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On the heels of the grueling All Star Circuit of Champions Ohio Sprint Speedweek in June, Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade, Champion Racing Oil, Henry’s Wrecker Service team took some time off to recharge.  The break in the All Stars’ schedule after Ohio Speedweek lasts nearly three weeks, but they knew they couldn’t sit on the sidelines that long and hope to maintain the momentum they had built in the closing days of the Ohio stint.  To ensure they remained sharp, the team loaded up and headed back to the track for a handful of Pennsylvania Speedweek shows.

7/2:  Williams Grove Speedway – Mechanicsburg, PA

      (Qualifying 6th, Heat 3rd,  A-main 11th)

Reinhardt’s night got off to a solid and promising start when he registered the 6th quickest time against the field of 32 teams taking their shot at the $15,000 to win Mitch Smith Memorial at Williams Grove Speedway.  The time put him on the pole of his heat race and set the team up for a good night.  

The night took a step backward when Reinhardt gave up some ground in the heat race and settled for a 3rd place finish, missing the redraw for the prime starting spots in the A-main.

The Neptune City, NJ native started 13th in the feature event.  Reinhardt struggled early and slipped backwards a few positions.  A late surge as a result of attrition combined with earned positions netted the team an 11th place finish when the dust had settled.

“It wasn’t quite the finish we should have earned here tonight, but the good news is we know exactly what we did wrong with the car.  We have to learn from it and move on“, Reinhardt explained.

7/3:  Port Royal Speedway – Port Royal, PA  (rained out)

Reinhardt and team were looking forward to track time at ‘The Speed Palace’.  They had struggled there earlier in the year, so the opportunity would serve as a barometer of their progress in preparation for some lucrative events later in the year at the popular Central Pennsylvania half-mile.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature inserted herself noticeably into the equation and wiped out the program just after hot laps had begun.

7/4:  Selinsgrove Speedway – Selinsgrove, PA

      (Qualifying 2nd, Heat 3rd,  A-main 13th)

The Independence Day holiday brought 33 race teams to the PA Speedweek finale at a facility that Reinhardt considers his favorite.  He’s had quite a bit of success at Selinsgrove Speedway in recent years, but it was his favorite long before he found success there.  Kyle owns 5 total victories at the track. He also won the 2019 360 sprint car and 2020 410 sprint car track championships at the big half-mile that many call ‘the Knoxville of the East’ because of its size, shape and speed.  

Despite not turning an laps at Selinsgrove since last season, Reinhardt had clearly not forgotten his way around the Snyder County oval.  He logged the 2nd fastest lap during time trials, then captured a 3rd place finish in his heat race to lock himself into the redraw.

Reinhardt’s good fortune continued when he pulled the pole position during the redraw.  The initial green flag didn’t go quite as well for the All Star Rookie contender though, as Danny Dietrich got to the line first and secured the top spot by turn one.  The scramble at the drop of the green cost Reinhardt initial momentum and before the first lap was complete, he had slipped to third behind Brent Marks as well.  

Reinhardt pursued Dietrich and Marks throughout the event, but despite his best efforts and the benefit of two restarts, he was unable to reclaim the positions he had lost.  He ultimately rode home comfortably in third, keeping his guard up and never allowing fourth place Rico Abreu to get close enough to threaten for a spot on the podium.  

It was following the event that Reinhardt and team were caught off-guard when they came up light at the scales.  Despite passing over the scales with no issues following qualifying and bolting on additional weight prior to the feature to offset fuel burn-off, they did not meet the minimum weight and were officially credited with a 13th place finish as the last car on the lead lap.

“We were really good tonight and we were good Friday.  Based on the few laps we were able to make at Port last night before the rain, we were going to be good there too, so we’re confident we’re going the right direction and can continue to make gains“, Reinhardt explained.  “We’re anxious to head back out with the All Stars next weekend and get the second half of the season off on the right foot.“

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:

Time to hit the road again.  All Star Circuit of Champions’ series action resumes 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.

It’s no secret that the arch-nemesis for Kyle Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team thus far on their rookie All Star Circuit of Champions campaign has been slick tracks.  They have had good nights and bad, but finding consistency has been challenging.  There was no doubt Ohio Sprint Speedweek would provide plenty of opportunities to learn and improve in that area.

