Sacramento Bee Newspaper
January 18, 2008
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Motor Sports Notes: Elk Grove's Larson flips through Chili Bowl finish
By Debbie Arrington -
Last Updated 5:54 am PST Friday, January 18, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C5

Chili Bowl racing proved hot stuff for Elk Grove's Kyle Larson.
During the midget nationals last weekend in Tulsa, Okla., the 15-year-old reached Saturday night's "F" Main, surpassing such superstar drivers as Gary Scelzi and Cruz Pedregon, as well as scores of veterans.

But on the last lap while making a three-wide move on Turn 2, Larson got collected by a slower car and his No. 27D flipped dramatically end over end - right across the finish line.

"There must have been 50 flips during the week and Kyle's ranked among the top five in spectacular," said Mike Larson, Kyle's father.

Larson got credit for finishing ninth out of 15 starters in his heat. Both driver and car came out of the mishap in good shape. Fans can view video of his race and flipping finish on the driver's Web site, www.kylelarsonracing.com.

Indiana's Damion "The Demon" Gardner was the overall winner at the 22nd annual Chili Bowl. Another NorCal teen on the move, Alpine's Cole Whitt, 16, finished 13th in the main event. NASCAR's Tony Stewart finished eighth and Kasey Kahne was 22nd.

Race for a reason – Entries are now being taken for the sixth annual Race for a Reason, the celebrity karting event organized by five-time USAC champion Tony Hunt. A fund raiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation's Sacramento and Northern California chapters, the event will be held Feb. 10 at RPM Indoor Kart Racing in Sacramento. Deadline for racers and sponsors is Feb. 5. For details, contact Ashley Soy at (916) 368-7223, ext. 116. Or visit Hunt's web site, www.TonyHunt.com.

Toyotas show improvement – After a difficult inaugural season at NASCAR's top level, Toyota has made marked improvements in its Sprint Cup program.

The two weeks of preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway showed that the 11 Camrys are fast and ready to challenge for wins.

Kahne posted the fastest overall speed in a Dodge, but Toyota drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin had the next-best speeds and Tony Stewart was 10th-fastest. In single-car runs, Camry drivers posted five of the top six speeds.

It was a solid showing that had rivals wondering if a Toyota driver might score the manufacturer's first Cup victory in the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 17.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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