding in Rick Jackson’s #0
midget is a scatv-4.At this time I had
no idea who you were…yet!However
seeing you whip that midget in the corner and giving everything that Scat had,
I knew right then and there were was talent sitting in that seat of that #0
midget.From that point when I met you
that day, I was a fan of you.
From there I followed you to many races including assisting
you in getting some rides at the Chili Bowl and Million Dollar Eldora
race.However, US36 Raceway was a
special place for Jesse Hockett!There
is no doubt in my mind that place was invented for your driving style and
commitment of running the cushion as hard as possible.The 1st time I saw you race
there. I was in awe!Unreal how fast
the VKCC #75 was @ US 36 Raceway.
Probably the proudest moment has to be the Ultimate Challenge.The look on your dad’s face when you won
that race, is worth a million $’s.He
just kept saying “That’s my Boy, That’s my boy”.
So as we all sit here and think of memories, we can pin
point different racing wins and tracks that you have visited victory lane.However we all have different moments of
great enthusiasm of what your driving talent has thrilled the sprint car fans
across the country!
A Jeese Hockett fan for life-
KK
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My personal favorite is also from US36. After arriving late (most cars had already fired for the 1st time that night before hotlaps) hearing they ran the rig out of gas on the east side of Kansas City. They open the trailer doors and roll out a car, but wait a minute Jesse, your not running a non wing pavement race here tonight, this is a ASCS regional race. They roll that car aside and roll out another car. Much better, yet it still doesnt have a top wing. Jesse ran over to the 1m pit and comes back with a wing so they can race. Jesse never missed another beat all night, ran higher than anyone else would, of course after he packed it down a little in 1-2 during the warm up laps. To this day hes the only one Ive seen pack a surface down above the cushion because thats the line he wanted to race on. Some do it to cool the tires, but every time you saw Jesse do it at US36, we all knew we were about to witness a show.
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May 26, 2012 at
10:55:36 PM
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Here in the Northwest we only got to see Jesse pass thru once. Speedweek 2009, but what a trip it was! He took the opener at Souithern Oregon Speedway then proceded to win three in a row. Got to talk with him in the pits , what a nice guy. Too bad he left us so soon!
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May 27, 2012 at
05:25:50 AM
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May 29, 2012 at
10:27:02 AM
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I had the privilege of seeing Jesse race only once -- an SCRA race at the now defunct Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix.
During (I believe it was) a heat race, Jesse exited turn two full throttle and slapped the wall pretty hard. He never let up and threw the car into turn three when he got there never questioning the condition of the car or right rear tire.
After the races I happened to talk with him and said that I'd wondered about any damage to the car or tire when he slapped the wall and continued racing hard. He looked up, gave me a big grin, and said, "I wondered about it too." He was truly a racer.
Tucson Osty
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