Archive for 10 Questions
May
01
10 Questions with Matt Kurtz!
Posted by: | CommentsHe kicked off the 2012 Top Gun Sprint Series championship chase in fine fashion, he’s fast, smooth and won in almost every series he’s competed in, we don’t call him “The Jacksonville Jet” for nothing, he is the one and only Matt Kurtz!
For those of our readers unfamiliar with your racing background, how did you get your start in racing? I actually started racing BMX when I was five. While racing bikes we traveled a lot more than we do now, believe it or not by the time I was 10 I had raced bikes all across the eastern half of the US in states including Indiana, Kentucky and Detroit. I did that for about five years then got burned out of it and was considering going to motocross but we quickly realized that was a little too dangerous so we chose to move to quarter midgets around the age of 10.
How old were you the first time you raced a sprint car and where was it at? The first time I raced a full blown sprit car was at Lake City. I was 14 and it was the first time I ever even drove it. When we went out to practice Mike Thomas was yelling at me to get my belts on and we realized we didn’t even have them in the car yet. He had to put them in the car in about two minutes so we could make it out to practice.
Matt Kurtz has been known to stand in victory lane quite a few times over the years.
Tell us about your BMX years. Do you still have any of your bikes lying around? Are you a big Matt Hoffman fan? We do still have some of our old bikes lying around. I still have my last bike that I ever raced on and also we have some of my little brother’s bikes. Think we still have the one he won the national championship on as well as his last bike. The only other bike I have is a beach cruiser ha-ha, gotta have something to cruise around town on. I’m not really a big Matt Hoffman fan, I don’t watch too much BMX any more unless it’s on and there isn’t any racing on.
You’ve raced with both the ASCS and the USCS outside of Florida; will we see you hitting the road in the near future again? We’re actually trying to plan a trip to Pennsylvania later this season in the beginning of August to try and run some races with the URC. Hopefully we’re going to stay up around Pennsylvania for two weekends and run about 4 races in the time we’re up there. We also might run a few USCS races once we get our Wesmar back to try and shake everything down before we head to Pennsylvania.
To quote Matt, "I don't know why, but I really like this picture."
You started 2012 with a bang, picking up the Top Gun Sprint Series victory at Bubba Raceway Park. Is it your plan to run the entire series and chase the championship? It was real nice to finally get a win, it seems like it’s been forever since we got to victory lane. Also it is our plan to try and run for the championship. I’m looking forward to running the non wing races at Ocala and Tampa. I’m really enjoying that type of racing, it is a lot more on the edge and more out of control feeling. I definitely felt a bit out of my comfort zone a few times the first time I rain without the wing at Bubba Raceway Park. We got off to a lot better start than last year and I feel like we’re going to be more consistent this year and should be capable of competing for the championship and hopefully getting a few more wins throughout the rest of the season.
What are your long-term racing plans? I’d like to try and race my entire life and make a career out of it. These days everything is so expensive it’s almost impossible to make money at it unless you have a big dollar sponsorship. If I can just continue to race throughout my life and eventually be able to afford to run some 410 and 360 races I would be really happy with that. I love racing and do not plan on giving it up as long as I can afford it.
What’s your favorite race track to race at and why? Since I’ve done some traveling with the USCS and ASCS we have raced at a lot of fun tracks. I’m not sure which is my favorite but I really like Phoenix City and Carolina Speedway. They are both really fast high banked tracks. We have run well every time we’ve been at both of them, except for the time I ended up in the woods at Carolina Speedway. We also raced at Greenville Speedway in Mississippi and that was one of the coolest places I have been to. It is a small fast and banked quarter mile that we were running in about 11 seconds.
Matt Kurtz kicking up some dirt in his trusty Maxim.
Who were some of your favorite race car drivers growing up? Growing up Dale Jarrett was always my favorite NASCAR driver. I really didn’t know too much about sprint car racing until later on but I’ve always cheered for Steve Kinser when I would watch outlaw races when I was younger. I’d also have to say Bruce Durden was one of my favorite drivers, he was the one who got us into sprint cars since hw and my dad are best friends and have been since they went to high school together back in the day.
