(Photo by DB3 Imaging)
Inside Line Promotions – COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 20, 2016) – Making the transition from asphalt racing to dirt isn’t easy to say the least. But, when you are Kevin Mingus, you just want to race and that may mean one night driving a winged sprint car on the and the next a full-bodied late model on pavement.
Mingus, who won features and championships in sprints on pavement in 2014 and won with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Late Model Series in 2015, has two 305 c.i. sprint starts on dirt in 2016 and one in the late model on pavement.
Mingus began his season March 26 at Attica Raceway Park, a third-mile dirt oval located in Attica, Ohio. Competing in the Fremont Fence 305 winged sprint class, Mingus started eighth in his heat and finished sixth, missing the feature transfer by two positions. That lined him up fourth in the B Main and he finished fifth, again missing the transfer by two positions.
“Dirt racing is very, very different,” Mingus said. “Learning the stagger with the tires and throttle control … it was confusing at first. But, I’m learning and it’s a blast. I’m so thankful for the opportunity. And this 305 division has some of the best racers in the country and we get 35-plus cars each night.”
His second outing at Attica last Friday showed Mingus how quickly track conditions can change on dirt. A good pill draw started him fourth in a heat race.
“I dropped like a rock in that heat,” Mingus said after finishing ninth. “The track really got slick.”
He then finished where he started – ninth – in a B Main.
“Not the night we hoped for,” he said. “The track slicked off dramatically so it was a big learning curve for me. I learned a ton behind the wheel during the B …. knowledge I’ll be able to use during the year.”
On Saturday Mingus travelled to the third-mile paved track of Columbus Motor Speedway for his first late model race of the season.
He started and finished fourth in a heat race. That lined him up 11th in the feature, which was filled with a lot of close calls. He avoided three crashes early, got spun twice and then pushed into the back of other cars, causing damage to the hood of his car.
“I couldn’t see except a little sliver where the bent hood wasn’t obstructing my view.” Mingus said.
He limped home 10th out of 24 starters.
“Fortunately it was all cosmetic damage,” he said. “It definitely was a night I won’t forget for a long, long time. I want to say a big thank you to Big Mac, Brandon Oakley, and the entire BOR organization along with Midwest Equipment Company Crane Rental for their continued support.”
QUICK RESULTS –
March 26 – Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio – Heat race: 6 (8); B Main: 5 (4).
April 15 – Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio – Heat race: 9 (4); B Main: 9 (9).
April 16 – Columbus Motor Speedway in Columbus, Ohio – Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 10 (11).
SEASON STATS –
3 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 1 top 10, 1 top 15, 1 top 20
UP NEXT –
Friday at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio, with the 305 winged sprint car and Saturday at Columbus Motor Speedway in Columbus, Ohio, with the NASCAR Whelen All American Late Model Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kevin-Mingus-Motorsports-149334941749104
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevinMingus
Snapchat: Kevinoz10
Sponsor Spotlight – Huber Machine Werx
Owned by Kurt and Martha Huber (Kurt is a former sprint car driver), Huber Machine Werx does machining work for small companies and is located in Vermilion, Ohio.
“I can’t thank Kurt and Martha enough for the opportunity to expand my racing career,” Mingus said. “They have been very patient with me and helped me grow as a race car driver.”
Mingus would also like to thank Hillbilly Rod Shop, Brandon Oakley Racing and Midwest Equipment Company Crane Rental.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Apr 20, 2016
- Article Date: 4/20/2016 by Inside Line Promotions