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Bires And Robbins To Drive For Waltom Racing In 2006
By WalTom Racing
Riverside, Illinois (01/31/2006): After experiencing success beyond their
wildest dreams in 2005, WalTom Racing is stepping up to the plate in a big way
in 2006. To follow up on earning the ASA Late Model Series Championship last
season with Stephen Leicht, the team will field two cars in the ASA Late Model
Challenge Series in 2006 for drivers Kelly Bires and Hunter Robbins.
The 21-year-old Bires, a native of Mauston, WI, will drive the #89 that Leicht
drove to the championship in 2005. Robbins, a 14-year-old hotshoe from
Montgomery, AL, will drive the #98. Both drivers will compete for the Pat
Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year and the ASA Late Model Challenge Series
championship. Bires will also race a select number of races in the ASA Late
Model Series Northern Division schedule. The teams will be sponsored by Texor
Petroleum, GM Performance Parts, Howe Racing, Lafayette Coal and McMahon
Cartage.
"We're real excited about both of these drivers,” said John Mulvenna,
Director of Motorsports for WalTom Racing. “Kelly has exceptional car
control and feedback and has been a great addition to our crew by helping
build new cars for the upcoming season. Hunter is definitely racing beyond his
years. He reminds me a little of Stephen, only two years younger. It’s going
to be a busy and hopefully exciting season."
Bires has been racing since the age of nine, when his career began in
go-karts. After winning two consecutive National Championships in go-karts and
several regional titles, Bires entered the Great Lakes Allison Legacy Series
at the age of 15. In 2001, he was named Great Lakes Allison Legacy Champion
after a dominating year. He won seven races and the point’s championship.
Bires then moved up to the super-competitive Super Late Model division in
Wisconsin. He was rookie of the year at Wisconsin Dells Motor Speedway. Bires
also competed in his first-career ARCA race in May of 2004 at Lowes Motor
Speedway, where he posted an eighth-place finish.
In December, Bires made his first start for WalTom Racing by driving the #89
in the Snowflake 100 during the Snowball Derby weekend. Bires ran in the top
five most of the night before getting caught up in a late-race accident. He
finished 23rd.
“This is a great opportunity for me to be with an organization like WalTom
Racing,” said Bires. “It is a real honor to race for these guys after
going through the process that I have with them. I think I’ll be able to
bring a lot to them, but I’ll learn even more from them. They are a team
that does what they need to get the job done and I feel very confident in
working with them. Their success is already evident with Stephen Leicht and
hopefully we can continue that this year.”
Robbins began his racing career at the tender age of six in go-karts. He won
his first track championship in his first season racing while competing
against competitors as old as 12. At 11, he graduated to Bandoleros, where he
competed nationally. Robbins finished second in points at Atlanta Motor
Speedway and ninth at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Along with those
accomplishments came the Bandolero National Championship.
Robbins then moved to the Pro Late Model division that runs around the
Southeast. Robbins finished second in the Pro Late Model championship at
Montgomery Motor Speedway and won the 2004 Alabama 250. However, Robbins’
biggest win came at Five Flags Speedway at the end of 2005, when he won one of
the most prestigious races of the year, the annual Snowflake 100 during the
Snowball Derby weekend.
“I think it is a great opportunity to get to work with WalTom Racing,”
said Robbins. “I am just going to try to do my best and make the most out of
it. I met the WalTom guys at Pensacola during the Snowball Derby weekend. I
just introduced myself to them and we talked a little and everything just came
from there.
“I’d like to get Rookie of the Year. It will be a great opportunity
working with Howie (Lettow) and all of the guys with the team. I just want to
do the best I can. If I do that, things will hopefully take care of
themselves.”
The ASA Late Model Challenge Series will open the season on Friday and
Saturday, March 17th-18th, at the Music City Motorplex (TN) for the Music City
200. The Northern Division will open the season at I-70 Speedway on May 6th.
WalTom Racing, with Kelly Bires and Hunter Robbins, will compete on the ASA
Late Model Challenge Series tour in 2006. For more information on the team,
please visit www.waltomracing.com
or call Jeremy Troiano at 704-455-2051
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