Archive for category: Kyle Keen

Kyle Keen returned to Williams Grove Speedway Friday night July 15th in the Fine Line Auto Body / Keen Parts / Doubling Gap Ranch / Shetron Auction & Equipment, LLC. / Wicked Dog Grille / Heishman Racing Fuels / Wicked Cushion / DL Lehman Construction, LLC. / GearHead Coffee / Jeremy Zarfos Photography / Coyle’s Lawn Maintenance / One Nine Design, Kyle Keen Motorsports No.17k.

He and his team were looking to put a full night together and finally earn a finish at ‘The Grove’ that reflected how good they have been there this year.  Their previous races at the legendary Mechanicsburg (PA) half-mile had started very strong but ended with Keen pit-side before the checkered flag fell.

July 9:  Selinsgrove Speedway / Selinsgrove, PA

     [18 cars, Heat 8th (3), A-main 16th (15)]

Keen and his team were also ready to put last weekend’s frustrating night at Selinsgrove Speedway behind them.  Their night with the URC for the 360 National Open started with hot lap times near the top of the charts and a second row starting spot for their heat race.  Unfortunately a minor issue caused the motor to stumble on the start of the heat race and the night went downhill from there, ending with a 16th place finish.

July 16:  Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA

     [27 cars, Heat 2nd (2), A-main 15th (5)]

The line-up of the heat event will be determined by drivers season average money (lowest to Highest). A driver who misses a race at Williams Grove and competes in another 410/360/358 sprint car race, upon his/her return will be lined up at the rear of the heat race for 1 week. The feature will be lined up straight up from heat race finishes.

Three heat races were on the card for the 27 teams signed in.  Per Williams Grove rules, the heat lineups were set by the drivers’ season average money (lowest to highest).  The top six finishers from each would transfer directly to the feature event, and the lineup for the 20-lap finale would be straight up from the heat race finishes.  

Kyle Keen started outside the front row for heat number two.  The 8-lap qualifier provided an intense battle between Keen and the No.66 of veteran Doug Hammaker.  Keen fought off the challenge and got a well-earned runner-up finish in the heat, not only putting himself in the 5th starting spot for the A-main, but gaining some valuable seat time and confidence in the process.

From his starting spot inside the third row in the feature, he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity near the front of the pack.  Keen’s car just wasn’t in the ‘mood’ he needed it to be and he began to slide backwards through the running order soon after the green flag waived on the event.  He fought the good fight but only came away with a 15th place finish to show for it.

“We just weren’t any good at the end of the night when we needed to be.“, a somewhat frustrated Keen said. 

“We were decent in the heat race but I missed the setup big time in the feature.  It wasn’t the finish we wanted of course, but we raced all 20 laps and put it in the trailer in one piece, so I guess it’s one step closer to the kind of night we know we’re capable of.  Next time hopefully we can put the last piece of the puzzle in place.“

It is Keen’s first year in a 358 sprint car and it was only his fourth trip to Williams Grove, so there is still plenty of notes to be made and experience to be gained.  

“This is a very humbling sport, but I think for being our first year in a 358 we are ahead of the curve.  We’re having a lot of fun too.  I just have to keep improving as a driver every week and understanding track states and conditions.“, Keen commented.

“Williams Grove has done an incredible job with the 358’s this year and the numbers show.  I hope we can get some more races there next year, because it’s a badass racetrack!“

Up Next

Kyle Keen Motorsports will take next weekend off, then return to Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, July 29th.

Season Stats

12 races, 0 wins, 0 top 5’s, 2 top 10’s, 3 top 15’s

Kyle Keen closed out the month of June by tackling two of Pennsylvania’s most notable and toughest tracks in the Fine Line Auto Body / Keen Parts / Doubling Gap Ranch / Shetron Auction & Equipment, LLC. / Wicked Dog Grille / Heishman Racing Fuels / Wicked Cushion / DL Lehman Construction, LLC. / GearHead Coffee / Jeremy Zarfos Photography / Coyle’s Lawn Maintenance / One Nine Design, Kyle Keen Motorsports No.17k.

The pair of races took the team to Williams Grove Speedway and Port Royal Speedway where they would be on the card as part of the Pennsylvania Speedweek 410 sprint car series.  The outcome of both nights showed the 358 sprint car rookie is on the cusp of bigger things.  More experience will always be a plus, and that will come with time, but the biggest missing element right now is a little bit of luck.  

June 24th:  Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA

     [30 cars, Heat 1st (1), A-main 22nd (3)]

Thirty 358 sprint car teams signed in at ‘The Grove’ on Friday night, June 24th.  The field was split into three, 10-car heat races using a pill draw.  From each of the 8-lap qualifying races, the top six finishers would advance to the A-main, with the top four earning a spot in the redraw that would set the top twelve starting spots for the 20-lap finale.

Kyle Keen’s first bit of good fortune on the night came in the form of drawing the pole for the third heat race.  He was able to capitalize on the opportunity and capture the win, grabbing his ticket to the redraw in the process.

Keen had one more moment of good fortune when the redraw turned up the 3rd starting spot for the main event.  Unfortunately, that’s where his luck ran out for the night.  The race leader had a mechanical issue on the opening lap and slowed rapidly, leaving the Carlisle, PA resident no time to react.

Keen made contact with the right rear of the disabled car, lifting his front end skyward and bringing it back down hard on the track surface.  Sensing something was off, he took the car pit-side and retired from the event.  He was credited with a 22nd place finish.

