KYLE LARSON 2009 SEASON IN REVIEW
(Underlines are links to video clips)
Elk Grove, CA. December 9, 2009 – For Kyle Larson, the 2009 racing season could
almost be described in a manner that sounds like a presidential campaign slogan –
diversity and change. The diversity came into play as Larson broadened the number and
types of cars he competed in over the course of the season, while the change came late in
the year when Larson parted ways with his long time ride to find a seat in a car of one
sprint car racing’s legends, Brent Kaeding.
Larson’s 2009 racing efforts began on the first day of the year with the 16 year old
making his first ever start in a 600 micro midget, choosing the biggest race of the year,
the Tulsa Shootout,
to make his debut. When the preliminary day was done for the 106 entrants Larson had placed the Gordon Seros
owned machine on the outside of the front row next to sprint and midget star Brady Bacon.
In the feature race contact with another competitor spun him from third and relegated him
to the back of the pack. Larson was able to charge back to seventh at the checkered flag.
Larson returned to Tulsa two weeks later, while taking in the Chili Bowl Nationals as a
fan. In a fortunate twist of fate Larson’s phone rang during the National Anthem of
Friday’s final preliminary night. The call was an offer to jump into one of the Corey
Tucker/Bryan Clauson team cars that was due to be driven by New York modified standout
Jerry Higbie, Jr., who had taken ill during hot laps.
In a matter of 15 minutes, using borrowed racing gear from Chad Boat and towels stacked
under his butt, Larson started last in the fifth heat. With no  practice
laps Larson drove to third at the finish, impressing the large throng inside the Tulsa
Expo Center. Unfortunately, as a penalty for making a driver change, Chili Bowl officials
did not allow the Elk Grove, California resident to earn any passing points. When the
night was done Larson had garnered a place in Saturday’s D-main, where the adventure
ended with an eight place finish on the final day of racing.
 The
sprint car racing campaign got underway in March with Larson driving the 360 of Harley Van
Dyke at Marysville Raceway Park, where a run from 20th resulted in a sixth place finish.
The next race saw Larson start a new chapter in his career as he began his first full
season with the premier traveling 410 sprint car circuit on the West Coast, the Golden
State Challenge (GSC) Series.
 Driving his third season for Dave and Debbie Vertullo, Larson
experienced several highs and lows on the GSC tour. The high point came at
Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway in May as Larson dominated the night and took his first GSC win, following
his first ever 410
sprint car win at the Friday night point series at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway
three weeks prior.
 The low point of the GSC season came at Larson’s
favorite track, Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway in late June. While racing his way to
the front in the early going of the feature race another competitor drifted high just as
Larson entered turn one at full song. Contact resulted and Larson executed a harrowing flip into
the turn one catch fence that virtually destroyed the car. Larson emerged shaken but
unhurt.
Larson shook off the effects of the devastating crash and resumed his steady pursuit of
the GSC tour. When the season ended Larson finished fifth in points and relished one of
his two personal goals for 2009, the GSC Rookie of the Year award.
 The other goal was accomplished just weeks later when 17 year old Larson
made the Gold Cup
A-main event at Chico. Competing against the best drivers in winged 410 sprint cars,
the touring World of Outlaws, Larson started 18th and drove to seventh before a last lap
excursion over turn four dropped him to 15th in the final rundown.
Another highlight in Larson’s season was his first appearance of the season in the
Vertullo 360 sprint car when the team headed to Ocean Speedway for  a Civil War showdown that included the track’s very competitive GLR
Series competitors. When the night was over Larson had set the new all time qualifying
record, won the B-main, and raced from sixth starting to win the A-main in impressive
fashion on the lightning fast track.Larson also tasted the non wing variety of sprint
car racing in 2009, with his first attempt at the scary fast half mile of Calistoga
Speedway in a two  night USAC/CRA show
on Labor Day weekend. Looking like a veteran of this form of racing Larson started 15th on
the opening night
and drove by several non wing standouts on his way to battling Kevin Swindell for the win.
Jumping the tall cushion in turn two late in the race dropped the neophyte from second to
12th , but only whetted his appetite for more the next night.
A better qualifying effort saw Larson mix it up at the front with Swindell and Jesse
Hockett until late in the race when he became a victim of an errant
slide job that ended his night with a bent race car in the turn three fence.
 In late September Larson tried his hand on asphalt for the first
time, driving Ted Finkenbinder’s non wing 360 at Roseville’s All American
Speedway. The USAC Western States race saw Larson exit the event in the early going with
an overheating engine, but nevertheless gaining valuable experience for the future.
In October Larson put on a dramatic late race display from the back of the pack in the
wind whipped Fall Nationals for 360 sprint cars at the  tire chewing Silver Dollar Speedway. After approximately half of
the field changed right rear tires to be able to make the final 17 laps,
Larson, as clearly the fastest car on the rubber down track, drove by 14 cars to finish
third, only needing a couple of more laps to get by runnerup Brent Kaeding and winner Sean
Becker. The fine performance proved to be the final time Larson would drive the
Vertullo 83v as the association ended during the following week.
