2/6/2011
Sprint Source
Kyle Larson To Contend For USAC National Midget Championship In 2011 With Keith Kunz Motorsports
Kyle Larson To Contend For USAC National Midget Championship In 2011 With Keith Kunz Motorsports
Elk Grove, California. February 6, 2011. Kyle Larson will make his first foray into competing for a national championship in 2011 as the 18 year old from Elk Grove, California will contest the complete Mopar USAC Midget National Series for Toyota Racing Development sponsored Keith Kunz Motorsports. The Columbus, Indiana based team will join together with the 2010 winged 410 sprint car King of California champion for their first race at the midget portion of the Copper on Dirt at USA Raceway Park in Tucson, Arizona on February 18 and 19.
“I’ve had my eye on Kyle since his impressive run at the Oval Nationals at Perris last November,” said Kunz. “I wasn’t real sure what his plans were for this season but we approached him at the Chili Bowl to gauge his interest. With Toyota representatives in agreement, I decided a few days later to offer the ride to Kyle. He has proven in a short amount of time to be one of the most versatile dirt drivers in the country. Even though he lacks pavement experience, I feel, with his smooth driving style, he will pick that up quickly with many laps of testing. With two thirds of the schedule on dirt I have high hopes that Kyle can contend for the USAC National Midget Championship.”
Larson is equally excited to be joining forces with one of the legendary championship teams in USAC racing history. “For a young driver like me,” Larson began, “this is an incredible opportunity to be racing for such a prominent team in Keith Kunz Motorsports. And to have corporate support from a company such as Toyota this early in my career is an awesome feeling. I just hope to make them all proud for putting their faith in me with so little experience in this form of racing. It is truly an honor to be here in this position.”
With Kunz Motorsports cutting back on their sprint car efforts this season and focusing on the USAC midget championship the team has decided to begin their 2011 campaign at the Copper on Dirt in a couple of weeks. For Larson, the non-sanctioned event will be a low-key setting where the driver can get accustomed to the Toyota powerplant mounted inside a Kunz built Bullet Chassis.
“I raced there for the first time last November in the winged ASCS National and Canyon Region non wing events and I really like the track,” said the 10th place finisher of the 2010 Chili Bowl Nationals. “It’s big, wide, and fast, where keeping your momentum up is key. I’m hoping for a good field of midgets to show, so we can see where we stand before we tackle the USAC schedule.”
The USAC slate will begin on the dirt at Dodge City, Kansas on April 22 and 23. The rest of the dirt portion of the schedule is highlighted by Indiana Midget Week events spread out over five consecutive days in June at Gas City, Lincoln Park, Bloomington, Lawrenceburg, and Kokomo Speedways. Four races at Wisconsin’s Angell Park Speedway will see the tradition rich Fireman’s Nationals conclude the action in September. Other major contests on dirt will see the mighty midgets at Haubstadt, Indiana’s Tri State Speedway for the Hut 100, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway for the Four Crown Nationals, and Tri City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Illinois for the final dirt races, the three night Gold Crown Nationals in October. Also on Larson’s dirt schedule is his first attempt at the prestigious Belleville Midget Nationals in Kansas in early August.
Major racing venues populate the pavement side of Larson’s schedule as the young driver will test himself at the Milwaukee Mile and Iowa Speedway in June, North Carolina’s North Wilkesboro Speedway in July, and Irwindale, California’s Toyota Speedway for the Turkey Night Grand Prix in November. Four events will be held at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Speedway, with the Night Before The 500 maintaining prominence at the half mile oval.
“I’m really looking forward to the USAC midget schedule this year,” said Larson. “I have never run any of the tracks and have only seen Irwindale in person. Guys like Bryan Clauson, Jerry Coons, Jr., Tracy Hines, and Brad Kuhn will be tough with all their experience at these places. I think I’ll do pretty good with the dirt stuff because I’ve always adapted fairly quick to new tracks in the winged sprint cars, but the pavement is where I will have to get up to speed if I want to be a contender for the USAC championship. I see it as a big challenge and one that I am looking forward to.”
Although Larson’s focus will be on the USAC national midget schedule, he will still be active in other forms of racing. He will return to the seat of the Stadelhofer Construction/Kaeding Performance # 99 in many early season west coast World of Outlaw events, and also when the touring group returns in September for the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Chico. Several King of the West races are slated, with the Johnny Key Classic among a handful of Taco Bravo races at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway. Single night USAC/CRA races at Calistoga and Chico also dot the schedule in the Kaeding machine. Larson is also looking to add many more races to his schedule, including high profile events in WoO, ASCS National Series, and non wing sprint cars.
“I want to thank Rich Stadelhofer and Brent Kaeding for letting me continue to run with them on a limited schedule,” said Larson. “They provide me with what I think is the best ride on the west coast, crewed by Clark Riolo and Matt Britt, with help from Brent’s Hogs whenever it is needed. I still love the winged cars and want to run them as much as I possibly can. Getting to run so many Outlaw races to start the season is a great feeling.”
Larson’s initial outdoor racing will take place this coming Wednesday night as the Lucas Oil ASCS National 360 tour heads to California for their first ever races in the Golden State. Tulare’s always exciting Groppetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway will see Larson strapping into the seat of the Finley Farms sprinter that defending ASCS champion Jason Johnson drove at the Trophy Cup last October. Three nights later the action moves a half hour away to Hanford’s Kings Giant Chevrolet Speedway. At both places Larson will be earning car owner points for the absent Johnson, who will still be in Australia battling for the World Series Sprint Car championship
“I can’t wait to get started. These are a couple of great events at two of my favorite tracks. I’m really looking forward to seeing how us West Coasters fare against the ASCS guys like Shane Stewart, Brady Bacon, Jeff Swindell, Gary Wright, Tim Crawley, Tony Bruce, Jr., and Johnny Herrera. It should be good!”
For more information and news on Kyle Larson please visit www.kylelarsonracing.com
Submitted By: Kyle Larson Racing
