7/25/2014
Sprint Source
Northern Exposure: Kraig Kinser Set for Three Races in Canada
A pair of trips to Canada has been the norm for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series for each of the last seven years. Make it eight straight seasons that the best sprint car drivers in the world have made the trek north of the border, as they head to the eastern side of Canada this week, followed by a trip to the western part next month. Kraig Kinser has been there for six of the previous seven ventures to Canada and will get his passport out again this week for a trio of races in the Great White North.
The first race of this Canadian swing for Kinser, who drives the Mesilla Valley/Transportation/Casey’s General Store/King Racing Product Maxim, is set for Saturday, July 26 at Autodrome Drummond in Quebec. The series then heads to Cornwall Motor Speedway in Ontario on Sunday, July 27, followed by a visit to Ohsweken Speedway on Tuesday, July 29.
“The Canadian fans always welcome us with open arms and that certainly makes the extra travel up there worth it,” said Kinser. “The tracks we race on up there are a bit smaller and that usually seems to suit our program pretty well. We’ve been chasing a few things lately and felt like we made up some ground the other night at Fulton [Speedway], so hopefully we can carry that north with us.”
Kinser finished a career-best third at Autodrome Drummond last season. The native of Bloomington, Indiana, opened the night as the eighth-fastest driver in time trials and went on to win the second heat race to earn a spot in the dash, where he finished seventh. In his career, he has made four starts at the quarter-mile bullring. Kinser finished fifth in 2012 at the track and also earned a top-10 finish in his debut at Autodrome Drummond in 2010, crossing the line seventh.
Last year’s race at Cornwall Motor Speedway was rained out. Kinser finished seventh in the series inaugural event at the high-banked quarter-mile in 2012. That night, he timed in ninth-quickest and won the third heat race to qualify for the dash. He started and finished second in the dash. He was running second in the main event when contact with another car led to a spin. Kinser would charge back through the field to salvage a top-10 finish.
Kinser finished 13th at Ohsweken Speedway last season. He timed in 13th-fastest, just missing the heat race inversion by one spot. A sixth-place finish in the first heat would lock him into the main event. In his career, Kinser has made seven starts at the three-eighths-mile, earning a trio of top-10 finishes. Kinser crossed the line a career-best fourth at Ohsweken in 2012.
During the recent East Coast Swing, Kinser finished eighth at Fulton Speedway in New York, and was 13th at Lebanon Valley Speedway, also New York. He was 22nd in the finale of the Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway, after not qualifying for the feature in the opener of that two-night event. At Lincoln Speedway, he came home 19th, while he was 22nd and 20th in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup Twin 30s at Lernerville Speedway.
“We had a tough East Coast stretch to say the least,” said Kinser. “With so many races in such a short time, it can be a challenge to dig out of a hole if you get in one. All we can do is just keep racing and hope our luck turns around a bit. We've had speed on different occasions and just haven't been able to put everything together.”
Kinser begins the trio of races north of the border ninth in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings.
Kraig Kinser Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, Mesilla Valley Transportation, King Racing Products, Maxim, Aerodine Composites, Sander Engineering, Integra Shocks, All Star Performance, FK Rod Ends, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bell, KSE Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, Schoenfeld Headers, Donovan Engineering, Fel-Pro, Brodix, Wilwood, Dyer’s, Barnes Systems, Ringer Gloves, Jakes Custom Golf Carts, and Ben Cook Racing Limited for their continued support.
Kraig Kinser By the Numbers: Autodrome Drummond, Cornwall Motor Speedway & Ohsweken Speedway
0.25- Miles around Cornwall Motor Speedway
0.375- Distance in miles around Ohsweken Speedway
0.4- Miles around Autodrome Drummond
1- Career start at Cornwall Motor Speedway
3- Main event starts at Autodrome Drummond; Top-10 finishes at Ohsweken Speedway
5- Total nights of racing this season for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series in Canada
7- Average finish in four starts at Autodrome Drummond; Careers starts at Ohsweken Speedway with the World of Outlaws
10- Average finish in seven main event starts at Ohsweken Speedway
10.246- Track record at Cornwall Motor Speedway
12.047- Qualifying record at Ohsweken Speedway
13.128- Track record at Autodrome Drummond
19- Top-10 finishes earned this season
138- Distance in miles from Autodrome Drummond where the World of Outlaws race on July 26 to Cornwall Motor Speedway
316- Miles from Fulton Speedway in New York, where the World of Outlaws competed on July 23 to Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
332-Miles from Cornwall Motor Speedway where the World of Outlaws race on July 27 to Ohsweken Speedway
2009- Year of first start at Ohsweken Speedway
2010- First start at Autodrome Drummond
2012- Year of first start at Cornwall Motor Speedway
Article Credit: Kraig Kinser Racing PR