---

A First Time Visit: Kraig Kinser Gears up for Debut at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma

By Parsons Motorsports PR

Granger, IA—April 20, 2011—The World of Outlaws have visited around 200 tracks over the last 33-plus seasons in 39 different states, including stops at five tracks in the state of Oklahoma, but one track the series has never competed at is Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, Oklahoma. That will all change on Saturday, April 23 as the series will take to the high-banked 3/8-mile for the first time ever with a full night of racing on tap. For Kraig Kinser, the driver of the Casey’s General Store Maxim for Parsons Motorsports, it will mark the fourth track in the state of Oklahoma that he has competed at in his career with the series and will be the first time the series has been in action since April 2 at Calistoga Speedway in California.

The third generation driver made his debut in the state of Oklahoma in March of 2002 at the former State Fair Speedway in Oklahoma City, setting fast time. Kinser made four starts at the historic track early in his career. He also set fast time in the World of Outlaws debut at Outlaw Speedway in Muskogee in 2005. Kraig finished third last season in the series inaugural visit to Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, marking his best-career finish in the Sooner State. He has made six starts in his career with the World of Outlaws in Oklahoma.

Kinser has had a good deal of success visiting tracks for the first time in his career with the World of Outlaws, including winning in his first start at Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon in 2004, Batesville Speedway in Arkansas in 2005, along with a victory in the series debut at North Central Speedway in Minnesota in 2008.

Kinser enters the event at Salina Highbanks Speedway this weekend 11th in the World of Outlaws standings on the strength of four Top-10 finishes and a pole position this season and is just 23 points out of the Top-10.

The two events that were originally scheduled for last weekend at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky and I-55 Raceway in Missouri both fell to rain and inclement weather, with series and track officials currently working on rescheduling the pair of races.

Kraig on Salina Highbanks Speedway:
“I always enjoy going to tracks I’ve never been to and getting to see new fans. We ran well in Oklahoma last year so hopefully we can do it again this year. Experience does play into it some when you go to a new place, though if you play the experience game, there are a lot of guys out there that have been racing a lot longer than me. I am still kind of on the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to experience. There are only a few guys that I have more experience than. Experience plays a bit in it, but so does how your team works. If your team is working well together and you have your car rolling pretty good that gives you confidence.”

Kraig on the recent rainouts:
“You are usually able to block it out once you get to the next race track. The main thing is making sure you are calm when you get back on the race track, because you can be antsy after not racing for a while, wanting to get on the track real quick and be over aggressive. Going to a track that I have never seen, it’s important to get some good laps in hot laps and you only get a few laps, so it’s pretty important. You have to get used to the track before you go out to qualify. The main thing is to be relaxed and try not to over think things.”

Kraig Kinser By the Numbers: Salina Highbanks Speedway:
0.375-Miles around Salina Highbanks Speedway
1- Race in the state of Oklahoma for the World of Outlaws this season
2-Fast time honors in the state of Oklahoma (State Fair Speedway and Outlaw Speedway)
3-Wins in first-time visits to tracks with the World of Outlaws
4-Tracks in the state of Oklahoma competed at; Top-10 finishes this season
6- Starts in the Sooner state dating back to 2002
11- World of Outlaws events completed this season
371-Miles from I-55 Raceway in Missouri where the World of Outlaws were scheduled to compete on April 16 to Salina Highbanks Speedway in Oklahoma
2002-Year of first career start in Oklahoma at State Fair Speedway
1367- Points earned this season through April 2
14,650-Dollars earned through April 2

Keep up with all the action: Follow Kraig Kinser on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kraigkinser6 and receive live updates from the track each and every race night. Also keep up with Kraig online at the recently redesigned www.KraigKinser.com.

Tune in: Listen live this weekend to both races on DIRTVision.com with “The Voice of the Outlaws” Johnny Gibson on the call. Visit www.DIRTVision.com for live audio of each and every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event.

[i Photo - Steve LaMothe]

Back to News