User blog:Ajaxcupseries/Why Did Ross Jackson Fail at Ronnie Woods Motorsports?

The Fallon Corner - February 2026

The date is December 31st, 2021.

Future ASCA Hall of Famer Jimmy Hood announced his retirement from the sport at the conclusion of the 2022 season - and Ronnie Woods Motorsports opted to make the intriguing decision to immediately name Ross Jackson as his replacement.

At this time, the Spokane native was a relatively unproven 20 year old with only a lone Craftsman Series victory to his name at San Diego.

Jackson had two years of experience in the sport, but after losing the championship to Laquon Scransen the year prior in much superior equipment many had regarded him largely as a disappointment up to that point.

Many initially questioned the hire at first, but luckily for Jackson he got another year to sit and develop in the lower leagues while Jimmy Hood embarked on his farewell tour - and boy did he take advantage of it.

Three victories, 7 top 5’s, 11 top 10’s, 245 laps led, and the championship all but locked up after the penultimate round over the likes of Braeden Bennett and Carson Schmidt proved Jackson was more than ready to be the heir apparent to the No. 88’s throne post Hood.

So, sitting here three years later, what gives? Why have the aforementioned Bennett and Schmidt developed into bright young stars while the former Craftsman champion embarks on rebuilding his ASCA reputation at Flores Motorsports?

In this article we take a look at the three biggest reasons why Ross Jackson went from the sport’s next big thing to potentially next big bust in the span of just a few years.

Jackson is a Slow Developer
Looking back at Ross Jackson’s Craftsman Series tenure, he was far from an overnight success.

Many big name prospects get two years in the lower leagues to hone in on their craft and win races at a consistent clip to prove they’re ready to handle the big boys.

Most show flashes of brilliance in their rookie year only to further build on that and make a title push the following campaign - Carson Schmidt, Shane Park, and others come to mind in following this path.

These days, it’s not uncommon for drivers to win it on debut either; with three of the last five Craftsman Series champions having done just that.

Ross Jackson, however, took a vastly different path to most.

With no room at the mainline Ronnie Woods Motorsports team for the 2020 season, the then 19 year old was farmed out to fledging outfit South Point Racing Team for his maiden year as an unorthodox way of getting more seat time.

While Jackson gave that organization by far it’s most successful campaign in just their inaugural season, racing for 10th every week is a vastly different ballgame to competing for wins against the best series regulars and future Cup stars along with big name drivers moonlighting in Craftsman for that weekend.

This was the rude awakening he got the following year when he took over for Nick Carey in the No. 88, as while Jackson finished 4th in points it was clear he was a step behind the likes of Laquon Scransen and Lucas Sambér, who ultimately beat him in the final standings and consistently beat him at the Cup level as well.

The Spokane native got the luxury of an extra year in the lower leagues driving top equipment to hone in on his craft and boost his stock heading up to the Cup level - but in the top division, an option like that was no longer available to him and it showed.

Sure, Jackson did gradually get better and more consistent throughout his tenure at Ronnie Woods Motorsports. But with no wins and best points finish of 14th, is it any wonder the team decided to look elsewhere once his rookie contract was up?

While there is a real chance with more time that Jackson could have flashed the same potential his other young teammates Shane Park and Colin Ward have - what if he never did? And what if Chris Barrymore went to the likes of Orkedi Bros Racing and kept their dynasty going well into the 2030’s?

In a society that wants everything instantly, and in a business as cutthroat as the ASCA, you cannot wait around for your young driver to develop or you’ll be left behind in this day and age.

Jackson’s Prickly Personality
Make no mistake about it: Ross Jackson is NOT a team player.

Granted, considering the insane amount of success a Diego Orkedi has had over the years, you do not need to be a team player to succeed in this business.

However, there’s a stark difference between Diego and Jackson:

Orkedi delivers results. Jackson has not.

Many would argue that Jackson has every right to race Todd Kidd the way he did towards the end of last season - especially after their flashpoint in the Apple 225.