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not racing or working on the sprint car? When I’m not racing or working on my car I’m usually working for my dad, but in my free time I like to go to the beach a lot and hangout around the beaches with my friends. Also when I find the time I try to go and ride my dirt bike. I have a kx250f that I ride on a few tracks that are not too far from Jacksonville. I’m definitely not too great at riding but I enjoy it a lot. It’s also a great way to keep in shape for racing since it works just about every muscle in your body.
Let’s say I’m in the greater Jacksonville area and need a good general contractor, who should I call? I’d definitely give Kur-Star Construction a call; we can design and build anything as well as anybody in the state. We’re not only in Jacksonville, we have built buildings all across the state and are still interested in doing work all throughout Florida. Give us a call at (904) 721-6088.
Apr
17
10 Questions with…Bryan Riddle!
Posted by: | CommentsLast seen campaigning for TBARA Rookie of the Year honors and running wingless sprint car races, he is the grandson of legendary Florida sprint car driver Frank Riddle, currently looking for some sponsorship to get back in the sprint car game, he is Bryan Riddle.
Obviously your family has a healthy history of sprint car racing here in Florida. At what age did the sprint car racing bug take hold of you? I have been around sprint car racing my entire life and was very fortunate to travel all over the Southeast with my dad and grandfather as I was growing up. My earliest recollection of sprint cars is from Golden Gate Speedway in the early 80′s. It was the Halloween race weekend. My grandpa won the sprint feature and I won the costume contest dressed as Kermit the Frog.
Frank Riddle is a sprint car legend in these parts, what is your favorite racing memory of him? My grandpa was a great driver and loved his fans. One of my favorite memories of him is from New Smyrna Speedway. After the races were all over, everyone else was loaded up and leaving except for us. He was still signing autographs and taking pictures and had a line of kids waiting until the track lights were turned off, kind of saying “enough Frank, get the hell out of here already!”
Bryan's grandfather Frank is a legend in these parts and also a member of the Sprint Car Hall of Fame, Class of 2010.
In 2010 you ran for TBARA Rookie of the Year honors. Tell us about your season and the car you campaigned, it was a former Wayne Reutimann Jr. car, yes? The Case Contracting, Wesmar Engines #11 is a former Reutimann Jr car. Once we got the bugs worked out of it and got rid of some dead weight on our crew we were pretty fast. After a couple of races I got more comfortable and grew a sack and eventually realized that the pedal on the right is the one that makes the car go. We only ran 9 of the 18 races with the TBARA that year and ended up 16 points shy of ROTY honors. We ended the season with our best finish of the year at Citrus County Speedway with a top 5.
Bryan Riddle campaigned this #11 sprint car on the TBARA trail in pursuit of Rookie of the Year honors in 2010.
You campaigned this car (below) in the Florida 400 in 2007. Tell us about the car and how that day went for you. This is the car that my grandpa drove for many years until he quit racing. After about 10 years of it sitting in the trailer, we decided to bring it out of retirement. About a week before the 2007 Florida 400 we pulled it out, changed the oil and dumped some fuel in it and fired it off. The 400 was my first time ever in a sprint car so needless to say I got a crash course in Sprint Car 101. We qualified 32nd and finished in 15th. The car was pushing like a dump truck the whole race and about 30 laps in I lost the brakes, so it was definitely a long day.
Bryan Riddle at the 2007 Florida 400, campaigning his grandfather's sprint car.
You’ve run both wing and non-wing sprint cars, which one do you think better suits you? I had more fun in the winged sprint. We could never hit on a good setup for the non-wing races and driving an ill handling sprint car is no fun. We were definitely more competitive with the TBARA than we were with the non-wing series but either way I just want to race.
You’re quite the avid fisherman, tell us a good story about the big one that got away. A buddy of mine and I were fishing around Fort Desoto for redfish and trout. I hooked in to a huge redfish and got it all the way to the boat. My buddy grabbed the line above the leader and the line snapped before he could get it in the boat. I wanted to kick his ass but I thought better of it since he is 6’7″ and around 300 pounds. Probably a good decision!
When you’re not around a sprint car or fishing, what do you like to do for fun? I spend a lot of time on the boat even when I’m not fishing. I love being on the water hanging out with friends and family. It is probably my second favorite thing to do after racing. I also play golf every now and then when I really feel like wasting 40 bucks and losing a dozen golf balls.
