Jimmy Kite Must Be Must See Racing
Open Wheel Veteran To Make Winged Sprint Car Series Debut at Salem
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., July 26, 2012 – Whenever Jimmy Kite slides behind the wheel of a racecar, it becomes “Must See” motorsports. Now, Kite, who lives in Indianapolis but considers Stockbridge, Ga. his home, will really be a part of Must See Racing when he joins the TRUFUEL Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car Series for three races in the coming weeks. The open wheel-racing veteran has been named driver of the No. 81 Mike Blake Racing winged sprint car for the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on August 11, the Must See Racing event at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway scheduled for August 18 and the King of the Wings race at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway on August 19. The races will mark Kite’s debut in the series that utilizes 410-cubic inch V8 engines and traditional winged sprint car chassis on racing slick tires.
As if watching the five-time Indianapolis 500-starter piloting a 410-winged sprinter is not enough, the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car Series does it all on steeply banked, paved ovals. Kite is no stranger to the trio of Indiana short tracks at which he will race the No. 81. The last lap he turned on Salem’s 33-degree banked, .555-mile oval was his victory lap in the prestigious 1997 NAMARS Classic midget race. The Salem win was one of several key victories that skyrocketed Kite’s career into Indy car racing that season. He has also logged open wheel racing laps at Anderson – a quarter-mile, high-banked track at which he has raced the May tradition known as the “Little 500” in 1996 – and Winchester – a half-mile, steeply-banked facility he competed at during the famous ESPN “Thursday Night Thunder” races – as well during the early days of his career.
As fast as Kite’s previous starts at these legendary tracks were, they won’t be as quick or as punishing as the Mike Blake Racing machine. Most often thought of as a dirt track specialty, on pavement winged sprint cars are as physically and mentally demanding as any car in the world. The high speeds and g-forces generated by the massive wing on the car and the high banking under it will require Kite to draw back on his experience of racing an Indy car at Dover Downs or Richmond International. He is also familiar with finding the balance between high-horsepower and high-downforce machines from his NASCAR and ARCA starts. In fact, the 1997 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year has also run winged sprint cars on pavement previously in his career in two separate series. However, those efforts were always with smaller 360 cubic-inch engines.
The TRUFUEL Must See Xtreme Sprint Car Series runs a 15-race schedule on paved ovals. The Series enjoys an impressive television package bringing the events to over 125 million households on FOX Sports Net (FSN) as well as online at MotorSportWorld.TV.
In addition to the orange No. 81 Mike Blake Racing entry in the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car Series, Kite is also driving the No. 25 Indy Line Stripe/Eddie Sachs Racing Beast-Chevrolet in the USAC Silver Crown Series on both dirt and pavement.
Indy Line Stripe is a pavement maintenance leader in Indiana and surrounding states. The Indianapolis-based company is owned by Kite, fellow racer Geoff Dodge and Curt Shuttleworth. For more, visit: www.IndyLineStripe.com.
Quotes
Jimmy Kite:
On racing in the Must See Racing XtremeSprint Car Series: “410 sprint cars are always fun. Winged sprint cars are just crazy fun. Put both of those together and I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to these three races with Mike Blake Racing in the Must See Xtreme Sprint Car Series! I just want to make sure Mike is as proud after these three races as he is now about his decision to put me in his car.”
On joining Mike Blake Racing: “Mike and I have talked for several years about me hopping into his car but we both always seemed to have something else going on. Finally our schedules worked out and we can enjoy these races together. I am really looking forward to giving the No. 81 the best run in these next three races that I can.”
On expectations for these three races with Mike Blake Racing: “Racing with Mike Blake Racing in the Must See Series gives me a little of everything I have raced before. I've raced 410 sprint cars on dirt plenty. I have raced several times on pavement with a winged sprint car. Now, merging those two together should be a blast. Throw in the laps I've raced in Indy cars on short tracks and I'm hoping all of this carries over into a very successful three races for Mike.”
On racing at Salem, Anderson and Winchester: “It's always fun to go back to tracks where you’ve run well and even better when you've won at them like at Salem. But with the history of these three tracks, I'm just thrilled period to be debuting racing at them. I have great memories at each track.”
Jimmy Kite can be found on Facebook at Jimmy Kite * and on Twitter at * @JimmyKite
For more on the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial, please visit www.SalemSpeedway.com . ** Anderson Speedway’s Must See Racing can be seen at www.AndersonSpeedway.com. For more on Winchester Speedway’s King of The Wings, go to www.WinchesterSpeedway.com.
To learn more about the Must See Xtreme Sprint Car Series, please see: www.MustSeeRacing.com and on Twitter by following @MustSeeRacing .
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