Kinser Hopes To Put An Exclamation Point On This Year’s Gold Rush Tour
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Sep 04, 2008
TSR
INDIANAPOLIS –After scoring his first Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series victory, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Kraig Kinser is looking to put an exclamation point on this year’s Gold Rush tour. Kinser will be one of more than 100 drivers vying for the $50,000 top prize in this weekend’s 55th annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif.
Kinser, who be driving the TSR No. 20 Bass Pro Shops/Chevy/JD Byrider Maxim, is continuing a 12-race tour through the west and has scored three top-10 finishes in his last four starts. Monday’s triumph at Grays Harbor Raceway Park in Elma, Wash., was his eighth career WoO triumph and his first driving for TSR.
On Friday night, Kinser will return to action in one of Sprint car racing’s signature events. Silver Dollar Speedway is a tight, quarter-mile dirt oval that challenges every driver that races on it. The Gold Cup format begins with programs on Thursday and Friday that include qualifying, heat races and a preliminary feature each night. Kinser’s TSR teammate, Donny Schatz in the No. 15 Armor All/Chevy/ParkerStore J&J, begins his weekend on Thursday’s program.
Kinser has competed in the Gold Cup twice during his career. In 2004, he finished 15th in the 40-lap finale and, in 2005, he won the “C” feature event before charging to 11th in the “B” feature.
The 2004 Kevin Gobrecht WoO Rookie of the Year moved to 13th in the WoO Sprint Series Championship standings following Monday’s victory. He has made 45 series starts thus far in 2008, having earned one victory, four top-five finishes and 12 top-10s.
Monday night, you picked up your first win of the season. How does that help you heading into the Gold Cup?
Kraig Kinser: ”It was a really good night for us and gives us the confidence that we can get the job done. Everyone has been working hard trying to get us on top. Winning always helps, no matter what. Having confidence heading into a big race is pretty important too.”
“When you have a program where everything counts for points, you have to be on your game and these guys have done a good job with this Bass Pro, Chevy and JD Byrider race car. We’ve been qualifying better and running well in the heat races. So, hopefully, we’ll just keep that up.”
The Gold Cup brings out a lot of competitors. What’s the key to succeeding in that event?
Kraig Kinser: ”Well, I haven’t been spectacular in the past, but hopefully that will change. The guys from California race at Chico quite a bit, and it’s a unique track – small, fast – and traffic is really a factor there.”
“Bottom line is that we have to just keep doing what we’ve been doing, working hard and giving it everything we can. It’s a great opportunity for us to finish up this western swing with a lot of momentum heading down the stretch.”