6/11:  Attica Raceway Park – Attica, OH

      (Qualifying 15th overall / 3rd in group, Heat 5th,  B-main 11th)

Night one of Ohio Speedweek saw 45 teams sign in at Attica Raceway Park.  For Reinhardt and team, their start to the night seemed to provide reason for some optimism.  Kyle registered the 15th quickest time overall, good enough for 3rd in his group and the pole in his heat race.  Reinhardt’s timed laps were during the first group, so the real measuring stick would come as the night wore on.  

Unfortunately the struggles continued.  Reinhardt slipped backwards from his pole position in the heat, finishing 5th and missing the transfer to the A-main.  In the B-main, from which four cars would transfer, Reinhardt started 4th but could not hold serve and slipped back to an 11th place finish, ending his night.

6/12:  Fremont Speedway – Fremont, OH

      (Qualifying 13th overall / 8th in group, Heat 7th,  B-main 12th)

The series rolled into Fremont Speedway for night two of Speedweek with 44 teams in tow.  Once again Reinhardt took his turn under the clock as part of the first group, but he did not fare well, timing 8th quickest in his group and landing deep in the starting lineup for his heat race.  Reinhardt and team were unable to recover, finishing 7th in the heat race and 12th in the B-main.

“We’re just struggling to figure out what the car wants in these conditions.  On the bright side, when you try things and they don’t work, you learn.  We’ve just got to keep working hard to solve it“, the Neptune City, NJ native shared.

6/14:  Wayne County Speedway – Orrville, OH

      (Qualifying 14th overall / 4th in group, Heat 1st,  Dash 4th, A-main 12th)

Following a day off to regroup, Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team were among 49 cars to roll into Wayne County Speedway for night three of the 39th Annual edition of Ohio Speedweek.  Once again facing a circuit he had never made laps at before, Reinhardt logged the 14th quickest time overall and 4th best in his group.  It was a good start, but the key would be to maintain that level of performance throughout the night.

The qualifying effort put Reinhardt on the pole of the first heat.  The All Star Rookie of the Year candidate was able to stay out front during the 8-lap event, holding off the hard charging Sam Hafertepe Jr, who had surged into the runner up position from his 6th starting spot by lap 4.  The win gave Reinhardt a spot in the dash redraw.

Kyle drew the outside front row starting spot for the first 4-lap dash.  The result was a 4th place finish and the 7th starting spot in the 35-lap A-main.  Reinhardt put together a strong effort, battling inside the top 10 during the first 20 laps.  Despite losing a couple positions late in the event and crossing the line in 12th, it was still a positive night for Reinhardt and team after missing the show on the opening two nights of the summer series.

“It felt good to get a decent finish and show we’re making progress.  There are a lot of good cars here, so there’s no margin for error.  If you mess up even a little, you go backwards quick“, Reinhardt commented after making his first Ohio Speedweek show.

6/15:  Sharon Speedway – Hartford, OH

      (Qualifying 11th overall / 3rd in group, Heat 2nd,  A-main 20th)

Hoping to turn the team’s good night at Wayne County into real momentum, Kyle Reinhardt and team rolled East to Sharon Speedway for night four of the All Star Circuit of Champions Ohio Sprint Speedweek.  The 3/8-mile oval would serve as a good measuring stick of the team’s progress.  Their initial visit on May 1st didn’t go very well.  That night, Reinhardt timed 29th that night and ultimately failed to make the feature event.

A deep field of 53 cars signed in to take their shot at the $6,000 winner’s share.  Reinhardt got the Capitol Renegade team’s night off to a good start, recording the 11th quickest time overall, good for 3rd best time in his group.  The surface was notably slick, as a few drivers lost the handle during their timed laps, so the result was certainly a good sign of progress for Reinhardt.

Reinhardt started on the outside of the front row of his heat race and used a strong move off the cushion, or maybe more accurately the wall, in turn two to surge to the lead on the start.  He held an advantage of a few car lengths over the first six laps, until Hunter Schuerenberg managed to make a run off turn four and slide under Reinhardt into turn one with just enough momentum to slide up in front and take away the lead.  The bad news was the No.91 of Reinhardt finished 2nd, just missing an opportunity participate in the dash redraw.  The good news was they were in the show and had made significant improvements over their May 1st debut at Sharon Speedway.

Rolling off 13th in the 35-lap A-main, Reinhardt raced mid-pack during the opening half-dozen laps, maintaining the track position.  Surprisingly, the track surface began to take rubber very early in the event, making the low groove the preferred line for everyone.  While trying to move forward using the middle and top, Reinhardt lost a handful of positions before finally getting into the rubber on the bottom.  Ultimately he would finish 20th, but it wasn’t indicative of their night.

