Archive for month: August, 2021

The All Star Circuit of Champions resumed competition last weekend following a three week break in their 2021 schedule that annually allows teams the opportunity to compete in the 360 and 410 sprint car Nationals at Knoxville.

The Capitol Renegade team was looking to carry all the positives from their time at Knoxville, including the 360 Nationals Rookie of the Year honors for wheelman Kyle Reinhardt and a solid appearance in the B-main at the 410 Nationals, into  the stretch run of the All Star season.

8/20:  I-96 Speedway – Lake Odessa, MI

      (21 cars, Qualifying 9th, Heat 2nd,  A-main 15th)

First up in the series’ return to action was a trip to I-96 Speedway in Michigan.  When the tour last visited the 3/8-mile clay oval, Kyle Reinhardt logged a top-10 and was looking for more success this time around.  There were 21 total teams pit side for racing Friday night.

Reinhardt was the 14th driver to hit the track for qualifying but was able to log a solid lap that placed him 9th quick overall.  The effort set him up with the outside front row starting spot in the 3rd 8-lap heat race.  

Reinhardt ‘held serve’ in the heat race, riding home in 2nd and locking himself and the team into a top-10 starting spot for the A-main.

In the 30-lap finale, the All Star Rookie of the Year candidate struggled.  He and the team had ‘missed it’, as they say when referencing the correct setup.  Reinhardt slipped back out of the top 10 and when the curtain closed on the night’s competition, he found himself in 15th position.

8/21:  Waynesfield Raceway Park – Waynesfield, OH

      (22 cars, Qualifying 8th, Heat 2nd, A-main 8th)

As a result of expected weather around Plymouth Speedway in Indiana, the original planned destination of the series on Saturday, a mid-week schedule change was made that brought the series back to Waynesfield Raceway Park in Ohio.  

It was only the second visit for Reinhardt, with the first being in the midst of the hectic Ohio Sprint Speedweek back in June.  That night started off well for the Neptune City, NJ native with a top-10 qualifying effort in a field of 42 cars, but he and the team were not able to carry that momentum throughout the night, winding up with a 19th place finish. 

Saturday’s objective:  put a full night together.  It is a challenge the team has faced often in 2021, but a team can only race one race at a time.  They needed to start by achieving the objective in Ohio, then they could worry about the next race.

Step one of that objective went well.  Reinhardt recorded the 8th quickest time among the 22 cars that went under the clock.  

Step two also went well. The Capitol Renegade, Champion Brands, Henry’s Wrecker Service No.91 started and finished 2nd in heat number two, securing a 10th place starting spot for the 30-lap feature event.

The 3rd and final step of the team’s Waynesfield goal was all that remained to successfully achieve the objective.  Reinhardt and team came through.  The right decisions were made in the pits and on the track, enabling Kyle to compete for the entire distance, make some forward progress, and flash under the checkered flag with an 8th place finish.

“Both nights this weekend we were decent.  We were right there, but the motor stumbled a bit at the start of the heat.  When you start on the front row, you have to win.  We weren’t able to do that.  That was the difference between a good night and a great night the last two races.  We had a better car than our results showed“, Reinhardt commented.  

Up Next:

As August draws to a close, Reinhardt will find himself back on familiar turf.  Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team will continue their rookie campaign with the All Star Circuit of Champions by competing in a 4-race stint through Central Pennsylvania.  The swing will kick off at Grandview Speedway on Thursday, August 26th, followed by Williams Grove Speedway Friday, Lincoln Speedway Saturday, and BAPS Motor Speedway Sunday.

“I’m excited about these upcoming races“, Reinhardt shared.  “We’ve been getting better at time trialing and having speed early in the night.  We have often struggled later in the night though.  We believe we can use our experience in PA to help us be better later in the night too.  If we can do that and put a whole night together, we can have a really good week.”

Thanks to Our Partners!

RQM Enterprises would like to express their appreciation to all of their partners for the continued support!  Thanks to Capitol Renegade, Capitol Custom Coaches & Trailers, Champion Brands, Fibreworks Composites, Henry’s Wrecker Service, J&J Auto Racing, FK Rod Ends, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Kelly Racing Fuel, B.C. Walter Trucking, Arai Americas, Auto Meter, KSE Racing Products, InTech Trailers, Fel-Pro, Taylor Ignition Wires, Miller Welders, K&N Filters, Mettec, AL Driveline, Jesel Valvetrain, DMI, All-Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, ISC Racers Tape, HMS Motorsports, Ultra Lite Brakes & Components, Rider Racing Engines, Saldana Racing Products and HP Engines for their support during the 2021 racing season.

