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Following a difficult start to the All Star Circuit of Champions Ohio Sprint Speedweek, Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade, Champion Racing Oil, Henry’s Wrecker Service team used the week’s only off day on June 13th to regroup and refocus.

Those words are used often in the sport, but what do people really mean when they use those terms?  Often people are referring to problem solving, hard work, and attention to detail relating to the car.  Sometimes the time is spent improving team communications and preparation.  It takes all those things to succeed.

The off day was clearly well used by Reinhardt and his team.  Their results the following two nights showed improvement, winning a heat race, making a dash, and qualifying for both main events.  The key would be to sustain that improvement and continue that trend through the rest of the week and beyond.  

6/16:  Waynesfield Raceway Park – Waynesfield, OH

      (Qualifying 9th overall / 2nd in group, Heat 3rd,  A-main 19th)

Round five of Ohio Sprint Speedweek brought 42 teams to Waynesfield Raceway Park to take a shot at the $6,000 winner’s share.  Kyle Reinhardt was the first to go under the clock in Group C for qualifying (19th overall).  He registered the 2nd quickest lap in his group and 9th best overall, a good start to the night in Western Ohio.   

After running second for most of the third heat race, Reinhardt ultimately finished 3rd, qualifying for the A-main but missing the dash.  Cale Thomas won the heat race and Tyler Courtney, the group’s fastest qualifier, finished just ahead of Reinhardt, claiming the two available tickets to the dash. 

Reinhardt started 16th in the A-main and worked his way to 14th by lap 10, but would fade slightly a few laps later.  He settled into 18th for the middle portion of the race and ultimately crossed the line 19th at the conclusion of the 35-lap event.  

“We were decent early but just missed it at the end of the night.  We took a shot at it but it wasn’t quite what we needed.  We learn from it and move on down the road“, Reinhardt shared.

6/17:  Muskingum County Speedway – Dresden, OH

      (Qualifying 8th overall / 4th in group, Heat 1st,  Dash 5th, A-main 12th)

Move on down the road is exactly what they did, along with 38 other teams.  About two hours southeast to be exact to Muskingum County Speedway for round six of Speedweek.

Once again drawing a pill that placed him in Group C, Reinhardt logged the 8th quickest time overall, 4th quickest in his group.  The effort put him on the pole of the second heat.  The Capitol Renegade, Champion Racing Oil, Henry’s Wrecker Service No.91 looked strong, pulling out to a lead that wasn’t challenged throughout the 8-lap race.  The Neptune City, NJ native claimed the win over Cory Eliason by two seconds, earning a spot in the dash redraw for the night.  

“We’ve qualified for two shows via our heat race, we’ve been in two B-mains and now we’ve made two dashes, so we’ve about covered it all this week!”, Reinhardt joked as he described the teams Speedweek experience thus far to series announcer, Blake Anderson, prior to making his pick.  An unlucky draw put Reinhardt in the 5th starting spot of dash number two.  It was tough to advance in the short, 4-lap event, which meant he would start the night’s A-main from outside row five in the 10th position.

It took several attempts to get the 25-lap feature event started successfully and complete a lap under green flag conditions.  The initial attempts produced spinning cars and caution flags.  The third attempt wasn’t much different and unfortunately for Reinhardt he was in the wrong place at the wrong time on the high side of turn one when Paul McMahon got sideways.  Running 9th at the time, he was able to narrowly avoid McMahon but then found Cory Eliason on his side directly in his path.  Reinhardt came to a stop with some minor front end damage.  Members of several teams pitched in to help the Capitol Renegade crew make repairs in the work area so the No.91 could rejoin the field.

Reinhardt restarted 23rd after the incident and went right to work when the race resumed.  He methodically worked his way forward, dicing through traffic while dealing with poor visibility due to the dry and dusty racing surface.  Over the final half dozen laps, Reinhardt’s car was the fastest machine on the track as he surged forward, wheeling his J&J Chassis wherever he wanted to put it to make passes.  His comeback came to a close with a 12th place finish, a solid recovery for the hand he had been dealt with the opening lap incident.

“We were rolling!  The car was really, really good.  Bob and Robbie gave me a great car tonight.  It’s unfortunate what happened at the start.  I think we were a top-5 car, maybe even a podium, if that had not happened.“, an energized Reinhardt said after the race.  “I’ve never been here to Muskingum before.  This is a fun track to race!“, he said.

6/18:  Limaland Motorsports Park – Lima, OH  (rained out)

Mother Nature claimed her one and only victim of the entire Ohio Speedweek on Friday when persistent rains and a bleak forecast forced the cancelation of the scheduled event at the 3-tenths mile oval.

6/19:  Portsmouth Raceway Park – Portsmouth, OH

      (Qualifying 13th overall / 3rd in group, Heat 1st,  Dash 1st, A-main 20th)

Following the unplanned night off, 37 teams rolled into Portsmouth Raceway Park in southern Ohio for the Speedweek finale, the Dean Knittle Memorial, which would pay $17,554 to the victor.

