Reinhardt Logs Top 10 to Open Indiana Swing with All Stars

Racing is no different than anything else in life.  You must always keep learning to keep moving forward.  In his rookie campaign with the All Star Circuit of Champions, Kyle Reinhardt and his team are being reminded of that on a regular basis.  Some lessons are fun to learn, others…not so much.  Regardless, the Neptune City native is eager to learn, improve and achieve consistent success. 

Circle City Raceway: Indianapolis, IN

     (5/20:  Qualifying 30th/6th in group, Heat 4th, A-main 9th)

The 2021 All Star Indiana Swing kicked off at Circle City Raceway, a brand new facility just outside Indianapolis.  Given the importance of time trials, night one of the four-race series in the Hoosier State didn’t get off to a great start for Kyle Reinhardt.  He registered the 30th quickest lap of 31 entries.  The time placed him 6th in his group, which meant he would need to advance at least one spot in his heat race to lock directly into the A-main.  Reinhardt was able to do one better, working his way into 4th place by the time the checkered flag waved on qualifying.

After starting deep in the field in 17th and only gaining a couple positions by the halfway point, Reinhardt showed his never-give-up attitude by running his best laps of the race and surging into the top 10 in the final 5 circuits.  It was a nice recovery and a positive ending to the night.  Reinhardt commented, “Took me a little bit but we got rolling late in the feature and made up some ground.”  

     (5/21: Qualifying 26th, Heat 9th,  A-main 20th)

Night two in Indianapolis saw 30 teams sign in for competition.  They found a heavier track waiting for them than Friday night had delivered.  Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team would find themselves working from behind after turning in the 26th quickest time under the clock.  Starting 9th in his heat race, Reinhardt found the team’s post-qualifying adjustments did not make the difference they needed to move forward.  He crossed the line in 9th, relegating him to the B-main.  

Unfortunately, Reinhardt’s 8th place start in the B-main turned into a 9th place finish.  The team elected to take their first provisional of the season to start 25th in the A-main.  By the halfway point, Kyle had made forward progress for the first time all night, moving up 7 spots to 18th.  As he was working a pass for 17th, two other competitors made contact, with one of them getting into Reinhardt.  While his Capitol Renegade No.91 never stopped, Kyle did lose a few positions and it became clear after the restart that the car was not the same and he was unable to regain the lost positions.  In the end, Reinhardt was credited with a 20th place finish.

Reinhardt put the team’s struggles thus far on the Indiana swing squarely on his own shoulders.  “I have got to get better at running time trial laps at the smaller places.  These places call for a different style than the smooth style that works on the bigger tracks.  It makes for a much tougher night when you don’t time well.“

Gas City I-69 Speedway:  Gas City, IN

     (Qualifying 22nd/2nd in group, Heat 7th,  A-main 18th)

The teams moved just over an hour north on Saturday to race at the Gas City quarter-mile oval.  Driver Kyle Reinhardt’s focus on his qualifying effort on the bull ring seemed to pay off a little.  He registered the 2nd quickest time in his group and 22nd overall of the 32 cars that went under the clock.  The effort provided him with the 3rd starting spot in his heat race, from which the top 5 would transfer directly to the night’s A-main, giving the All Star Rookie of the Year candidate good odds of making the show.

Just went things were looking a little brighter for the New Oxford, PA resident, the cars at the front of the heat race got together on the start, spinning and collecting Reinhardt, who had no way to avoid the pair.  He lined up 7th for the complete restart but was not able to recover the lost ground, ultimately finishing 7th in the heat race.  

Dealt a 7th starting spot in the B-main, Reinhardt was determined to get in the show.  He charged into a transfer spot by the finish of the 12-lap event to accomplish his goal.  He would start 24th in the A-main but they were in.  Racing from deep in the pack always has the added challenges of ‘dirty air’ and traffic, but it’s also possible to race into the top 10 from the back, as Reinhardt has already proven this season.  Although he did move forward in the feature event, the Capitol Renegade No.91 just wasn’t quite good enough on this night and Reinhardt settled for an 18th place finish.

Kokomo Speedway: Kokomo, IN

     (Qualifying 25th/7th in group, Heat 9th,  B-main 21st)

Not surprisingly, the $26,000 to win Indiana finale at Kokomo Speedway drew the highest car count of the 4-race series, with 42 teams signing in to take their shot at the big money.  Reinhardt recorded the 25th quickest lap overall on the banked, quarter-mile oval, but was in the bottom half of his group, which meant he would start 7th in heat number two.  With only 4 cars transferring to the A-main from each of 5 heat races, his work was cut out for him.  A spin on lap 2 after contact required him to restart at the back of the field and made the job even more difficult.  Following the setback, Kyle was unable to gain positions in the 8-lap heat race, which translated to a 21st starting spot in the B-main.  Unfortunately, he didn’t fare any better in the B-main.  Reinhardt was unable to make significant forward progress and did not transfer to the A-main. 

Following his first career Indiana swing, a somewhat frustrated but determined Kyle Reinhardt summarized it this way:  “We show speed at times but we are struggling with consistency.  We will find it.”  He concluded by once again referring to time trials as the key to improving their consistency, sharing “Next week we’re headed back to PA to race.  I’m excited to get back home to familiar turf.  Getting a good lap down will be key.”

RQM Motorsports would like to 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:

Over the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend, Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team will be back in action with the All Star Circuit of Champions in Pennsylvania.  Friday, May 28th will bring the series to Williams Grove Speedway for the $10,000 to win Davey Brown Tribute race, honoring the legendary mechanic.  The tour will then move on to Port Royal Speedway for the 2-day Bob Weikert Memorial on May 29-30, where the opener will pay $10,000 to win and the finale will pay a whopping $29,000 to win, in honor of the legendary car owner’s No.29.