Kyle Reinhardt was hoping the third time would be the charm.  

He had tried twice before to make the prestigious Knoxville Nationals, the most recent being in 2018 in the Capitol Renegade No.91.  Each of his prior attempts would likely best be described as long shots.  This year was different.

The Capitol Renegade program has come a long way since 2018.  That year, their week in Knoxville included a scratch on their qualifying night and they opted not to run the D-main on Championship Saturday.  This year, Reinhardt and Capitol Renegade had a legitimate shot at making the big show together.  

8/11:  410 Sprint Car Knoxville Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (Qualifying Night:  49 cars, Qualifying 32nd, Heat 1st,  A-main 21st)

As is always the case with the large number of cars that enter the Knoxville Nationals, half of the field qualifies on Wednesday night, while the remaining teams qualify on Thursday night.  

Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team were among 49 cars slated to qualify on Wednesday, the opening night of the 60th Annual edition of “The Nationals”.  The All Star Circuit of Champions Rookie of the Year candidate was the 38th driver to take to the track for time trials.  On his second circuit, he logged the 32nd quickest lap in the field.  

Reinhardt knew his No.91 had a better lap in it, but the motor wasn’t exactly cooperating during his shot under the clock.  However, it was good enough to provide him with an outside front row starting spot in the second heat.  The crew went to work after time trials to make sure Reinhardt had what he needed to capitalize on the starting spot because the top 4 finishers would transfer directly to the night’s A-main, providing a solid opportunity to accumulate points for the week.  The better the finish, the better their position to make the A-main on Championship Saturday, which would pay a hefty $10,000 to start.

The car was stout in the heat race.  Reinhardt blasted to the lead at the drop of the green.  He never relinquished the top spot, cruising to the win by 2.144 seconds over Zeb Wise, and locking himself into the 25-lap feature event later that night.

Unfortunately, just a few laps into the A-main, the earlier issues Reinhardt bubbled up again and he slid backwards in the field, ultimately finishing 21st.

“Motor issues hurt our time trial, got it sorted out and won our heat race, but motor issues resurfaced in the (feature) race, and we couldn’t go anywhere.  Car was fast when it would run, which was encouraging, but at this deal you can’t afford to miss the slightest opportunity“, Wayne Quackenbush of Capitol Renegade shared.

8/13:  410 Sprint Car Knoxville Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (Hard Knox Night:  69 cars, Qualifying 5th in Flight #2, Heat 2nd, A-main 9th)

With both qualifying nights in the books, points were tallied to set up the remainder of the week.  The top 16 teams in points were automatically locked into the A-main on Championship Saturday, while the next 10 teams in points would make up the first five rows of Saturday’s B-main.  The remaining teams, 27th and lower in points, would compete in Friday night’s Hard Knox program to take another shot at making Saturday’s finale.  

The 69 teams who signed in to make the most of Friday’s second opportunity were divided into two flights for timed qualifying.  Kyle Reinhardt was the 18th of 34 cars to take to the track in Flight #2.  He tripped the timing light on his second lap with a 16.031, ranking him 5th quickest for the night.

In the fifth heat, Kyle started inside row two behind the front row of Wayne Johnson and Sammy Swindell.   Reinhardt charged past Swindell into 2nd on the opening lap and never looked back.  He was unable to close on Johnson but rode home comfortably in 2nd, locking into Friday’s main event.

Reinhardt and team had a solid night going and had put themselves in position to achieve the main goal of the week.  The Capitol Renegade, Champion Brands, Henry’s Wrecker Service No.91 would line up 4th in Friday’s 25-lap A-main, behind a front row consisting of the legendary Jac Haudenchild and the ever-popular Rico Abreu.

Reinhardt held serve near the front of the field, running 3rd or 4th during the first half of the event.  At the midpoint of Friday’s A-main, the Neptune City, NJ native was still running in a transfer spot to put himself in his first ever Knoxville Nationals Championship Saturday A-main, but issues arose that left the dangling carrot just out of reach.  

“Unfortunately, I lost brakes and couldn’t hold the bottom. Dropped back a few spots and finished 9th”, Reinhardt commented.  

He would have one more shot on Saturday night to advance from his 15th starting spot in the B-main to a top-4 finish to make the show.

8/14:  410 Sprint Car Knoxville Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (Championship Saturday:  88 cars, B-main 22nd)

Saturday’s mission at Knoxville was clear cut for Kyle Reinhardt:  Roll off 15th in the B-main, pass eleven cars, and transfer to the A-main.  It was also a tall order in a last chance qualifying race that had a starting lineup that was better than almost any feature event across the country on any given night.  Everything would have to be perfect.  

