Prince Frederick's Maxwell makes truck racing debut

Although he is still two years away from starting high school, Prince Frederick native Jacob Maxwell has already begun to make inroads on the Super Truck series racing nearly 10 years after his initial sessions in the parking lot of Patuxent High School in Lusby.

In his first Super Truck event on Saturday, April 13, at Anderson Motor Speedway in South Carolina, Maxwell placed fifth place overall, although his truck suffered a mechanical issue and slammed into the wall with only three laps remaining in the 75-lap event. Regardless, it was a promising career debut for the 13-year-old, who even signed a few autographs before he left the speedway.

“I felt really good on the track,” said Maxwell, whose next event is in Tennessee on May 18. “I was a little nervous at the start but after awhile I really felt pretty confident out there. I qualified sixth, but I moved up to third before we had a mechanical issue on the 72nd lap. I wish the outcome had been a little better, but I was happy with the way everything went up until then. Basically it’s just me and my dad [Dustin Maxwell] working the truck.”

Maxwell had just started elementary school in Calvert County when he and his father first ventured to the parking lot at Patuxent High for initial lessons. Maxwell drove go karts around the parking lot for hours and eventually climbed inside off-road vehicles. His Super Truck racing debut occurred several years before he is set to begin high school and attain his driver’s license.

“This whole journey for him began nearly 10 years ago when he was learning to drive karts in the parking lot at Patuxent,” Dustin Maxwell said. “It’s amazing to see him drive the truck out there on the track now. I still get nervous watching him race. But his first race was pretty decent.”

The father continued, “He went down there and showed a lot of speed. He had a top five finish in his debut. I think he impressed a lot of the fans. When we loaded up the trailer he was signing autographs on shirts, boots and cards. He was definitely a fan favorite.”