Banking on the Buckeye State - Kinser and Company Roll Into Ohio

INDIANAPOLIS – Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Kraig Kinser had a memorable Memorial Day – literally. After picking up a fifth-place finish during this week’s Monday holiday, Kinser and Company feel things are looking up and welcome the recent surge in momentum heading into this weekend’s Ohio doubleheader with the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series.

On Friday night, the No. 20 Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Chevy/Maxim team will return to the high-banked 1/3-mile oval of Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park (ARP) for the Kistler Engines Classic. Kinser’s last appearance at the track, on July 13, 2005, saw him finish 18th. The No. 20 machine is powered by a Kistler Engines-built Chevy again this season.

Saturday will see Kinser and the WoO Sprint Series return to the high banks of Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The legendary half-mile will host the series in the Built by the Home Depot event. Kinser finished 21st in the series’ last event at the track after failing to finish. This Saturday’s event will serve as the final tune-up for the King’s Royal race, which will be held in July at Eldora.

Kinser and the No. 20 TSR team are scheduled to make an appearance at the J.D. Byrider store in Anderson, Ind., on June 3. The event will run from 6-8 p.m. EDT, with Kinser on hand for autographs and photo opportunities. The J.D. Byrider store will also host a live radio remote during the appearance. The store is located at 311 Scatterfield Road in Anderson.

Friday at ARP, pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. EDT and grandstand gates open at 5 p.m. Hot laps are tentatively scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. At Eldora on Saturday, pit gates and grandstand gates open at 3 p.m. EDT. Hot laps are tentatively scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m.

Reserved seats and general admission tickets for the Kistler Engines Classic at ARP can be purchased by calling (419) 680-5606, or by visiting the track’s Web site, www.atticaracewaypark.com. Tickets for Saturday’s World of Outlaws Built by the Home Depot event can be purchased by calling (937) 338-3815, or by visiting the track’s Web site, www.eldoraspeedway.com.

Race fans unable to attend this weekend’s events can catch all of the action from ARP and Eldora on DIRTVision.com. Fans can listen live as Johnny Gibson, “Voice of the Outlaws,” calls the action as he does at all WoO Sprint Series events on the DIRTVision.com cybercast, as well as on the DIRT Radio Network. Go to www.DIRTVision.com for more information on all the site features, including updated results from each night of racing, as well as a chat room to interact with other race fans.

Kraig Kinser, driver of the No. 20 TSR/Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/Maxim:

You’re visiting another track, Attica Raceway Park, on Friday for the first time in almost three years. Are you looking forward to racing on the high-banked short track?

“It has been a while since I last raced at Attica and I’m really looking forward to Friday night’s race. Again, at this point, just being at the race track is really fun. The weather cooperated last weekend and earlier this week and we’re hoping we started a trend. I’ve been told that Attica has changed quite a bit since I last saw it and it will be fun to see if that’s true. Our finish on Monday night really helped our confidence as a team and I am ready to get back on the track later this week.”

Attica Raceway Park has been known to become dry-slick during racing events. Does that affect you as a driver?

“With dry-slick tracks, you either love them or you hate them. At a track like Attica, or anywhere for that matter, you have to get a good draw and go out early for qualifying. If you can qualify well, you’re putting yourself in a great position for the rest of the night. Either way, we’ll work to adapt to the track as needed and continue to work to put Bass Pro Shops and Chevy up front in the A-main.”

Saturday’s event at Eldora Speedway will be the last time you and the World of Outlaws Sprint Series will compete at the track before the King’s Royal in July. Will it help you prepare for the July event?

“Any time you head to Eldora Speedway, you know it’s going to be an exciting race. I always look forward to racing at Eldora. We learned a lot last weekend and I know that we’re going to continue to move forward with our program the more races we’re able to get in. On Saturday, we’re going to try to work out more of the kinks and that will help us with our notes as we come back to Eldora for the King’s Royal in July. With the momentum that we’ve been building I am really exited about heading there on Saturday.”

For complete WoO Sprint Series results from ARP and Eldora Speedway, log on to www.worldofoutlaws.com/sprint. For information regarding TSR, Bass Pro Shops, Chevy or Kinser, log on to www.tonystewartracing.com, www.basspro.com, www.chevy.com or www.kraigkinser.com.