It didn’t take Reinhardt long Saturday night to determine things were not perfect.  The brake issue from Friday night reared its head again early in the B-main.  Attempting to be fast around Knoxville with brake issues was an unwinnable battle.  Reinhardt eventually retired from the event and was officially credited with 22nd, bringing an end to the team’s Nationals week.  

“I have mixed emotions.  We were so close.  Friday was our moment.  Despite our motor and brake issues, we were right there, fighting for it, running in a transfer spot.  To be that close and not make it is really disappointing”, Reinhardt commented.  “We haven’t had brake issues all year, so it’s frustrating for it to happen here.  All that said, the B-main is nothing to be ashamed of here.  We have nothing to hang our heads about“, he concluded.

Thanks to Our Partners!

RQM Motorsports would like to sincerely thank Capitol Renegade, Capitol Custom Coaches & Trailers, Champion Brands, Fibreworks Composites, Henry’s Wrecker Service, J&J Auto Racing, FK Rod Ends, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Kelly Racing Fuel, B.C. Walter Trucking, Arai Americas, Auto Meter, KSE Racing Products, InTech Trailers, Fel-Pro, Taylor Ignition Wires, Miller Welders, K&N Filters, Mettec, AL Driveline, Jesel Valvetrain, DMI, All-Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, ISC Racers Tape, HMS Motorsports, Ultra Lite Brakes & Components, Rider Racing Engines, Saldana Racing Products and HP Engines for their support during the 2021 racing season.

Up Next:

Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team will resume their All Star Circuit of Champions rookie campaign this week with events in Michigan and Indiana on August 20th and 21st.  Friday night, the series will compete for $5,000 to win at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, MI.  The tour will move on to Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, IN for a shot at the $6,000 winner’s share on Saturday night.  Just 16 races remain on the series’ 2021 schedule and Reinhardt currently sits 9th in points in his first season on the tour.

SCHEDULE UPDATE:

The 8/21 event at Plymouth Speedway has been CANCELLED.  Instead, Kyle and the All Stars will race at Waynesfield Raceway Park in Ohio Saturday night.

In recent years, more and more drivers and teams have been making the journey to Knoxville, IA one week earlier than usual.  The Knoxville Nationals for 410 sprint cars have become so prestigious and offer a purse that compares to no other, which has led many teams to take every opportunity to get track time on the black dirt at the “Sprint Car Capital of the World”. 

The 3-day 360 Sprint Car Nationals and the Capitani Classic for 410 sprint cars provide multiple opportunities for teams seeking those extra laps at Knoxville.  Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team inked those events on their schedule for the very same reason.

8/5:  360 Sprint Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (43 cars:  Qualifying 26th, Heat 2nd,  A-main 24th)

The 31st Annual 360 Sprint Car Nationals kicked off Thursday night at Knoxville Raceway with qualifying for the first half of the registered field.  The large field is traditionally split into two nights for qualifying.  Each time they hit the track, teams accumulate points, which ultimately line up a series of main events on Saturday.

Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team were in the house to take a shot at their first 360 Nationals.  Despite an unlucky pill draw that placed him last in a queue of 43 cars for laps under the clock, Reinhardt managed a respectable 26th quickest time.

Brian Brown, who started alongside polesitter Reinhardt in the first heat, beat the No.91 to the first corner and kept a firm grasp on the top spot throughout the 8-lap qualifying event.  Reinhardt held on to 2nd ahead of Cory Eliason and Shane Golobic, who claimed the remaining transfer positions for the night’s A-main.

The All Star Circuit of Champions Rookie of the Year candidate started 19th in the A-main but had motor issues from the start and slid back in the field.  After a handful of laps, Reinhardt made the unwanted left hand turn into the pits and called it an early night.  The 24th place finish put a damper on the decent points night the team had going and significantly changed how their Saturday would play out.

“The motor wasn’t taking off the way we wanted in the heat race, so we made some adjustments.  Unfortunately, it got worse, so I had to pull off early to avoid bigger issues”, Reinhardt shared.

8/7:  360 Sprint Nationals – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (90 cars:  C-main 3rd, B-main 15th)

The final day of the 360 Nationals at Knoxville consists of a series of main events, lined up based on the points teams accumulated on their qualifying days.  Kyle Reinhardt found himself ranked 51st of the 90 drivers who took to the track on the two previous nights.  The top 20 were locked into the 25-lap A-main, 21-40 into the 15-lap B-main and 41-60 would make up the 12-lap C-main.  

