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!”