Once again, Reinhardt’s qualifying effort  was good, logging the 3rd best time in his group and 13th overall.  Making the most of the front row starting spot the time trial run provided, Reinhardt flexed his muscle a little, winning the heat race over Zeb Wise by 2.6 seconds and earning a spot in the dash redraw for the second consecutive night.

In the dash redraw, Reinhardt once again gave himself a front row starting spot, this time next to Rico Abreu.  On the initial start, Abreu executed a slide job in turn one, but Reinhardt crossed over and drove back under the No.24 of Abreu.  Rico pulled even with Kyle in turn three but Reinhardt kept his foot to the floor and powered back around Abreu on the high side to take the lead for good.  With that, Reinhardt had given himself his third front row starting spot of the night, and this time it would be for the top prize in the 30-lap A-main.

Once again, Reinhardt showed his strength by powering around the high side of the 3/8th mile oval, building momentum until he was close enough to strike with a slide job on leader Danny Dietrich in turn three.  Reinhardt powered to the lead off turn four and would settle into the top spot for the first six laps.

Zeb Wise and Tyler Courtney were breathing down Reinhardt’s neck the entire time, and eventually each took their shot at the front of the field as well.  The trio sliced and diced, running within inches of each other for several laps that had fans on their feet and holding their breath.

The caution lights flashed on with 19 laps remaining.  On the ensuing restart, Reinhardt generated a huge run off turn two and down the backstretch.  As he was about to overtake the No.10 of Zeb Wise, Reinhardt brushed the outside wall and deflected into Wise, causing the pair to crash.  

Reinhard was able to rejoin the field and restart 16th after some quick repairs, however three laps later, with 15 to go, he came to a stop in turn four with his right rear tire going down.  All Star rules do not provide for any guaranteed time in the work area once the race reaches the halfway point, so the flat tire brought an end to the night for the Capitol Renegade No.91.

“Racing hard and clipped the wall and it sent me down the track into Zeb.  I feel terrible for him, his crew, and my guys.  We spoke after the accident and the most important thing is that he is ok“, Reinhardt tweeted at the end of the night regarding the crash.

After wrapping up his first career Ohio Speedweek, Reinhardt summarized the team’s week.  “We definitely improved all week long.  We won our last two heat races, we made 3 dashes in our last 5 races, and we led some laps in the A-main, so we feel really confident about our improvements and direction“,  Reinhardt commented.  “Unfortunately, we don’t have the feature finishes to show how much better we were, but we definitely made gains on the dry-slick surfaces that were giving us so much trouble.“

“Bob and I are gelling more with time.  We’ve only been racing together for a few months, so that’s just part of it.  We’ve been racing a lot the past month.  That has helped.  We’re getting on the same page“, Reinhardt explained while discussing his new crew chief.

Having already garnered one victory in Reinhardt’s rookie campaign on the All Star tour, the team sits 9th in the point standings at the halfway point of the season with 4 heat wins and 2 dash wins.  Given the team accomplished those things while working through their struggles, the recent improvements should make for an exciting and competitive second half of the season for Reinhardt aboard the Capitol Renegade No.91.

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:

All Star Circuit of Champions’ teams get a well-deserved break following the grueling Ohio Sprint Speedweek.  Series action will resume on July 9th at Stateline Speedway in Busti, NY, followed by the 2-day Lou Blaney Memorial event at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH on July 10th-11th.

In the meantime, Reinhardt and team will participate in at least a portion of Pennsylvania Speedweek to remain sharp and continue their momentum. While the Capitol Renegade team plans to keep some of their primary equipment fresh, they will run the first three races of the PA series at Williams Grove Speedway, Lincoln Speedway and BAPS Motor Speedway June 25-27, then make a decision regarding the remaining events in the 10-day, 10-race summer tradition in PA.  

As the All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) prepared to make a swing through Illinois and Wisconsin just after the Memorial Day holiday, Kyle Reinhardt reflected on his first experience with Midwest bullrings just two weeks prior.  Those nights had provided some valuable information for both the driver and the team.  It was time to apply what they had learned and put themselves to the test once again.

6/3:  Fairbury American Legion Speedway, Fairbury, IL

      (Qualifying 5th overall/2nd in group, Heat 4th,  A-main 17th)

The series rolled into Fairbury American Legion Speedway (FALS) in Illinois to kick off the 4-race swing that was co-sanctioned with the IRA (Interstate Racing Association).  The event drew a field of 32 cars, including Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade No.91 team.  Right out of the gate they showed progress, recording the 5th quickest overall lap in time trials.  The lap was good for 2nd in Reinhardt’s group.  