From his 11th starting spot in the C-main, Reinhardt would need to find his way to a top-4 finishing position to advance to the B-main.  From the drop of the green, he wasted no time beginning his charge forward.  By lap three, the Neptune City, NJ native had wheeled his way to the 5th position, within striking distance of the final transfer spot.  On lap 6, Reinhardt pushed his way into 3rd, and he held onto that transfer spot the rest of the way to finish +8 in the event.

Reinhardt’s momentum continued when the B-main took to the track.  Although it was a tall order to make his way to a top-4 finish and a spot in the A-main from his 21st starting spot, Kyle  went to work on that goal.  Although he came up short, he was +6 and finished 15th.  After passing a total of 14 cars in a combined 27 laps on Saturday, it was clear the Capitol Renegade team had resolved their engine issues.  If not for the setback on Thursday night, it certainly seemed the team would have made the 360 Nationals A-main on their first attempt.

While he fell short of his goal to make the A-main, Reinhardt’s performance was good enough to earn him the 31st Annual 360 Nationals Rookie of the Year award!

8/8:  410 Sprint Capitani Classic – Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (65 cars:  Qualifying 29th in Flight 1, Heat 10th, B-main 11th)

Sunday night brought a return to 410 sprint car competition for Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team.  The Capitani Classic is a great event on its own, but also serves as valuable track time prior to the Nationals, which kick off Wednesday night.  65 teams signed in to capitalize on that opportunity.  

The large field was divided into two flights for qualifying.  Reinhardt was the 16th car to go under the clock.  He registered a disappointing 29th quickest time of the 33 cars to attempt qualifying in the first flight.  Given the format, a poor qualifying effort meant it would be an uphill battle from that point forward.

The struggles continued for Reinhardt in his heat race.  He started and finished 10th, relegating him to a 17th starting position in the first B-main.  Only the top three finishers would advance to the 25-lap Capitani Classic A-main.  Although he wasn’t able to transfer, there was some good news when Reinhardt passed six cars to finish 11th.  It was too little, too late on that night, but it was progress toward the upcoming 410 Nationals later in the week.  

“It’s been taking us too long to find speed here each night.  We struggle early, then catch up with our adjustments.  We’re working hard to fix that for The Nationals”, Reinhardt commented.

Thanks to Our Partners!

RQM Motorsports would like to sincerely thank Capitol Renegade, Capitol Custom Coaches & Trailers, Champion Brands, Fibreworks Composites, Henry’s Wrecker Service, J&J Auto Racing, FK Rod Ends, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Kelly Racing Fuel, B.C. Walter Trucking, Arai Americas, Auto Meter, KSE Racing Products, InTech Trailers, Fel-Pro, Taylor Ignition Wires, Miller Welders, K&N Filters, Mettec, AL Driveline, Jesel Valvetrain, DMI, All-Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, ISC Racers Tape, HMS Motorsports, Ultra Lite Brakes & Components, Rider Racing Engines, Saldana Racing Products and HP Engines for their support during the 2021 racing season.

Up Next:

It’s 410 Knoxville Nationals week for Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team!  Over 100 cars are preregistered to compete in the prestigious and lucrative event that pays teams for each qualifying and feature event they compete in throughout the week.  Saturday’s finale will pay $150,000 to win and $10,000 to start!

Qualifying night for Reinhardt is Wednesday, August 11th, and the finale of the 60th Annual Knoxville Nationals will be run Saturday, August 14th.  Stay tuned to the social media outlets below for updates on Kyle’s schedule and results at the 410 Nationals.  Broadcast coverage of the entire event is available at DirtVision.com.

If your method of getting race results is to check feature rundowns on your favorite website, or check quick results on social media, you may not know the full story of how Kyle Reinhardt’s rookie season with the All Star Circuit of Champions is going.  You’ve certainly seen his name several times and you’ve read about some notable achievements, but if you look a little closer, it might be going better than you think.  More on that later.

7/29:  Missouri State Fair Speedway – Sedalia, MO

      (23 cars:  Qualifying 11th, Heat 1st,  Dash 8th, A-main 17th)

On the final Thursday of July, the All Star series rolled into Sedalia, MO for stop number five of the “Thunder Through the Plains” swing.  The fairgrounds half mile dirt oval drew a group of 23 cars for the $10,000 to win Ron Ditzfeld Memorial.  Kyle Reinhardt’s night started with a respectable qualifying run , 11th quickest in the field.  The night went from good to better when the Rookie of the Year candidate was victorious in heat number two, locking himself and the Capitol Renegade team into the dash redraw.

Reinhardt ultimately started 8th in the 35-lap A-main and raced inside the top 10 for the first half of the event.  He had moved his J&J chassis within striking distance of the top-5, holding down 6th on lap 15.  Following a lengthy red flag for Zeb Wise, who went over the fence off turn two, things started to go downhill for Reinhardt.  

