Courtesy of GoDanRiver.com

MARTINSVILLE— Jennifer Jo Cobb believes she can take on the world.

She has jumped out of an airplane with the Golden Knights and has done the SkyJump off of the Stratosphere Casino in Las Vegas. As impressive as those things are, her accomplishments in the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series this season may even out shadow her daredevil tendencies.

She currently sits 16th in the NCWTS standings, on pace to become the highest finishing female in series history. On top of that, she is the owner of Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing and her truck is sponsored by Driver Boutique and Drivenmale.com, clothing companies she owns and operates in order to support her racing effort. 

In addition to all of that, she has driven the truck she owns and sponsors to an average finish of 22nd and is currently the second highest owner-driver in the standings.

“I don’t think about paving paths or anything like that,” Cobb said. “I’ve always felt like with the stuggles that I’ve gone through, I’ve always hoped that they could provide inspiration for somebody. I get a lot of letters and a lot of e-mails from people who are wanting to know how they get their opportunity to race professionally like I do. My response is always ‘figure it out and make it happen.’”

In Saturday’s Kroger 200, there will be four women in the field. Of the four, Cobb is the only one who races in the series full-time. Johanna Long is making her fifth start of 2010 this weekend and Amber and Angela Cope, the first set of identical twins to race in the series, will be making their first career starts. Angela Cope sees Cobb as someone who is sitting where they all want to eventually be.

 “She’s a good friend and has done very well for herself,” Cope said. “Of course, that is where Amber and I would like to be for next year is in a full ride, but again we all know that money is tough and it is hard to come by at this time.”

Cobb can commiserate with the twins and their money troubles, but has shown that finding success is possible even with a smaller budget. The common themes for Cobb this season have been confidence and guts. Despite running out of gas and finishing 26th in the spring race here, she finds encouragement in the fact she finished 14th at Darlington. That finish, combined with more experience at Martinsville, could mean big things this weekend because both tracks are known as ‘driver’s tracks.’

“The confidence I have coming back to Martinsville is amazing,” Cobb said. “The first time, I’m not kidding, I was in the bathroom crying and calling my dad because I was so nervous right before the race. Now, I’m having so much fun and I’m hungry. I just can’t wait to get more speed.”

“I really enjoy the challenge of everything,” she said. “You have to have the guts to do it, you have to have the strength to do it and the confidence, but you have to have the smarts to do it as well. You have to be willing to step back see what isn’t really working well and try something else and work with your team. Martinsville is a great place for that ability and that knowledge to work for us. Our team is really good at that.”

According to Cobb, race car drivers have a certain mentality that makes it possible to do what they do. For someone who habitually breaks mold everyday when she goes to work, this is one she is happy to fit into.

“I have that mentality,” Cobb said. “Nobody pulled me up out of Kansas City and told me I had to be here.  I wanted it and made it happen. Male drivers and female drivers have to get that mentality the racers have that makes them think they can do anything.”

“Sometimes I have to keep thinking that I can do anything,” she said.

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