With the high dollar Trophy Cup for 360’s next up on the calendar Larson found the
biggest  opportunity of his three year career when he got a ride in a
team car to Brent Kaeding. Larson took full advantage in the feature race by driving to a third place finish
behind winner Tim Kaeding and second place Randy Hannagan, and ahead of American Sprint
Car Series (ASCS) National champion Shane Stewart. The effort also placed Larson fifth in the
overall points of the unique two night program, earning his largest payday of the
season.
Two weeks later Larson made his first appearance at the ASCS sanctioned Short Track
Nationals for 360’s in Little Rock, Arkansas. Driving a car for  Jesse Hockett Larson
was very impressive on his preliminary night when he raced from the laststarting spot in
the A-main to slide into ninth on the last lap. Unfortunately, a turn three incident on
the final lap put Larson gently on his head. With the big money on the line the next night
Larson’s trip ended disappointingly when the engine seized while pushing off for warm
ups.
Larson’s final race of the season saw the driver back in Brent Kaeding’s mount
at Tulare, this time sans the wing while competing with the stars of the  USAC
National Tour. The opener of the two night show began with Larson winning his heat in
dominating fashion, while turning laps under the track record set earlier by Bryan
Clauson. A suspected engine problem while Larson sat ninth in the feature had the 99 car
infield bound in the early going.
The next night saw another hard crash for Larson at the Thunderbowl when he was knocked into the
turn one catch fence on the second lap of his heat. With major repairs, including a broken
frame,  accomplished by Kaeding’s massive crew Larson was able to shake off
the effects and transfer from the B-main to the feature. In the early going a spun car in
nearly the exact same place blocked Larson and sent him for another tumble,
although a minor one that produced no significant damage to the race car. Larson restarted
25th and raced by
several heavy hitters on his way to a 13th place finish.
The season tally included three wins, 14 top fives and 25 top tens in 48 races while
competing in eight different cars. Larson looked back and said “This was a very
satisfying year for me. We had some real good and consistent runs with Dave in the 83v,
but some motor issues really hurt us in June. However, just at the right time, Rich
Stadelhofer, owner of Stadelhofer Construction, really lifted our spirits when he stepped
forward with some major help with our engines and damage repair from the first wreck at Tulare. He has also continued to help my
career in many ways over the last several months”
Assessing the competition present in his run for Rookie of the Year in the GSC Larson
added, “I’m very thankful for Dave and Debbie taking me to the GSC because it
sure accelerated my learning curve running with guys like Tyler Walker, Jonathan Allard,
and Brent, Bud and Tim Kaeding. After winning my first GSC race at Watsonville my
confidence level definitely got a boost. I was ready when the Outlaws came to town for the
Gold Cup and it felt so good to race competitively with them and move my way
forward.”
Larson hopes to continue his venture into other forms of open wheel racing next year.
“I had a lot of fun running the non wing stuff this year,” Larson began.
“The cars are a little slower but they sure are fun to drive because they slide a lot
more and the driver seems to be a bigger factor than in the winged cars. I still like the
wing cars but I would like to do more non wing racing, whether it is on dirt or pavement,
or in a sprint car or a midget. It’s the challenge of mastering all kinds of open
wheel cars that I look forward to.”
Kyle Larson would like to give special thanks to all who helped during the 2009 season:
Dave & Debbie Vertullo, Starr Property Management, Inc., Stadelhofer Construction,
Phoenix ParkerStores and Lubrication Equipment and Supply Co., Wion’s Body Shop and
Powdercoating, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, G & N Construction, JW Web Design, Safety
Solutions-LFT Technologies, Simpson Performance Products, Steve’s Racing Photos,
Wyman Construction, GME-Nields Steerings, LRB Manufacturing, Mancamp Motorsports, GraphX
Designs, SWEPCO Lubricants, Edward’s Lawn Service, Sierra Tire and Wheel, John’s
Racing Photos, Mophead Graphix, Patty and Lary Larson, Dennis and Zach Zimmerly, Ricci
Dias, Davy Welsh, Gary Thomas, Marcel Cassullo, Joe Silveira, Brent Kaeding and crew, John
and Ginny Moseley, Gordon Seros, Ted Finkenbinder, Harley VanDyke, Duke and Scotty
McMillen, Mark Moore, Bryan and Tim Clauson, Corey Tucker, Chad Boat, Richard & Trevor
Brown, Pete Johnston, Brice Sandhagen, Rico Abreu, Chad Cypert, Nick Wilke, Mike Seros, CJ
Pelfanio, Shane Muir, Marsha Nuss, Colby Copeland, Val, Helen and Dale Brose, Dan Belton,
Jesse Hockett, and to anyone who we maybe have regrettably missed.
Photos Courtesy of
Steve's Racing Photos
Graphix Designs
John's Racing Photos
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