Of all the tracks you’ve raced at in Florida, which one do you like best and why? I would have to say Orlando Speedworld and 5 Flags Speedway are my top 2 favorite tracks. Orlando is smooth and fast and I have had decent runs there on a few occasions. 5 Flags is just a haul ass track and you have to have balls to run down into the corners. Also, the fans up there seem to be a little more appreciative of us when we come to town than at most other tracks. Not too many tracks do an autograph session anymore, but 5 Flags does and I absolutely love meeting the fans and seeing how interested the little ones are. They look up to all of us drivers like we are super heros.
Bryan Riddle in wingless competition at Citrus County Speedway in 2010.
When will we see you back racing again? That is the million dollar question. Like many other race teams, times are tough in the Riddle camp. I keep playing my Lotto numbers and working 40 hours a week but the money is still not there. I am working on a couple of sponsors for 2013 so hopefully that will pan out and we will be back out there by next year at the latest.
Frank Riddle is a beloved figure in Anderson, Indiana, will you be the next Riddle to run the Little 500? Fingers crossed. Right now we don’t have the money or the equipment to compete in the 500, but I will eventually make it happen. That being said, anyone looking for a driver for the 500 this year feel free to e-mail me at Bryan2911@AoL or write me on Facebook. I would be more than happy to bring my seat and my gear!
And now for my shameless plug, for racers and race fans check out Race Life Apparel and for golfers check out Stiff Shaft Golf. Be sure to let them know that I sent you!
Bryan passed along this photo of grandfather Frank from the Riddle family archives.
Apr
11
10 Questions with…Kerry Gilbert!
Posted by: | CommentsFrom the first time we saw Kerry Gilbert at East Bay in the Nichols Motorsports #55 Schnee, we though to ourselves, “nice car, smooth driver, keeps his nose clean, could be something to this guy,” because we didn’t really know much about Kerry at the time. As usual, Kerry made us look good with our assessment of him as we don’t think we’ve ever really seen him put a wheel wrong in his Schnee and he gets everything available to him out on the track.
As you will see below, Kerry has been at this auto racing business for a while now and just when we thought we couldn’t do better than the picture of him with a scantily dressed blonde, he does us one better with an even more impressive photo.
Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Penske’s favorite employee, Kerry Gilbert!
For those of our readers that aren’t familiar with your racing career before you moved to Florida, you cut your teeth running 1/4 midgets up in Ohio at a very young age. How did you get your start in racing?
My parents raced Triumph TR3s in the SCCA when I was young and we were at an event somewhere and someone had a Moss Quarter Midget for sale. I talked my dad into buying it and so then I began racing at the age of five. I progressed to Half Midgets, Mini Indy’s, Legends Cars, Arena Cars and then Modifieds.
You moved to Virginia in 1987 and got back into racing once again. You were the 2001 Track Champion in the Legends Division at Southside Speedway in Richmond, VA. Tell us about your time racing in Virginia.
I actually started to get back into racing in 1999. We ran at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Southside Speedway in Richmond and Southampton Speedway in Emporia. We ran the Legends Car for about eight years. We won a few races and accumulated a lot of awards, but most importantly had a ton of fun and made a lot of friends.
Kerry Gilbert was a mean shoe in the pavement modified world, as seen here at Langley Speedway in Virginia.
You then moved on to the Arena Racing USA series that campaigned smaller scale stock cars. Tell us about your time running this series.
The Arena cars ran indoors on a 1/10 mile track. A lot of people said it was like running at Bristol believe it or not. We would run the Arena Racing USA series in the Winter and the Legends in the Summer. In 2001, the first year of the series, I ran against Denny Hamlin and a lot of others that were big time Late Model guys, some of which went on to run the Hooters Pro Cup series.
Kurt Bush also came and ran with us the same year he won his NASCAR Championship. I ran these cars for about seven years. We finished a lot in the top five and won a lot of races. In the second season I went into the final race leading the points championship but I was blocked in the feature by the teammate of the guy in second in the points. As a result I ended up second for the season. Regardless of that, we had a lot of fun.