With the way Jackson’s release from the team was announced; the same day Kidd signed a record setting $90M extension to remain with RWM; it is certainly understandable why he would feel some type of way with helping that organization chase their first championship since 2017.

Kidd also certainly didn’t help matters berating the former Craftsman champion over the radio for not moving out of his way fast enough in the Northern 200 a few weeks later.

However, there is an old adage that still holds true to this day: do NOT bite the hand that feeds you.

While Ronnie Woods could have handled the situation better as a team owner, this is also the guy that gave Jackson his big break in the ASCA in the first place.

The same guy that entrusted Jackson enough to succeed future Hall of Famer Jimmy Hood and keep the historic No. 88 legacy going.

Woods did a lot of good for that young man, and as a Hall of Famer and four time champion is arguably l respected name in this sport. If you can’t succeed there, most team owners assume you can’t succeed anywhere else either with how well run RWM has been over the years.

Luckily Jackson did ultimately find a home at Flores Motorsports, but this is likely his last chance to make a name for himself in the ASCA.

There is a very real chance he takes the No. 23 up to the front and makes his new boss, Manny Flores, a household name in the sport. The talent is certainly there to do so.

On the flip side, if Jackson cannot put it all together here within the next three years, chances are he goes down as one of the biggest busts of all time.

The Success Story of Shane Park
The retirement of Jimmy Hood at the end of the 2022 season also coincided with the conclusion of Doug Bowden’s contract, meaning that Ronnie Woods Motorsports had two voids to fill in their driver lineup heading into the next year.

While it was already known that Jackson would be piloting the No. 88 since January, the main talking point of that silly season was who would take over for Bowden in the No. 24 moving forward.

Rumors had it that Rob Buddy was the odds on favorite for the ride trying to revive his career as a test driver for the organization at the time. Some also pointed to Henry Brady as an option as a former Craftsman champion hoping to keep his ASCA tenure alive.

However, team owner Ronnie Woods had other plans.

Woods dropped a bombshell that not only had he poached Colin Ward from Michael White Racing for his Craftsman program, the Hall of Famer bought out Shane Park’s deal with Snoots Enterprises AND paid him $30M to drive the No. 24 for the 2023 season and beyond.

This was a huge move that almost nobody saw coming at the time, but a risky one as well with the former Craftsman champion boasting no Cup wins to that point at only 21 years of age.

Fast forward three years, and while Snoots Enterprises has regressed back down to mediocrity still searching for a solid second driver to support Greg Healey, Park has emerged as a superstar plus perennial race winner and title threat all before the age of 25.

So what does this have to do with Ross Jackson, you ask?

Park and Jackson were both born in 2001, making them the same age right now. They both were also brought into Ronnie Woods Motorsports the same year, so they have three years of data in the same equipment to gleam from.

The difference is that Park had an additional two years of Cup experience at Snoots before joining RWM, while Jackson has only been in Cup those three years. But even factoring all that into account, the results speak for themselves.

Shane Park had more wins last year (2) than Ross Jackson had top 5 finishes (1). Park has also finished top 3 in points each of the last two years, while Jackson hasn’t even managed to crack the top 15.

While Ross Jackson fans will argue all the back luck he has had, Shane Park experienced the same last season with his three DNF’s and still put a top 3 points finish. What’s Jackson’s excuse?

Like it or not, with them both being the same age, former Craftsman Series champions, and teammates for three years, naturally they will be compared to each other likely the rest of their careers.

And while Park has only exploded into superstardom over the course of the past two years, Jackson has languished in mediocrity which is unacceptable for a powerhouse like Ronnie Woods Motorsports.

Jackson’s ASCA resumé to this point proves the talent is there. Four career Craftsman wins, a Craftsman championship, even back to back Duel wins at the Cup level is not something just anybody can do.

However, if he wants to avoid that dreaded ‘bust’ label when we look back on his career in a decade, these next three years at Flores Motorsports will be pivotal in deciding his fate.