Madera, CA — (June 9, 2015) — Kyle Vanderpool drove the Penix Racing No. 51 to his — and the team’s — first career Sprint Car win Saturday night at the 5th annual Summer Horsepower Nationals presented by Protect the Harvest and Hoosier Tire at California’s Madera Speedway.
Driving Penix Racing’s Beast sprint car, Vanderpool started the 30-lap main event from the third position and moved past pole-sitter Mike Murgoitio on the 12th circuit to claim the lead.
The 27-year-old Sanger, California shoe would never look back, leading the final 18 laps en route to the victory, crossing the finish stripe 2.3 seconds ahead of Murgoitio.
“We worked hard to get the car were we got it last night,” Vanderpool commented after the win. “It was on a rail and a dream to drive. Right off the start I was able to start stalking down the leaders and setting them up for the passes and then get along side them and just roll threw and rocket off the corner.”
A west-coast open-wheel racing veteran who has won every big supermodified race Madera offers, spoke about the differences in driving the winged sprinter as opposed to Penix Racing’s No. 3 supermodifieds.
“It (driving sprint cars) is just insane,” said Vanderpool, who also won the Winged Sprints heat race earlier in the day. “It’s like a jet. I mean you’re driving in so hard, then you’re letting off and then you’re back in it again. The g-forces are pretty good and it’s a lot of fun.
“A big thanks to Don and Chuck (Penix) and also my dad and my brother worked hard all night Friday and Saturday to get it as hooked up as we did. So a big thanks to the two of them, as well. Also a big thanks to all my sponsors, and my hat’s off to Jeff Gardner for helping dial in a killer shock package with the KW Shocks! It was a great night and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”
Saturday’s event was the second of the year for Winged Sprint Cars at Madera. Kyle opened the season with a second-place finish on May 2.
The Pacific region of the new King of the Wing Sprint Series runs again Saturday, July 11 and then heads to Stockton 99 Speedway in Stockton, Calif., Saturday August 8. The series will be highlighted with a big three-day West Coast National Sprint Car Championship November 20-22 at Madera, Irwindale Speedway and Kern County Raceway Park.
Before Madera’s next Sprint Car race the Penix / Vanderpool team will be preparing their Hyder west-coast and Belfab east-coast supermodifieds for the Copper Cup Classic Super Modified Open Competition event Saturday, July 4 at Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley City, Utah. The team plans to run both of their supers in the race with Vanderpool and another TBA driver.