Story By: A2DPR / KYLE KEEN MOTORSPORTS – YORK HAVEN, PA – Kyle Keen has just begun his 410 sprint car career but if Sunday’s race at BAPS Motor Speedway is any indication, the learning curve may not be as long as you might expect for the Carlisle, Pennsylvania native.
SEAT TIME
With a stout field of 43 sprint cars on hand on a summer-like April day in Pennsylvania, Kyle Keen needed to perform with little time to prepare. The format used timed group hot laps to set heat race lineups, giving him only a few laps to put himself in a good position for the day.
He delivered. Keen turned in a solid 5th-quickest lap in his 11-car qualifying group.
The job wasn’t done yet though. From the 5th starting spot in the heat race, he would have to remain in the top five to make his way to his first career A-main. Keen jumped into 4th at the start, then challenged for 3rd early in the ten-lap qualifier. He slid back to 5th just past the midpoint but held on to that spot to transfer to the main event.
Keen used the 25-lap feature as valuable seat time. He went the distance, officially finishing 20th and learning a lot in the process.
“Super proud of my team for the leaps and bounds we have made each time we have hit the track with the 410 this year. Tried some new stuff and it helped us for qualifying and the heat races, but we still have a lot to work on for the feature with both me and the car.”, Keen commented.
“I made a couple of mistakes in the heat race, otherwise we probably had a 3rd or 4th place car. We struggled with the feature setup and I need to learn how to approach 410 features from a driving perspective as well. I expected it would be a learning night and it was. We are going to keep plugging away, making laps, and getting better every week.”
UP NEXT
Looking to make his second 410 sprint car A-main, Keen will sign in at Williams Grove Speedway Friday night April 19th for the Tommy Hinnershitz Memorial. The following night he will return to Port Royal Speedway for more 410 seat time.