Meredith Kaplan Burns
Brownsburg, Indiana (June 27, 2011) — Kyle Hamilton enthusiastically arrived at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, for the June 24th USAC Mopar National Midget Pavement Series event after two strong performances driving the #9 Nine Racing Midget at the first two series’ events at Lucas Oil Raceway Park and the Milwaukee Mile.
The Iowa Speedway event bill also included the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Star Mazda Championship, and USAC Silver Crown Series, which resulted in very limited track time for Kyle and the Nine Racing team. Kyle didn’t adapt to the track as quickly as he wanted and ended up qualifying on the 7/8-mile tri-oval track in ninth position with a time of 23.266 seconds.
“I really wanted to do a good job in qualifying,” said Kyle Hamilton. “We worked on the set-up during practice, which I thought would give me an advantage. However, the track changed just a little and I did not take advantage of the opportunity to qualify well. I ended up with a time that placed me ninth on the grid for the twin 25-lap features.”
The 50-lap feature event was divided into two 25-lap segments with a required 10 laps of yellow. Kyle’s plan was to go easy on the tires for the first 25 laps. When the green flag waved for the second 25-lap segment, Kyle was able to gain positions and finish in eighth.
“Our entire Nine Racing team enjoyed visited Iowa Speedway, which is a first-class facility,” said Nine Racing Team Owner Steve Lewis. “We appreciate the opportunity to be able to race here in front of the large enthusiastic crowd. While Kyle worked hard today, unfortunately, the eighth-place finish did not truly represent his ability.”
After the first three USAC Mopar National Midget Pavement Series events, Kyle Hamilton stands in second place in the series’ points. Kyle’s next race driving the #9 Nine Racing Midget will be on Friday, July 1, at Toledo Speedway.
Nine Racing’s 2011 sponsor lineup includes K&N Engineering, Eibach Springs, Weld Racing, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Penske Racing Shocks, Performance Friction Brakes, ASE, Earl’s Performance Plumbing, SSi Decals, PJ1, and Hoosier Racing Tire.