Kyle Reinhardt Searching for Right Combination

Kyle Reinhardt and his team knew their first season traveling with the All Star Circuit of Champions would bring a lot of firsts and a lot of challenges.  As they kicked off the second half of their rookie season, they had already seen nearly two dozen new tracks, while competing against some of the toughest competition in the sprint car world.

Reinhardt and team had their moments during the first half of the season, capturing his first All Star victory and six top 10’s, but the areas where they struggled had also become apparent.  Consistency during the remainder of the season hinges on overcoming those struggles.

7/9:  Stateline Speedway – Busti, NY

      (Qualifying 7th, Heat 3rd,  A-main 14th)

A modest field of 21 cars signed in for competition at Stateline Speedway.  Kyle Reinhardt used his number four slot in time trials to register the 7th quickest overall lap.  It was a respectable lap, especially given Reinhardt’s only previous laps at the facility were the three hot laps he had run just minutes before.  

Having earned a starting spot on the outside of the front row in the first heat, Reinhardt’s mission was to win and put himself into the night’s dash redraw.  The qualifying event did not unfold under his terms however.  Paul McMahan and Tyler Courtney beat him to the checkers, and as a result, handed Reinhardt the 11th starting position in the A-main instead of a shot at a top-8 slot.

The All Star Rookie of the Year contender was unable to build any momentum in the 30-lap A-main at Stateline and ultimately came home 14th.  

7/10:  Sharon Speedway – Hartford, OH

      (Qualifying 23rd overall/5th in group C, Heat 5th,  B-main 6th, A-main 19th)

The All Star Circuit of Champions series departed New York, journeyed 2 hours southwest, crossing the northwest corner of Pennsylvania, and ventured just into Ohio to visit Sharon Speedway.  Night one of the 2-day Lou Blaney Memorial drew 43 teams for competition.  

Reinhardt’s night didn’t get off to an ideal start.  During qualifying, he logged the 5th best lap in Group C and 26th ranked lap overall.  Starting 5th in the third heat, the Neptune City, NJ native had a simple goal:  gain one spot and transfer to the A-main.  Easier said than done.  Despite his best efforts, Reinhardt was unable to overtake Bill Balog for the 4th position and was relegated to the B-main as a result of his 5th place finish. 

The Capitol Renegade team used lessons learned in the heat race to make adjustments prior to the B-main, in which Reinhardt would start 4th.  The surface at Sharon Speedway had slicked off, moving the high groove all the way to the fence.  The No.91 felt good at the drop of the green, enabling Reinhardt to get off to a great start.  He was right on Rico Abreu’s tail tank, lining up a pass for 3rd, when he slipped over the cushion and slapped the fence, breaking the W-link.  Reinhardt managed to wrestle his ride to the finish but gave up two spots over the course of the 12-lap event, eventually finishing 6th.

Having missed a transfer position during the B-main due to the W-link issue, Reinhardt and team decided to utilize one of their available All Star provisionals to join the back of the field for the A-main.  Reinhardt started 25th and advanced to the 19th spot by the end of the 30-lap event.

The Sunday finale of the Lou Blaney Memorial at Sharon Speedway was unfortunately cancelled due to inclement weather.

“The takeaway from this weekend is we still have work to do on our small track program.  We’ve made some gains on the small, slick, dirty surfaces but we’re still not where we need to be.  We’re close but we need to keep learning and working hard“, Reinhardt shared.

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:

Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team will remain in Ohio to run the 37th and 38th King’s Royal events at Eldora Speedway July 14th-17th.  It will be Reinhardt’s first trip to ‘The Big E’ and he is excited for the opportunity.  

“I’m excited to get back to a big, fast track and to finally run Eldora.  Our big track program is good and we will get four consecutive nights there, which is a big plus“, Reinhardt shared.  “Hopefully we’ll be good from the time we unload but as we learn things, we can apply them the very next day.  Being at Eldora multiple nights will help accelerate our learning curve.”  

This week’s schedule at Eldora Speedway in New Weston, OH is:

• Wed 7/14 – Jokers Wild
• Thu 7/15 – 38th King’s Royal ($175k to win)
• Fri 7/16 – Knight Before
• Sat 7/17 – 37th King’s Royal ($175k to win)