Unsure why the handling had changed, Reinhardt wrestled with his mount trying to regain a rhythm.  Despite what turned out to be a tire issue, he held on to a top 10 spot until the final seven laps, then faded to a 17th place finish as the issue with his No.91 got significantly worse.  

7/30:  34 Raceway – West Burlington, IA

      (23 cars:  Qualifying 4th, Heat 3rd,  Dash 2nd, A-main 19th)

The swing trudged on through the hot and humid Midwest summer weather, this time chugging into Iowa to compete at the 3/8-mile clay oval.  Teams were working hard, traveling, and racing in the midst of a string of days with a heat index of 114 degrees. 

Like the night before, 23 team signed in to compete.  However this night got off to an even better start for Reinhardt than the night before.  He tripped the timing loop with the 4th quickest lap in the field, putting himself and his team in great position for the remainder of the show.  

Reinhardt finished 3rd in heat number one, transferring to the A-main and locking into the dash redraw once again.  The redraw was a little more friendly on this occasion, providing Reinhardt with the outside front row starting spot.  He was able to battle his way to the lead at the start of the dash but gave way to Bill Balog one lap later, then held on to 2nd and the A-main front row starting spot that came with it.

In the 30-lap feature event, Reinhardt held solid in the top-5 throughout the event and was poised to finally realize some payoff for all the hard work and recent speed.  With five laps remaining, the rug was pulled out from under Reinhardt when his right-rear tire went down, sending him to the sideline and a disappointing 19th place finish.

7/31:  Knoxville Raceway – Knoxville, IA

      (46 cars:  Qualifying 7th in group, Heat 5th, B-main 10th)

Saturday led teams to the “Sprint Car Capitol of the World”, Knoxville Raceway, for the finale of the 2021 edition of “Thunder Through the Plains”.  A stout field of 46 cars were pit-side to compete for  the $7,000 top prize, which meant there would be five groups for qualifying.  

Kyle Reinhardt was the 26th car to go under the clock in qualifying.  His time was only good enough for 7th in Group C, creating a bit of an uphill battle to make his way to the A-main.  He nearly climbed that hill from his 7th starting spot in heat three, finishing 5th, just one position out of a transfer spot.  Instead, he would need to climb from 6th to 4th in the B-main achieve that objective.  It was not to be though, as Reinhardt slipped a few spots to a 10th place finish, missing the cut and ending the night for the Capitol Renegade team.

“We didn’t time well at Knoxville but I learned every time I went out.  Knoxville races different than anywhere else, so we’re all working hard to get better there.  That’s a big reason we’re going to race the 360 Nationals and the Capitani Classic before the 410 Nationals”, Reinhardt shared.

“We had good speed all week and that’s what it takes to win these races.  We didn’t get the finishes we wanted, but we’ve been putting ourselves in position to compete for wins”, Reinhardt commented.

The stats certainly back up Reinhardt’s statement.  Let’s examine his dash participation.  Being in the dash means a driver will start within the top 8 positions of a feature, which substantially increases their chances of winning.  The Neptune City, NJ native has put the Capitol Renegade No.91 into 5 of the last 7 dashes.  That equates to a 71% success rate.  Compare that to a similar 7-race stretch back in May, during which the team qualified for the dash a mere 14% of the time.   

That trend of improvement is visible in the stats month by month ever since the season kicked off in February.  Given what we’ve seen lately, it’s going to be exciting to see what the remaining months of the 2021 season bring for this young team.  Stay tuned!

Thanks to Our Partners!

RQM Motorsports would like to sincerely thank Capitol Renegade, Capitol Custom Coaches & Trailers, Champion Brands, Fibreworks Composites, Henry’s Wrecker Service, J&J Auto Racing, FK Rod Ends, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Kelly Racing Fuel, B.C. Walter Trucking, Arai Americas, Auto Meter, KSE Racing Products, InTech Trailers, Fel-Pro, Taylor Ignition Wires, Miller Welders, K&N Filters, Mettec, AL Driveline, Jesel Valvetrain, DMI, All-Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads, ISC Racers Tape, HMS Motorsports, Ultra Lite Brakes & Components, Rider Racing Engines, Saldana Racing Products and HP Engines for their support during the 2021 racing season.

Up Next:

This week Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team will tackle the 360 Sprint Car Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.  Qualifying night for the team is Thursday, August 5th and the event finale will be Saturday, August 7th.  

Following the 360 Nationals, the team will get back to 410 racing, entering the Capitani Classic at Knoxville on August 8th, which will lead into the Knoxville 410 Sprint Car Nationals August 11-14th.F