Jimmy Kite Earns Second Top-20 in NASCAR Truck Series

Jimmy Kite Earns Second Top-20 in NASCAR Truck Series
 
MADISON, Ill., May 2, 2005 - Jimmy Kite continues his strong rookie season
in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Stockbridge, Georgia-resident
marked his second NASCAR start with his second top-20 finish earning 18th at
Gateway International Raceway's Ram Tough 250. Kite qualified the No. 06 MRD
Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado 32nd for the 250 mile race at the St.
Louis-area oval and, despite dropping back in the opening laps, began to
fight his way towards the front. He raced the red and neon yellow Dave
Malcolmson-owned Chevy as high as 15th before the checkered flag fell on lap
160. Kite, who finished on the lead-lap for the second race in a row, has
qualified for both the races he has attempted to start in the highly
competitive Truck Series. Five drivers were sent home after posting slower
times than the Missouri-native in qualifying at Gateway.
 
By virtue of their impressive sophomore performance, Kite and the MRD team
gained three positions, up to 38th, in the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series point championship with Saturday's run. The 06 Chevrolet has 215
points after two starts and is 140 marks out of the all-important top-30. A
position within the first 30 teams in the championship chase guarantees a
starting position in each Craftsman Series event in which the team maintains
that position. Kite has the third most points earned for drivers who have
entered two of the five races run in 2005. The likeable IndyCar Series
veteran is fifth among rookie drivers in the point standings having finished
as the second-highest rookie at Gateway. 
 
Kite will join the MRD Motorsports team- led by Bryan Berry- at Lowe's Motor
Speedway on May 20th for the Quaker Steak & Lube 200 presented by Click It
or Ticket. The MRD Chevrolet had a strong test at the 1.5-mile Charlotte,
North Carolina oval in late April giving Kite- who has two IndyCar Series
starts at Lowe's- confidence entering one of the toughest events on the
circuit. The team will announce additional NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
events as they finalize the schedule for Kite and the 06 truck in the coming
weeks.
 
Jimmy Kite: "It was a lot of fun. I kind of handicapped us qualifying so bad
and we had to start so far back. The biggest thing I learned in the first
tire/ fuel stint was how much I still had to learn. The second stint I was
really happy with. We picked up a lot of speed. The last two stints the
tires just weren't as good and we were holding on until the end. This
track's completely different than Atlanta. I learned a lot of different
things here I didn't in Atlanta. It definitely takes a different style. I
have a lot of fun running these things and I'm really enjoying working with
Dave, Bryan and the MRD crew. We'll prepare and get ready for Charlotte now.
I'm looking forward to going to Lowe's."
 
To learn more about Jimmy Kite, please visit www.JimmyKite.com. For the
Jimmy Kite Fan Club, log-on to www.JimmyKiteFans.com. To keep in touch with
Jimmy and the MRD Motorsports Team go to www.TeamMRD.com.