“I was late getting to the bottom and it cost us several spots“, Reinhardt admitted.  “The car was better than our finish showed.  We timed and raced much better than we did the first time we came here, so I’m happy about that.  I need to thank Bob and Robbie.  They have been busting their tails to make us better and we’re getting there.  We’ll head on to Waynesfield and keep digging“, 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:

The second half of the All Star Circuit of Champions’ Ohio Sprint Speedweek will unfold over the next four nights at Waynesfield Raceway Park, Muskingum County Speedway, Limaland Motorsports Park and Portsmouth Raceway Park, with the finale paying a stout $17,554 to the winner.  The full speedweek schedule and more details are shown below. 

Kyle Reinhardt was looking forward to getting back home after two weeks on the road.  With three races slated on familiar turf, it would be a good opportunity to put together a few good outings.  It didn’t all play out as he and the Capitol Renegade team had hoped though.  Mother Nature stepped in and took away the shows at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday and Port Royal Speedway on Saturday, then she tried to get the weekend sweep by raining out Port Royal’s Sunday show as well.  Thankfully, the Memorial Day holiday provided a backup plan that allowed Sunday’s show to be held a day late.

Port Royal Speedway:  Port Royal, PA  (5/31:  Qualifying 19th, Heat 6th,  B-main 18th)

The sun finally appeared on Memorial Day, allowing the big half mile known as ‘The Speed Palace’ in Central Pennsylvania to run it’s annual Bob Weikert Memorial, paying $29,000 to win.  The event is a points-based race where teams earn points throughout qualifying.  At the conclusion of time trials and heats, points are totaled and the top 20 teams are locked into the A-main.

Unfortunately for Reinhardt and the Capitol Renegade team, the sunny weather left them just as frustrated as the weekend rain.  Kyle registered the 19th quickest time of the 43 teams who went under the clock.  Following the mid-pack qualifying run, which garnered Reinhardt 96 points, the team went to work making numerous changes to the No.91.  Reinhardt was slated to start 4th in his heat, and given the passing points format being used for the event, moving forward would be critical.  From the drop of the green, Kyle couldn’t get the forward bite he needed and instead slipped backwards, finishing 6th and only gaining 62 points.

The points tally left him a mere 7 points below the count that would have locked him into the main event.  Instead, he would have the 4th starting spot in the B-main.  Just two laps into the 12-lap last chance race, the Neptune City, NJ native’s left front tire went flat, causing him to spin in turn one.  He would restart from the rear of the field, but was unable to recover from the setback and did not make the starting field for the finale.

Understandably frustrated at the conclusion of the long holiday weekend, Reinhardt was a man of few words.  “We are still struggling on slick surfaces.  It’s definitely frustrating, especially at a place I have run really well in the past.  We will keep moving forward and keep trying to get better“, he 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 be heading west for a swing through Illinois and Wisconsin with the All Star Circuit of Champions.  Thursday, June 3rd the tour will stop at Fairbury American Legion Speedway, known to many as FALS, where the winner will walk away with $5,000.  From there, the series will march north into Wisconsin for three weekend shows that will each pay $6,000 to the winner.  Wilmot Raceway in Wilmot, WI will provide the action on Friday night and Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth, WI will do so on Saturday night.  The finale will be held at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, WI on Sunday night.

It was a moment he believed he would have someday, but nobody could guarantee it.  You just need to have the opportunity and you need to put in the work, then maybe it’ll happen.  

Standing in victory lane in Joliet, IL with a broad smile on his face, Kyle Reinhardt thanked Wayne Quackenbush & Capitol Renegade, his parents & family, his girlfriend, Jeff McCall and everyone else who had helped him pursue his dream.  Collectively they are the reason he was able to give up a career as an engineer to be a full-time racer.  It’s a high risk, high reward choice.  Although there is good money that can be won in a race car, in this case the reward is also about achieving something you are passionate about.  Feeling that satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that stems from your lifelong vision.  Kyle’s is a fascinating story.  There’s no yellow brick road.  Just a trail of hard work, preparation and creating opportunities over the years.  

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  First we need to make a stop in Michigan.

I-96 Speedway: Odessa, MI (Qualifying 13th, Heat 2nd,  A-main 10th)

32 teams signed in to compete in the $8,500 to win Mace Thomas Classic on Friday night at the 4-tenths mile Michigan oval.  The format divided the field into 4 groups for time trials and heats.  Reinhardt was the 17th car to hit the track under the clock and he turned in the 13th quickest time overall, good for 4th in his group.

