Tag Archive for: #410sprintcars

Keen and his Fine Line Auto Body, Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net, Doubling Gap Ranch, Shetron, Auction & Equipment, LLC., Wicked Dog Grille, Heishman Racing Fuels, Wicked Cushion, DL Lehman Construction, Gearhead Coffee, Jeremy Zarfos Photography, Coyle’s Lawn Maintenance, 2B Wrapped, 4 Leaf Clover Farms, Turn 2 Terribles Podcast & Media, Kyle Keen Motorsports No.17 started inside row number two for his heat race by virtue of his pill draw.  

Although every driver wants to win every race they enter, with all cars transferring from both heats due to the short field, Keen was under no pressure in the heat race.  The laps were all about learning what the car needed for the feature later in the evening.  The Carlisle, PA native finished 3rd but was clearly using his track time to his advantage.  He turned his fastest lap of the event on the final circuit.

Keen started 4th in the 25-lap A-main but slipped to 5th in the early going.  For a handful of laps, he slipped back to 6th but around lap twelve the car came to life using the high side of the speedway.

Keen climbed back into 5th on lap twelve and began to run down the 4th place car despite noticing the brakes fading a bit on his No.17.  Unfortunately, that’s when he got an unexpected surprise.  For some reason, the car jumped out of gear.  As he tried to bring the car to a stop, Kyle discovered the brakes were completely gone.  That sequence of events brought an end to his night.  He officially finished 11th.

“Well, tonight was another night of having a fast race car but not really having anything to show for it at the end of the night.“, Keen commented.  “We learned a lot about the new tire and we had a fast car, so there are definitely positives to take away from tonight.”

“If we keep doing what we are doing and putting in the work to eliminate the little issues and mistakes, it will come together for us one of these nights!”, a positive Keen concluded.

Keen’s night at Williams Grove opened with a friendly pill draw that put him on the pole of his heat race.  He lost the race to turn one, settling into 2nd and working to keep pace with the leader while feeling out his Fine Line Auto Body, Keen Parts/CorvetteParts.net, Doubling Gap Ranch, Shetron, Auction & Equipment, LLC., Wicked Dog Grille, Heishman Racing Fuels, Wicked Cushion, DL Lehman Construction, Gearhead Coffee, Jeremy Zarfos Photography, Coyle’s Lawn Maintenance, 2B Wrapped, 4 Leaf Clover Farms, Turn 2 Terribles Podcast & Media, Kyle Keen Motorsports No.17.

On lap six Derek Locke slipped by Keen, dropping the Carlisle, PA native to 3rd but in the end it wasn’t important.  Keen finished 3rd but the top four finishers made the redraw.

In the 20-lap A-main that closed out the night, Keen started 8th but immediately turned heads by charging into the top five by lap three.  He held a firm grasp on the spot to the halfway mark.  It was at that point a brake issue cropped up.

Keen fought hard to maintain his track position by altering his driving style to offset the loss of braking power.  He managed to only lose two spots over the next eight laps, then one more on the final circuit, landing him in 8th at the checkers.

“Tonight was a much needed night for our team. We were up to 5th but unfortunately a brake line came loose and I had no brakes the rest of the way.  It’s too bad.  The car was really good.  I had great speed.  I’m just glad I was able to hold on and finish 8th.  It’s another top 10 for us this year and a step in the right direction.”, Keen commented.