Travis Kittleson’s ride in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy in Saturday night’s Busch Series race at Gateway International Raceway (8 p.m., ESPN 2) is a dichotomy.
It’s the best ride the Merritt Island High graduate has ever had in his fledgling NASCAR career. Yet it is most likely the only ride he will have with one of the sport’s top teams. Even if he wins—and that’s not far fetched given the strength of the car and the team—Gibbs’ people haven’t promised Kittleson anything. But, at the same time, a victory would certainly put the 27-year-old on the radar of every car owner looking to fill a seat. MARK DeCOTIS, FLORIDA TODAY
July 18
At 27, Travis Kittleson is not young for a race-car driver. With no midlevel series championships on his resume, he’s not a phenom.
What Kittleson is, is hopeful. He is hopeful that one day soon, he will be what Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer now are — stars in the Nextel Cup series whom nobody had heard word one about just a couple of years ago. JIM PEDLEY, The Kansas City Star
July 18
“I’m pumped up,” he said. “I’m hoping for the Cinderella story. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to get in a Joe Gibbs car. The way the team’s been working this year and how the car’s been running, regardless of what driver’s been in it, it just makes me really excited. I’ve been hanging out with them and listening on the radio, and [crew chief] Dave Rogers is, by far, probably one of the best leaders I’ve ever had the opportunity to be around. SceneDaily.com
June 16
For Travis Kittleson, Saturday’s 200-mile NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Michigan (2:30 p.m., SPEED) is a graduation of sorts on two fronts.
It will be his first race on a track longer than 1.5 miles, in this case, two miles. MARK DeCOTIS, FLORIDA TODAY
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