The qualifying effort placed him on the pole of heat three, from which he jumped out to a comfortable lead in the opening laps.  A caution with two laps complete bunched the field.  Second place Paul McMahan made the most of the restart opportunity, diving under Reinhardt and claiming the lead exiting turn 2.  While the Capitol Renegade No.91 was good, it wasn’t quite good enough to get back by McMahan.  Reinhardt settled for a runner-up finish that transferred him directly to the main event, but there was still a bit of disappointment.  A win would have provided a guaranteed top-10 starting spot in the A-main but more importantly, an opportunity in a dash to start even closer to the front of the field.  Instead, he would start the night’s main event in 12th.  

“Your whole night changes so much based on each position in qualifying and heats.  You have to be on your game all the time.“, Reinhardt commented.  

When the green flag waved on the main event, Reinhardt had his eyes set on a top-10, or maybe even a top-5, finish.  Before one lap could be completed, Reinhardt was already passing for 10th when he suddenly found himself facing the wrong direction on the back stretch when a competitor made contact with the front of his J&J Chassis.  The good news was there was no damage, but the bad news was Reinhardt would have to restart the event at the back of the field, in the 24th position.

Racing from the back of the field can be tough.  There’s a lot of traffic and ‘dirty air’ that can make passing difficult.  That appeared to be the case for Reinhardt over the first dozen laps.  He found himself still riding in 21st when the caution appeared on lap 12.  On this night though, Reinhardt’s car was up to the challenge.  As the remainder of the 30-lap race unfolded, Kyle made a charge, methodically working his way forward.  When the final caution of the event appeared on lap 19, he found himself in 15th.  It was more of the same when the green lights flashed back on for the final 11 laps.  Reinhardt continued his steady push forward, advancing another position every few laps.  It culminated with a pass for 10th on the final circuit.

While the official results listed Reinhardt as +2 (12th to 10th), in reality he had been +14 and had earned all but one of those positions by making passes under green flag conditions.  “We had a solid night going early.  We just missed the dash, but I knew we had a car capable of running in the top 10.  After the contact on lap one, I had to work a lot harder for it, but it feels good to know we have our speed back.  Earning a top 10 all the way from the back…I’ll take it for sure.“, Reinhardt shared, reflecting on the positive aspects of their night.

Dirt Oval at Route 66: Joliet, IL (Qualifying 3rd, Heat 4th,  Dash 1st, A-main 1st)

On Saturday, the tour made its way southwest along Lake Michigan to the half-mile just outside of Chicago.  28 teams were on hand to compete for the $8,000 winner’s share.  Under the format for 30 cars or less, all teams would qualify against the entire field, then be divided into three heats.

Reinhardt started the night strong, registering the 3rd quickest time in the field.  The top 4 were inverted for each heat race, giving the All Star Rookie of the Year candidate the 4th starting spot in heat three.  He held on to that spot in the 8-lap qualifying event to not only transfer to the A-main but, as the fastest qualifier in the heat, put himself in the dash redraw.

We’ve all heard the famous quote from a Roman philosopher: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”  For Reinhardt, opportunity knocked in the form of drawing the pole for the 6-lap dash, and he was prepared.  Starting alongside Cory Eliason, Kyle had the advantage in the opening turns.  Eliason was strong and took the top spot away to lead lap one.  Reinhardt wasn’t done.  He powered back under the Rudeen Racing No.26 of Eliason on lap 2.  Once back in front, Reinhardt would not be denied.  He pulled out to a convincing lead and claimed his first career All Star Circuit of Champions dash victory, and with it, the pole for the A-main.

The 25-lap feature event had trouble finding its rhythm.  Over the first 8 laps, there 5 cautions.  For Reinhardt that meant clean air to race in, but it also meant having to pick the right line and withstand challenges on each restart.  He was up to the task.  Each time, he managed the restart like a veteran and consistently put himself in position to open up a lead.  The race remained green between laps 10 and 20, allowing Reinhardt to reach lapped traffic.  His lead over Tyler Courtney would vary during that stretch.  It would balloon to almost 1.5 seconds, then shrink to nearly 0.5 seconds at times in traffic.  Reinhardt kept making the right decisions at the right times and kept himself just out of reach of “Sunshine”.  The final caution appeared with five laps remaining.  Sometimes a late caution is a bad thing.  It can give the second place car a final shot on a restart.  In this case, it seemed to be in Reinhardt’s favor.  With clear track ahead of him on the final restart, he bolted away from the field, capturing his first career All Star Circuit of Champions victory and the $8,000 check that came with it.  