Reinhardt’s qualifying effort was very good but being second quickest in your group is often a tough spot.  He would need to win the heat race to control his own destiny and make the dash redraw.  Otherwise, he would need to rely on others and circumstances to fall his way to make the dash.  He took the green from the 3rd starting spot in heat number three but came home 4th, missing a shot at the dash.  According to the All Star rule book regarding the dash redraw, “The Heat Winner then the Quickest Transfer from each Heat AND then the top Two (2) from overall time trials that also advance to the A-main through their heat race will, random draw for dash starting position”.  

The Neptune City, NJ native rolled off 15th in the A-main, but wasn’t able to mount any forward charge.  Reinhardt took the checkered flag in 17th and then offered his brief insights on the night.  “We were much better in time trials tonight, so I’m happy about that.  We just missed it (the setup) in the feature“, he shared.   

6/4:  Wilmot Speedway, Wilmot, WI

      (Qualifying 17th overall/6th in group, Heat 5th,  A-main 11th)

The tour ventured north into Wisconsin on Friday for stop number two of the four ASCoC/IRA events.  39 teams entered competition, setting up 5 qualifying and heat race groups for the night.  Reinhardt’s qualifying effort was a respectable 17th overall, however it was only good enough for 6th in his group, which meant he would have a little tougher road to a good finish at the end of the night.

Step one of the road back was checked off when Kyle managed to advance from 6th to 5th in his heat race, just making the transfer and putting himself into the A-main for the night.  Reinhardt started 17th in the 30-lap feature event and immediately went to work on step two of the road back, charging forward to reach the top 10 by lap 8.  Midway through the event, a torrid battle among several cars saw Reinhardt slip back to 12th but he continued to battle and ultimately cross the finish line in 11th.  Given the way the evening started, the finish was definitely good enough to consider step two of the road back complete. 

6/5:  Plymouth Dirt Track, Plymouth, WI

      (Qualifying 2nd overall/2nd in group, Heat 5th,  Dash 3rd, A-main 8th)

Rolling another two hours further north, the traveling band of racers unloaded on the Sheboygan County Fairground to race at Plymouth Dirt Track, a one-third mile bullring located an hour north of Milwaukee.  It was yet another new venue for Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team, which was the norm thus far in 2021, their first season touring with the series.  They were one of 36 teams who signed in to take a shot at the $6,000 winner’s share that was up for grabs in the 30-lap main event.

Once again, Reinhardt posted the 2nd quickest time in his group, but this time it was also good enough for 2nd overall in time trials.  Recalling the dash redraw rule mentioned earlier, this meant good news for the Rookie of the Year candidate and his crew.  They were locked into the dash, as long as they were able to transfer in their heat race.  That meant Reinhardt needed to finish in the top 5 of his heat race, which he accomplished.

Like his most recent opportunity to participate in the dash redraw, Reinhardt would have a little luck shine on him.  He drew the pole of dash number one, giving himself a good shot at starting on the pole of the A-main if he could fend off his competitors in the 4-lap dash.  Bill Balog, who has many more laps at the Wisconsin track, managed to get by Reinhardt to win the dash, while Kyle settled for a 3rd place finish.

Starting 5th in the feature event, Reinhardt was competitive and engaged in a multi-car battle inside the top 10 throughout the 30-lap event.  In the closing laps, the No.91 of Reinhardt faded slightly but still logged a solid 8th place finish.

6/6:  Angell Park Speedway, Sun Prairie, WI

      (Qualifying 19th, Heat 7th,  B-main 2nd, A-main 19th)

To conclude the 4-race series, 26 teams rolled into Angell Park Speedway, just over an hour west of Milwaukee.  To open the night, Reinhardt registered the 19th quickest time in the field.  Given their improved qualifying efforts on the bullrings so far on the trip, the result was disappointing but it was another opportunity to learn.

The struggles continued in the first heat race.  Reinhardt started and finished 7th, landing himself in the B-main.  On the bright side, he was able to race from 4th to 2nd in the B-main, giving himself and the team the 20th starting spot in the A-main.  The tough night continued, with Reinhardt ultimately riding home 19th.

“Overall we improved nightly, until Sunday, so overall we’re happy.  We time-trialed better on the smaller tracks than we had been.  I feel like I definitely improved at that“, an encouraged Reinhardt commented.  He continued recapping the week, “We’re figuring stuff out night by night and racing a little better at these types of places too”.

Looking ahead to Ohio Speedweek, Reinhardt thinks his time on the Midwest bullrings the past month will pay off.  “These tracks were slick to a curb.  Slick is something we’ve been struggling with, so these races showed we’re heading the right direction.  We’ll carry that into Ohio where most of the tracks are slick as well.”

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:

Arguably the toughest stretch of the All Star Circuit of Champions’ season starts Friday, June 11th at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, OH.  The race kicks off Ohio Sprint Speedweek for Kyle and the Capitol Renegade team.  The 2021 edition of the summer tradition consists of 8 nights of racing in 9 days.  The full Speedweek schedule is included below. 

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.