JIMMY KITE RETURNS TO MIDGET RANKS AT IRP

STOCKBRIDGE, Ga., Monday, June 17, 2002 - Jimmy Kite, a regular on the North
American Auto Racing Series (NAMARS) Championship MidgetCar Series in the
1990s, returns to pilot the high-speed open wheelers this weekend at
Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP). Kite will race in one of NAMARS’ premier
events, the 30-lap Kroger 250, on the .686-mile Clermont, Indiana-oval. The
Stockbridge, Georgia-resident is reuniting not only with a series he once
frequented but he will do so in a familiar car, the #95 Beast-Ford of Jerry
Covington. Kite, who won a NAMARS feature in 1997 at Salem Raceway, last
drove the #95 midget in 1999.

“I am really looking forward to getting back into a midget, especially at
IRP,” remarked the inspired 26-year old. “I love this track and it has
always been good to me. You have to be so quick in a midget, especially at a
track like IRP where everything is happening so quickly anyway, that it is a
lot of fun. I have been racing winged-sprint cars on dirt, Silver Crown cars
on pavement and when Jerry asked me to run the #95 midget at IRP, I knew in
a heartbeat that this would be fun. The only trick was making the
arrangements with Joe (Reddick, Kite’s sprint car owner in Missouri) and my
family. My cousin Jerry is getting married this weekend so I had to ask him
if it’d be OK if I missed that important day. Everyone wished me well and
told me to get to Indy. So, here I am, ready to go. I can’t wait to get out
and run in front of an Indiana short track crowd! We’ll try and win one for
everyone back in Georgia and Missouri.”

In 2002, the three-time Indianapolis 500-starter has been racing the #12
Reddick Maxim chassis/ O-Donely powered winged-sprint car on dirt tracks in
Missouri as well as the #59 Westcon Racing/ Westcon Elevator/ Bloomer Beast
in USAC Silver Crown pavement competition. He finished 26th on Sunday, June
16, at Pikes Peak International Raceway in the Weld Racing Silver Crown
Series after an overheating problem ended his charge through the field less
than half-way through.

“I have been having a lot of fun racing on the short tracks this year and
running the midget will be the icing on the cake for the short-track stuff,”
continued Kite . “We are getting closer to closing a deal to run Indy cars
so I want to enjoy every bit of short tracking I can before that all comes
together.”

Kite began racing quarter-midgets at the age of eight and worked his way up
through mini-sprints, midgets, sprint cars and Silver Crown cars to the Indy
Racing League. He is a five-time national champion in various open-wheel
series with countless victories. He has a career total of 22 Indy Racing
events and $1,232,000 in career IRL earnings.

Tom@DarkhorseCom.com (email)