Reinhardt and Team Showing Measurable Improvement

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