You’ve been racing for a decent amount of years, is there one win that stands out as being the one you remember the most?
Probably the one win that really stands out was in the Arena Series. We were running third in the Top Dog race which was the big race of the evening. The fastest groove that night was on the low side in the turns. On the last lap, I went high into turn three, at the same time the second place guy went for the lead. They both touched and I got around them on the outside and won by about two inches. For me that was a very rewarding win.
Kerry Gilbert and his trusty red Nichols Motorsports #55 Schnee sprint car.
So now you’re living in Florida and competing with a Schnee chassis in the East Bay Sprints and the Top Gun Sprint Series. How did you get to deciding you wanted to run sprint cars?
My parents used to come down to watch the Winter Nationals at East Bay and they made a lot of friends. When I moved down here, my dad asked if I would like to drive a sprint car. Of course my answer was pretty much, “hell yeah!”
Quite honestly, those sprint car guys all looked a little nuts to me and I didn’t think me driving one would ever really happen. Well it turned out my dad knew a guy (Lacy Black) who knew a guy (Marvin Nichols) who had a sprint car and no driver. So he arranged a meeting with Nick Nichols (Marvin’s brother) and they decided to let me drive it.
I just want to say thank you so much Marvin and Nick for letting me drive your car, it has truly been an awesome experience for me.
Before you moved over to the dirt in a sprint car, did you have much dirt racing experience?
Before hopping into the #55 Nichols Motorsports sprint car, I had never been in a sprint car, much less ever raced on dirt. Honest. It was all new to me and as a matter of fact, we never even got to practice. I went out in warm ups at East Bay and then ran my first race. I pretty much tried to stay out of everyone’s way.
Nobody came over and yelled at me so I guess I did ok. I am so thankful to both Kurt Taylor and Steve Cline for helping us out, giving me an education on how to drive and also how to work on a sprint car.
I also need to thank my crew, John, Shawn, Phil, and Fred for helping me in the pits. Most of all, I need to thank my beautiful wife Lynn for letting me participate in this crazy sport.
Kerry Gilbert getting after it in Top Gun Sprint Series action at Bubba Raceway Park. Photo courtesy of RE Wing Photos.
You’ve always impressed us at East Bay, is there something about that track that suits your driving style?
It usually gets pretty slick. When the track is slick and you have to finesse the throttle, it helps me compete with some of the guys that have a lot more horsepower. Also all of the people at Eastbay have been really nice. I enjoy going there and feel like I am at home at that track. I have won a heat race and finished in the top five in points these past two years. But what I am really ready to do is win a feature. Hopefully that is coming soon. Once I get that monkey off my back, I think I could win a few more.
What do you like to do when in your free time when you’re not fixated on racing?
We have a little sports car that we hop into and go see the sites here in Florida. We’ve been to some nice beaches, gone to Bike Week, been to some great car shows, attended numerous sporting events (Rays, Lightning) and spent some time in Key West. I really do love living in Florida.
We also like to shoot over to O’Briens Bar and Grill in Brandon and get some wings and a beer. A little plug for my sponsor. 
Let’s say I’m over on the left coast of the state and need to lease a truck to move a lot of objects from Point A to Point B, who should I call?
Well, I am glad you asked. You should call Penske Truck Leasing. I have worked for Penske for a long time and we have the newest, cleanest, best maintained trucks in the industry. Plus Roger Penske is the boss and we have some great race teams.
I honestly joined Penske because of the racing, but it has turned out to be a great career move in the long run. It has allowed me to almost afford the racing hobby. So when you see one of those big Penske Yellow trucks running around the Tampa area, it probably came out of my location. So keep renting those trucks, it keeps me employed!
You most likely recall this photo of Kerry Gilbert we're fond of, but wait, there's more!
Alright, we’ve got to ask, you’re legendary (to us at least) for the picture of the hottest sprint car crew chief the world has ever seen (see above). First off, job well done. Second, how did you pull that one off?
Charisma, good looks, dynamic personality, extraordinary physique………….no, it wasn’t any of that I’m afraid…
You have heard the expression that “even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then,” haven’t you?
Then Kerry supplies us with this photo! This is getting out of control at this point...