[i Pike County Speedway & Royal Purple Raceway up this weekend]
Granger, IA-February 24, 2011-Once the season begins, a weekend off is a rare occurrence when competing with the World of Outlaws, but after opening the 2011 campaign with five straight nights of racing at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida, a break was well deserved for the road warriors, who are the hardest working crews in all of motorsports.
For Kraig Kinser and the Parsons Motorsports team that meant a trip back to the shop in Iowa to use some of what they learned in Florida on the Casey's General Store Maxim with Kistler power under the hood, as they prepare for a very busy stretch of races beginning this weekend at Pike County Speedway in Mississippi and Royal Purple Raceway near Houston in Texas. The pair of races will begin a stretch of four races in a seven-day period at three tracks in three different states.
The World of Outlaws will be making their first visit to Pike County since 2007 on Friday, February 25, while for Kinser it will be his first start at the always racy 3/8-mile since 2005, which marked his debut at the track. That night the third generation driver turned the fourth quickest lap in time trials, before finishing sixth in the third heat race to earn a spot in the first dash, where he would finish fifth to earn the fifth starting spot in the main event. Kinser would finish 17th in the main event, which was won by his father, Steve, the 20-time World of Outlaws champion. Kraig was set to make his second career start at Pike County in 2008, but that event fell to rain.
Kinser has competed at Royal Purple Raceway seven times in his career picking up a couple of Top-10 finishes including a career-best sixth-place effort in 2005. The native of Bloomington, Indiana made his debut at the ΒΌ-mile bullring in 2001 at the age of 17. He scored his first Top-10 at the track in 2004 on the night when his father won his 500th World of Outlaws A-Feature event.
Last season at Royal Purple Raceway, Kinser turned in the second fastest lap in time trials, before finishing third in the second heat race to earn a spot in the dash where he finished seventh. He wound up 13th in the 40-lap main event to earn his fourth consecutive finish of 14th or better at the track.
Kinser heads into the weekend just four points out of the Top-10 and 24 markers out of the Top-Five in the World of Outlaws championship standings.
Kraig on Pike County Speedway:
"It's been quite a few years since I've been to Pike County, so I am looking forward to getting back there. It was pretty racy last time we were there and we were fast right out of the box, so hopefully we can use some of what we learned in Florida and run up front."
Kraig on Royal Purple Raceway:
"That is certainly one of the nicest facilities we go to all year and the only race in Texas this season, so it will be great to see all of the sprint car fans down there, who don't get to see us very often. There were multiple grooves last year over there, so it should be another very competitive race."
Kraig Kinser By the Numbers: Pike County Speedway & Royal Purple Raceway
1-Career start at Pike County Speedway
2- Top-10 finishes at Royal Purple Raceway
7- Career starts at Royal Purple Raceway
17- Years of age, the third generation driver was when he first raced at Royal Purple Raceway
372- Points earned in the first three World of Outlaws races of the season
2001-Year that Kraig Kinser first competed at Royal Purple Raceway
2005- Year that Kraig Kinser first competed at Pike County Speedway
4350-Dollars earned in the first three World of Outlaws races of the season
Tune in: Listen live this weekend to both races on DIRTVision.com with "The Voice of the Outlaws" Johnny Gibson on the call. Visit www.DIRTVision.com for live audio of each and every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event.
- administrator on Feb 24, 2011
- Article Date: 2/24/2011