A very happy Reinhardt shared his insight on the night.  “I think the dash was the turning point tonight for me.  We were fast all night but when I was able to get back by Cory (Eliason), I knew we had a car capable of winning.”  Turning his thoughts to the feature, he continued, “All the yellows at the start were tough.  We don’t have any spotters, so I just had to go with my gut and try to get a good start each time.  Once we got going, I wasn’t sure how close anyone was to me, but I knew I had to keep up a good pace.  That got tougher when we got to lapped traffic, but I just kept trying to put (lapped) cars between me and Tyler (Courtney).  When that last caution came out, I knew we would be alright in the clean air the rest of the way.“

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 RQM Enterprises, Capitol Renegade No.91 team remained in the Midwest following the Route 66 event to compete in four upcoming All Star Circuit of Champions events titled as the All Star Indiana Invasion presented by the Rayce Rudeen Foundation.  The series will spend two nights at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis, IN on May 20th-21st, where the finale will pay $10,000 to the winner.  Teams will then travel to Gas City I-69 Speedway in Gas City, IN on May 22nd and finally will close out the swing with a $26,000 to win event at the Kokomo speedway in Kokomo, IN on May 23rd.

Coming into the 4-race swing that would take them from Virginia through Central Pennsylvania, Kyle Reinhardt and his new team had only competed in a handful of events, and those had been spread out on the calendar.  While it may appear much like the No.91 we’ve become accustomed to seeing in recent years, there are notable changes for 2021.  Two key ones are the J&J chassis and a new crew chief.  The team entered two races in Georgia in late January, one race in Florida in early February, a couple in Central PA in March and two early April races in Ohio and New Jersey.  That type of schedule can be good for a new team to make sure they have things together but it can also be hard to get into a rhythm and know where you really are as a team.  The upcoming four All Star points races in four nights would likely help them measure that.

Virginia Motor Speedway (Qualifying 13th, Heat 7th,  A-main 6th)

Reinhardt’s Capitol Renegade No.91 team was one of 26 to make the trip to Jamaica, VA to compete on Thursday night.  Per the All Star format for up to 30 cars, the field would time trial as one group to set the lineups for three 8-lap heats, which would be followed by a single dash and a B-main to round out the starting lineup for the night’s A-main.  Six cars would qualify for the feature event from each heat, with the heat winner and quickest transfer from each heat making the 8-car dash, in addition to the top two overall times who qualified through their heat.

It was the first-ever trip to the VA oval for Reinhardt.  He and crew chief Bob Curtis struggled early in the evening to find the right combination and were relegated to the B-main.  After transferring to the A-main with a third place finish in the consolation event, the team decided the best strategy for the feature would be tire conservation.  After starting 21st, Reinhardt had moved up to 18th by lap 8, then decided to ride there for a while.  The approach paid dividends late in the 30 lap main event, as other teams began suffering flat tires.  Through a combination of green flag passes and attrition, Kyle found himself in 12th when the caution lights flashed on at lap 28.  On the final restart for the green-white-checkered finish, Reinhardt decided to use the rubber he had preserved, overtaking four competitors in the final two laps, while another two suffered flat tires.  Reinhardt claimed the 6th position just before flashing under the checkered flag.  Summing up the satisfying result, Reinhardt said “We definitely struggled early tonight, but at the end of the day you’ve got to race the racetrack, and our strategy paid off.”   

Williams Grove Speedway (Qualifying 3rd in group/20th overall, Heat 2nd,  A-main 15th)

Friday night saw 35 cars register for action at the legendary oval known as “The Grove” in Mechanicsburg, PA.  The higher car count triggered a different All Star format for 31-40 cars.  The field was divided into four groups for qualifying and heat competition, which would be followed by two 5-car dashes and a B-main to set the field.  Four cars would qualify for the feature event from each heat race, with the winner and quickest transfer from each heat making the dash redraw, in addition to the top two overall times who qualified through their heat.   

An unfortunate pill draw meant Reinhardt would go out next to last for qualifying, which can often be difficult to overcome due to declining track conditions.  However, on this night, the car was good enough and Kyle was able to do so.  He recorded the 3rd quickest time in his group, which put him on the front row for his heat race.  Reinhardt pursued Tim Shaffer throughout the heat and kept Tyler Courtney at bay behind him, but was unable to pass Shaffer for the win, which would have put him in a dash and a much better position later in the night.  Instead, the winner (Shaffer) and fastest qualifier (Courtney) went to the dash.  

