For Immediate Release:
01/04/06
Corporate Office
Carnesville GA
Montgomery County Speedway and Fastrak “A Winning Combination”
This high banked 1/4 mile track, located off interstate 70 at exit 175 in New Florence, Missouri, was built from the heart of a former racer in 2001. Located only 50 miles from St Louis, Missouri, “Mighty” Mel Kinnard has established himself in the racing world once again. When asked about his nickname, Mel Kinnard just smiles and says, “Well, an announcer from the old days gave me that. I guess I used to try and intimidate people a little when I was still driving.”
Looking around the facility, Kinnard is very proud of what he has accomplished. He was quick to show the seats he hand built, the light towers he got a deal on, noting they are so large he only needed two of them to light the entire track. Kinnard is man with a racing heart, and it shows in his passion and in what he has accomplished. Although successful in other business ventures, this is where Kinnard belongs.
When asked about why he joined with the Fastrak Series, Kinnard was quick to say he had taken his time and personally checked out Fastrak and Founder Stan Lester. "I went to the Fastrak Winternationals in Georgia and was very impressed in what I saw. We all stayed at the same motel and Stan was out there at breakfast every morning with the teams. He was laughing and having fun with them and they were giving him a pretty hard time. When it came time to race, it was very different. He got down to business and so did all the Officials. They threw out a car that night in tech that really surprised me. The Fastrak rules said 0 tolerance and that’s exactly what he stuck to. That was important to me. The sponsors behind Fastrak are very important too. Goodyear, GM, Joe Gibbs, Sonoco, among others. These aren’t little companies we are talking about. These are giants in the industry and them supporting this Series speaks for itself."
When asked what he thought crate engine racing would do for his track, Kinnard stated that it would put people back in the drivers seat that otherwise could not afford it. "There are a lot of people taking about Fastrak. Not just teams, but fans too. How many times in your life have you seen a $250,000.00 points fund for the weekly racer? I haven’t seen this many people excited about racing in a long time. I had a drivers meeting and expected in the neighborhood of 20-30 drivers but I was shocked when it was actually 96 that made that meeting. I have calls everyday with people building Fastrak cars. It going to be a great season, and looks to be a very prosperous season, thanks to the Fastrak concept."
When asked if Fastrak had been helpful as a sanctioning body, Kinnard was quick to say that Founder, Stan Lester, had helped through the entire process. "He actually came to my track, helped with setting up an engine supplier, is doing a technical seminar, promoters seminars and set us up with a tire deal to help build our points fund with. That’s a lot more than I really expected," stated Kinnard. "I don’t see other sanctioning bodies out there working that hard. Stan has also given us some trademarked programs to advertise with that I think we be very helpful when the “Touring Series” comes to our track. Stan told me today about the Promoters seminars and he wants to get involved in helping the tracks work together. That’s what we all need," stated Kinnard. "Someone that will step in and try to organize it and Stan is doing that."
We asked Founder Stan Lester what he thought about MCS. "I’ll put it this way," said Lester. "It's amazing how I keep running into track owners that are former racers. We just seem to get along and understand each other. Is this a trend? Who knows. Maybe our passion for the sport is what shows. You’ll have to admit a lot of our weekly tracks and even Regions are people that used to drive. MCS is going to be an awesome place for Fastrak. Mel will stick to his guns just like we do and that’s what it takes to make crate racing work. Mel stuck his neck out last year having the first ever Fastrak Mid West Region race. Now we can pay him back and let him know how much we appreciate it. I can’t wait to go to a race there. Can you imagine the excitement in racing there and gaining points for a $250,000.00 National Championship? It is going to be exciting."
Montgomery County Speedway
Mel Kinnard
314-409-5655
www.montgomerycountyspeedway.com
www.fastrakracing.com
01/04/06
Corporate Office
Carnesville GA
Montgomery County Speedway and Fastrak “A Winning Combination”
This high banked 1/4 mile track, located off interstate 70 at exit 175 in New Florence, Missouri, was built from the heart of a former racer in 2001. Located only 50 miles from St Louis, Missouri, “Mighty” Mel Kinnard has established himself in the racing world once again. When asked about his nickname, Mel Kinnard just smiles and says, “Well, an announcer from the old days gave me that. I guess I used to try and intimidate people a little when I was still driving.”
Looking around the facility, Kinnard is very proud of what he has accomplished. He was quick to show the seats he hand built, the light towers he got a deal on, noting they are so large he only needed two of them to light the entire track. Kinnard is man with a racing heart, and it shows in his passion and in what he has accomplished. Although successful in other business ventures, this is where Kinnard belongs.
When asked about why he joined with the Fastrak Series, Kinnard was quick to say he had taken his time and personally checked out Fastrak and Founder Stan Lester. "I went to the Fastrak Winternationals in Georgia and was very impressed in what I saw. We all stayed at the same motel and Stan was out there at breakfast every morning with the teams. He was laughing and having fun with them and they were giving him a pretty hard time. When it came time to race, it was very different. He got down to business and so did all the Officials. They threw out a car that night in tech that really surprised me. The Fastrak rules said 0 tolerance and that’s exactly what he stuck to. That was important to me. The sponsors behind Fastrak are very important too. Goodyear, GM, Joe Gibbs, Sonoco, among others. These aren’t little companies we are talking about. These are giants in the industry and them supporting this Series speaks for itself."
When asked what he thought crate engine racing would do for his track, Kinnard stated that it would put people back in the drivers seat that otherwise could not afford it. "There are a lot of people taking about Fastrak. Not just teams, but fans too. How many times in your life have you seen a $250,000.00 points fund for the weekly racer? I haven’t seen this many people excited about racing in a long time. I had a drivers meeting and expected in the neighborhood of 20-30 drivers but I was shocked when it was actually 96 that made that meeting. I have calls everyday with people building Fastrak cars. It going to be a great season, and looks to be a very prosperous season, thanks to the Fastrak concept."
When asked if Fastrak had been helpful as a sanctioning body, Kinnard was quick to say that Founder, Stan Lester, had helped through the entire process. "He actually came to my track, helped with setting up an engine supplier, is doing a technical seminar, promoters seminars and set us up with a tire deal to help build our points fund with. That’s a lot more than I really expected," stated Kinnard. "I don’t see other sanctioning bodies out there working that hard. Stan has also given us some trademarked programs to advertise with that I think we be very helpful when the “Touring Series” comes to our track. Stan told me today about the Promoters seminars and he wants to get involved in helping the tracks work together. That’s what we all need," stated Kinnard. "Someone that will step in and try to organize it and Stan is doing that."
We asked Founder Stan Lester what he thought about MCS. "I’ll put it this way," said Lester. "It's amazing how I keep running into track owners that are former racers. We just seem to get along and understand each other. Is this a trend? Who knows. Maybe our passion for the sport is what shows. You’ll have to admit a lot of our weekly tracks and even Regions are people that used to drive. MCS is going to be an awesome place for Fastrak. Mel will stick to his guns just like we do and that’s what it takes to make crate racing work. Mel stuck his neck out last year having the first ever Fastrak Mid West Region race. Now we can pay him back and let him know how much we appreciate it. I can’t wait to go to a race there. Can you imagine the excitement in racing there and gaining points for a $250,000.00 National Championship? It is going to be exciting."
Montgomery County Speedway
Mel Kinnard
314-409-5655
www.montgomerycountyspeedway.com
www.fastrakracing.com
