By Shawn Miller
KOKOMO, Ind. – May 23, 2012 – For the Kinsers, quite possibly the First Family of sprint car racing, Indiana is home.
Therefore, the World of Outlaws return to Kokomo Speedway on Tuesday, June 5, for the third round of the Kasey Kahne Challenge is relished by Steve Kinser and his son, Kraig, who are both in the top six of the championship standings.
“I love running for everybody in Indiana,” Kraig said. “I have a lot of good friends there, so it definitely makes it nicer. You get to see a lot of people at the race track you don’t get to see all summer long. It’s definitely a nice feeling when you get to the race track and have that atmosphere around you.”
It’s a little more than a 100-mile drive from the Kinsers shop in Bloomington to the semi-banked, quarter-mile oval, where the Kinsers have combined to win seven World of Outlaws features.
Kraig picked up his lone win in 2005 and Steve was victorious in the Outlaws first event at Kokomo in 1978 as well as in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1988.
“It’s always nice to be able to run a couple of hours and race,” Steve said. “I’ve only got to run there a couple of times since they changed the race track from what it was when I started. It’s definitely to the better. It’s a good, racy race track.
“The last two times I’ve been there they’ve banked the track. It used to be really flat. It’s completely different from what it was. It’s a lot better race track from what it used to be.”
There is a ticket special with a $5 discount on general admission at all participating O’Reilly Auto Parts stores. With the discount, adult tickets are only $30 and children ages 6 to 12 are only $10.
Pit/Combo tickets are available in advance only (includes a reserved seat and a pit pass) by ordering online at SLSpromotions.com or by calling 1-815-344-2023 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Central) Monday thru Friday.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Armor All (Official Car Care Products), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Goodyear Tires (Official Tire), Gravely Tractors (Official Lawn Equipment), University of Northwestern Ohio, VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), Vicci (Official Apparel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, JE Pistons, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, KSE Racing Products, MSD Ignitions, Penske Shocks, Superflow Dynos and Wix Filters; along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Astro Titanium, ButlerBuilt, Fuel Safe, Intercomp, J&J Auto Racing, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, S&S Volvo and TNT Rescue.