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Tag: mikey kile

  • Mikey Kile: Ready For The Challenge with Andy Belmont Racing

    In their breakout season last year with driver Chad McCumbee, Andy Belmont Racing set the bar high as they won the Bill France Four Crown Award and finished fifth in driver’s points. With that said, Mikey Kile knows the expectations are high for him this year.

    “I can’t wait to get the season going,” Kile said. “They’ve really set the bar high at Andy Belmont Racing, so it’s a tremendous challenge to take it to the next level. I believe our ModSpace team will come out of the blocks fast. This race team will start the year in full stride.”

    The Westlake, La. driver has had success before as he finished fifth in points in 2010 with Venturini Motorsports. The season begins for the 28-year-old at Daytona with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 18th.

    “I’m confident we’ll be in the championship hunt all year,” Jennifer Belmont said. “Mikey is the driver I believe can make us a contender in our flagship car. He’s always been fast at Daytona, so we’re confident he will get us off to a good start. Everyone on this race team has spent a lot of hours making sure he will have a good car. Mikey will do the rest.”

    Kile got started in racing through go-karts at a young age. Since then, he has moved up the ranks, having success at various levels. Career highlights include four carting championships, eight IMCA modified wins and 2008 USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Rookie of the Year.

    In 2009, Kile ran some ARCA and Camping World Truck Series races for Brad Keselowski Racing. In the truck series, he qualified career-high 10th at Las Vegas and finished a career-high 11th at both Milwaukee and Gateway in the Truck Series. In the ARCA Series, he qualified a career-high 10th at Kentucky and finished a career-high fourth at Talladega.

    “It was good,” Kile said of that experience back in 2010. “Our first outing we ran at Martinsville and finished 11th. I think we ran six races and finished top-12 in three or four of the six. We were sixth quickest at Vegas and running top-10 there and top-10 at Texas and a pit stop issue there caught us outside of the top 10. It was a learning curve, but definitely running there and running good, I felt like I belonged there.”

    In 2010, he ran the full schedule for Venturini Motorsports, which led to him running some ARCA races for Venturini in 2011 and some NASCAR Camping World Truck and Nationwide races for Turner Motorsports.

    Last month, Andy Belmont Racing made it official that they had hired Mikey Kile for the entire 2012 season.

    Andy Belmont Racing also added a new crew chief to the team as they brought Jeff McClure on board. Though there will be one thing that stays the same for ABR as Modspace has come back on board.

    “ModSpace is always excited to start the season at Daytona,” said William Mann, vice president of ModSpace Motorsports. “The history and energy that comes with this historic track always creates an exciting race! We are looking forward to seeing Mikey get behind the wheel the No. 1 ModSpace Ford and deliver a top-notch finish.”

    “The entire team had a successful test at Daytona and they came back with a lot of notes to make the car even better,” Kile added. “This is an exciting time for everyone involved with this ModSpace race team. We’re all eager to get it started at Daytona. We will also be testing a new car at Talladega Superspeedway at the end of this month.”

  • ARCA: Mikey Kile Joins Andy Belmont Racing For 2012

    ARCA: Mikey Kile Joins Andy Belmont Racing For 2012

    Andy Belmont Racing announced today that Mikey Kile will be driving the No. 14 Andy Belmont Racing Ford for the entire 2012 ARCA season, beginning with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on February 18th at Daytona International Speedway.

    “This is definitely an exciting time for ABR,” Belmont said. “I have watched Mikey progress each season as a driver and am confident that we will be in the hunt all year. I am also proud that he will be driving our No. 14 Ford this season. The tradition of that number goes back to my days as a modified driver in Pennsylvania.”

    Kile began his career racing in go-karts, before moving up to the modified and late model ranks.

    In 2009, the Westlake, La. native made his NASCAR debut, making six starts in the Camping World Truck Series for Brad Keselwoski Racing. In those six starts, he had three top-15 finishes.

    In 2010, he ran the full schedule for Venturini Motorsports. He got his first ARCA win at Michigan International Speedway.

    “I would say that’s the biggest win of my career – in ARCA,” Kile said of the Michigan win last March. “In 2010 in June, winning the race at Michigan and leading a bunch of laps at Pocono and just running upfront. Mainly, winning the race at Michigan is the best moment so far.”

    Along with the win, he scored two Menards Pole Awards presented by Ansell, seven top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes on his way to finishing fifth in points in 2010.

    “I had a good year in 2010, but I believe that we have the pieces in place to compete for the 2012 ARCA championship,” Kile said. “Andy has done a great job in putting together a quality team and I am really looking forward to the season opener in Daytona.”

    Kile ran a partial schedule for Venturini Motorsports in 2011, while running some races for Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

    For Andy Belmont Racing, they had a good 2011 season, as they won at Springfield, finished fifth in points and won the Bill France Crown Award.

  • Mikey Kile Talks About His New Deal With Turner Motorsports and More

    Mikey Kile Talks About His New Deal With Turner Motorsports and More

    [media-credit name=”mikeykile.com” align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]Earlier this week, Mikey Kile announced that he would be driving at least seven races for Turner Motorsports this year in the Nationwide Series.