“We were strong to start the night.  The heat win was rejuvenating.  It was definitely a confidence builder.  I felt like we showed what we are capable of.  We had nice speed and a good pace.”, Keen said.

“When the leader broke in front of me on the first lap of the feature, I had nowhere to go and climbed his right rear.  When the car came back down, I thought something was broken.  I pulled into the pits, but everything was fine.  It’s been tough sledding at the Grove so far, but we will get through this.  We are finally getting racy.  I’m excited for the next race there already.“

June 29th:  URC / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA

     [30 cars, Heat 6th (6), A-main 17th (16)]

The URC sprint cars joined the PA Speedweek 410 sprint car program at Port Royal Speedway for a midweek special at the Juniata County fairgrounds half-mile.  Taking advantage of an opportunity for seat time, Kyle Keen Motorsports joined the quality field of 30 cars.

The format in play for the event included three 10-lap heat races lined up by a pill draw, a B-main and a 25-lap A-main.  Each heat race would send the top six finishers directly to the main event, but only the top three would earn a spot in the redraw.

Keen started and finished 6th in an uneventful heat number one.  He may have missed the redraw, but the No.17k 358 sprint car was in the show right alongside the URC 360’s.

From his 16th starting spot in the night’s finale, Keen had to work hard for every position he gained.  Through the first twenty laps there was rarely a moment when he was not side by side with another competitor.

He was getting the job done though.  By lap eleven Keen had cracked the top ten.  Three laps later he had clawed his way into the 8th position.  The event was slowed numerous times by cautions, but he survived  the restarts and continued his quest.

A top five finish didn’t seem far-fetched given Keen’s steady climb, but inside the final few circuits, the motor began to stumble.  On the final restart with one lap remaining, it gave up and Keen drifted to the inside wall, out of fuel just a half mile short of a top-10 run in his first career URC start.  Instead, the rundown shows a disappointing 17th.

“I’m frustrated with the way the amount of caution laps we ran were handled, but it is what it is.  We will move on to the next one.“, Keen commented.

“Our Hammaker 358 was running super strong against a very tough field of 360’s. I want to say thanks to my team for getting the car to the track while I was at work so we could race. I’m proud of the speed we have shown recently.  I had a fun time racing Port, certainly a badass, fast racetrack.”

Up Next

The Kyle Keen Motorsports team will return to Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA on Saturday night, July 9th.

Season Stats

10 races, 0 wins, 0 top 5’s, 2 top 10’s, 2 top 15’s

Kyle Keen had attended countless races at Williams Grove Speedway over the years as a fan and as a member of a family who was heavily involved in racing from an ownership and sponsorship perspective.  Yet somehow the idea of actually racing the legendary oval himself had never really crossed his mind.

For that matter, Keen had not considered racing anywhere.  After a successful year in iRacing in 2018, his appetite had been spurred and the thought crossed his mind.  In 2019 he entered the sport as a driver in the 305 sprint car division, but during his first two seasons he didn’t get the opportunity to make laps at ‘The Grove’.

Now, after moving up to 358 sprint cars for the 2022 season, he here was, about to make laps on the famous Mechanicsburg, PA speedway in his Fine Line Auto Body / Keen Parts / Doubling Gap Ranch / Shetron Auction & Equipment, LLC. / Wicked Dog Grille / Heishman Racing Fuels / Wicked Cushion / DL Lehman Construction, LLC. / GearHead Coffee / Jeremy Zarfos Photography / Coyle’s Lawn Maintenance / One Nine Design, Kyle Keen Motorsports No.17k.

Despite having never circled the track before, Keen registered very respectable times in hot laps.  A favorable pill draw placed him 3rd on the starting grid for heat number two.  When the green flag dropped on the 8-lap qualifying event, issues arose for the Carlisle, PA native.

Something was off from the start and Keen lost a few positions on the opening lap.  As he began the second circuit, the part causing the handling difficulties failed completely, sending Keen into the fence.

“I felt good in hot laps.  Something didn’t feel right in the start of the heat though and it was throwing the car off.  I had my hands full.  I tried to hold onto it for a transfer spot, but as I went into (turn) one, something broke in the right front and I was along for the ride into the outside wall.“, Keen shared, recounting the events that ended his debut at ‘The Grove’.

The team believes the failure involved a component in the steering or front suspension, although it’s difficult to be certain with the amount of damage that was caused by the resulting impact.  The contact with the outside fence caused frame damage that will keep the team busy this week if they hope to be ready in time for this Saturday’s 358-sprint car event at Lincoln Speedway.

The team started their week by stripping the car down to the bare frame so it could be sent for repairs.  When the frame is ready in a couple days, Kyle and his team will begin rebuilding the car from the ground up, with a goal of being ready to go Saturday.

“We have a lot to learn, but I know we can be right there.  It’s a seat time thing, but I’m loving every second of it.  Tons of new challenges and obstacles so far this year for sure, but we will overcome!“, a positive Keen shared via Twitter this week.

Up Next

Kyle Keen Motorsports will be looking to put the misfortune behind them when they return to action Friday, June 10th at Williams Grove Speedway.  The following night they will head back to Lincoln Speedway where they will look to log another top ten run as they build their first-year 358 sprint car program.

Season Stats

6 races, 0 wins, 0 top 5’s, 1 top 10’s, 2 top 15’s