Reinhardt went on to start 13th and finish 15th in the main event.  Afterwards he commented, “We were just mediocre tonight.  There are some bugs we need to work out.  We had potential for a top 10 if things had worked out for us to get in the dash.“

Port Royal Speedway (Qualifying 8th group/43rd overall, Heat 7th,  B-main 18th)

Saturday night at the “Speed Palace” saw yet another All Star format (for 41+ cars) utilized to accommodate the 44 drivers who signed in for action.  The only changes from the night before would be five groups instead of four and 6 cars per dash instead of 5.

It was apparent from the start of the night Saturday that some of the bugs Reinhardt had referenced the night before were either becoming more problematic or were more impactful to the car’s performance at the fast fairgrounds half mile in Port Royal, PA.  At a venue where Reinhardt has logged a 410 victory, top 5’s and several top 10’s in recent years, he qualified a disappointing 43rd.  Prior to the heat race, in an attempt to get the Capitol Renegade No.91 back up to speed, Kyle and crew made several changes, including an ignition box and spark plugs.  Unfortunately  the struggling continued in their heat race, resulting in a 7th place finish.  “The car wasn’t responding.  It just didn’t have any feel.  Bob (Curtis) and I tried a couple changes for the B-main to see if we could resolve the handling issues but we knew starting 16th we would have to be really good right away to move forward and make the race tonight“, Reinhardt shared.  After five laps of the B-main, he knew the issues were still there and he decided to call it a night.  It was time to head back to the shop and get to work.  

After loading up, Reinhardt shared some insight. “Running the All Star series, you don’t have the luxury of figuring issues out over time.  If you want to be competitive, sometimes you have to change all of the things that could be part of the issue – all at the same time, then figure out later which one of them actually resolved it.  That’s what we decided to do when we got back to the shop Saturday night.”   He continued, “We went back to basics and did everything we could to make sure we would be better the next night.“

Bedford Speedway (Qualifying 8th, Heat 1st,  A-main 5th)

Thirty teams made the Sunday night trip a little further west in Pennsylvania to the second  fairgrounds half-mile in as many nights.  For the third straight night Reinhardt could only shake his head and grin as he drew a pill that placed him at the tail end of the qualifying order.  The first encouraging sign that the late hours in the shop the previous night were worth it, came when he logged the 8th quickest time overall.  

The qualifying effort put Kyle on the front row for the third heat race.  He settled into second, chasing leader Zeb Wise and holding off Rico Abreu.  Reinhardt will tell you he doesn’t believe in luck, “I believe you make your own luck.  You put yourself in position to earn things.”  Call it luck or being in position to earn it,  when Zeb Wise blew a left-rear tire with one lap remaining in the heat race, the Capitol Renegade No.91 held on for the win and the spot in the dash that comes with it.  Reinhardt started 6th and finished 5th in that dash, placing him inside row 3 to start the A-main.

At the start of the 30-lap main event, the Neptune City, NJ native got a little “crossed up” with the 39 of Anthony Macri and lost a few positions, slipping as far back as 8th in the early going.  Not the start Reinhardt wanted, especially knowing he had a pretty good car under him.  He remained composed, settled in and began working his way forward again.  By lap 14, he had climbed back up to 6th.  He remained focused and claimed the 5th position on lap 24, which he would hold to the finish.

Reinhardt reflected on the team’s effort at Bedford, “It was a really solid night for us.  Really good to know our hard work after Port Royal paid off.  This gives us a lot of confidence through the off week and into the next race.”  It seems the fairgrounds speedway in Pennsylvania is quickly becoming one of his favorites.  “Last year we came here for the first time ever, finished top 10 with the All Stars and got the Hard Charger award.  Now we’ve got a top 5 here with the All Stars.  This is a fun track.  I like it.“, Reinhardt commented.

It’s still early, but if this 4-race stretch is any indication, the driver/crew chief relationship between Reinhardt and Curtis is starting to gel just fine.  Despite missing the show Saturday night at Port Royal, the Jeff McCall/Wayne Quackenbush operation finds itself sitting 8th in the All Star Circuit of Champions point standings thus far in 2021. 

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 RQM Enterprises, Capitol Renegade No.91 team will take the upcoming weekend off to prepare for a three race weekend with the All Star Circuit of Champions when they compete at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA on Friday, April 30th, followed by Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH and Tri-City Raceway Park in Franklin, PA the following two nights.