    Kile ran the entire ARCA Racing Series schedule last year with Venturini Motorsports, scoring his first win at Michigan, along with two pole awards, seven top fives and 15 top-10 finishes. 

    He got started in racing by racing go-karts at a young age. Since then he has moved up the ranks, having success at various levels. Career highlights include four carting championships, eight IMCA modified wins and 2008 USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Rookie of the Year. He also has experience in the Camping World Truck Series with Brad Keselowski Racing. In six starts, he has scored three top-15 finishes.

    Kile took some time out of his schedule to discuss the new deal and more.

    Ashley McCubbin: What are some of your thoughts on the announcement?

    Mikey Kile: I think its exciting. It’s a great opportunity for me to perform really well this year and Steve Turner has the right people in place  and he’s doing everything the right way. I’m really looking forward to driving their car this year and putting on a good performance everywhere we run this year.

    AM: Speaking of Turner having the right people, what are some of your thoughts on working with some of your fellow teammates?

    MK: All the drivers are really good racecar drivers. I’m really looking forward to that. Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin – there’s a lot of experience there in these Nationwide cars. It’s really going to help me out a lot in the Nationwide Series to have someone to lean on like that if I’m having trouble with something. Then you have all the people within the team to lean on in the organization.

    AM: How do you think your previous experience in the ARCA Series will help you?

    MK:  I would say the ARCA car has a little more horsepower and a little faster, but overall its seat time and being to some of the race tracks with the ARCA car, so in the Nationwide  car, I think that’s going to be a huge advantage for me. I learned a lot there about aero and how to race cars side-by-side and what the air does to the car when you’re side-by-side and everything.

    AM: What are some of your expectations?

    MK: I would say the equipment is some of the best in the series and I am expecting the top 10. I think we can run up front and you may have bad luck here and there and that may push you back, but I think I running in the top 10 is not out of the question. 

    AM: What are some of your long-term goals?

    MK: In five years, hopefully in Cup. That’s everybody’s ultimate goal. I want to be able to pay my bills while driving racecars cause that’s what I like to do. I can run a part-time schedule this year and the full-time schedule next year with Turner Motorsports and that’s what I’d like to do. I’m just looking to make a good living and be happy with what I love to do.

    AM: What is your first Racing Memory?

    MK: Probably when I was racing go-karts when I won a National championship in 1996.

    AM: What is your most memorable Racing Moment?

    MK: At Michigan last year – I would say that’s the biggest win of my career – in ARCA. In 2010 in June, winning the race at Michigan and leading a bunch of laps at Pocono and just running upfront. Mainly, winning the race at Michigan is the best moment so far.

  • Mikey Kile To Drive Atleast Seven Races for Turner Motorsports

    Mikey Kile To Drive Atleast Seven Races for Turner Motorsports

    With a case of stars that includes Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Jason Leftler, Reed Sorenson, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher and Brad Sweet, its hard to believe that Steve Turner could make Turner Motorsports better. Well, one more driver has been added to the driver line-up – Mikey Kile.

    Mikey Kile is set to drive the No. 30 car for a minimum of seven races, starting at Nashville Speedway.

    “This is such a great opportunity for me,” Kile said in the press release. “Turner Motorsports has proven it is a top-tier organization with talented employees and drivers. Their equipment is some of the best in the sport and I am excited about getting a chance to race in it.

    “I worked with Stewart [Cooper, crew chief] in my Nationwide Series debut and I am glad I get the chance to work with him again. He and the 30 crew all have experience working with rookies and they have been so helpful already. I also have a great group of teammates, with a wealth of experience, who I can lean on as I make my way into the Nationwide Series.”   

    Kile ran the entire ARCA Racing Series schedule last year with Venturini Motorsports, scoring his first win at Michigan, along with two pole awards, seven top fives and 15 top-10 finishes.

    “Overall, it was a good, solid year and we got a lot of things accomplished that we wanted to get accomplished,” Kile told the ARCA Racing Network of his season last December. “You know, it’s racing, so we had some ups and downs and had a few races back to back that kind of took us out of the championship. Overall, it was a good season and I learned a lot.”

    He also has experience in the Camping World Truck Series with Brad Keselowski Racing. In six starts, he has scored three top-15 finishes.

    “It was good,” he told me of the experience with BKR. “Our first outing we ran at Martinsville and finished 11th. I think we ran six races and finished top-12 in three or four of the six. We were sixth quickest at Vegas and running top-10 there and top-10 at Texas and a pit stop issue there caught us outside of the top 10. It was a learning curve, but definitely running there and running good, I felt like I belonged there.”

    Mikey Kile got started in racing by racing go-karts at a young age. Since then he has moved up the ranks, having success at various levels. Career highlights include four carting championships, eight IMCA modified wins and 2008 USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Rookie of the Year.

    Kile told me when I spoke to him last June that his goal for five years was to be in Sprint Cup and if not Sprint Cup, then Nationwide. This is certainly a step in the right direction.