| Saturday, January 19, 2008 |
| Kittleson lands Hooters Pro Cup ride | BY MARK DeCOTIS
Travis Kittleson will write a new chapter in his nomad journey through the ranks of stock car racing in 2008.
The Merritt Island High graduate has landed a full-season ride on the Hooters USAR Pro Cup Southern Division circuit, piloting a Chevy for JCR3 of Charlotte.
The Southern Division season opens March 15 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, and then visits South Georgia Motorsports Park, Concord, N.C., Motorsports Park, the Milwaukee Mile, Myrtle Beach, Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, N.C., Hickory, N.C., Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Real Racin' USA Interview with Travis, Click Here!
Kittleson also might run a few Northern Division races to get more seat time in anticipation of the four-race championship series that begins Aug. 30 at Mansfield Motorsports Park in Mansfield, Ohio, and then visits Iowa Speedway, Lakeland, on Oct. 18, and Rockingham, N.C.
The car will be co-sponsored by Bob Steele Chevrolet of Cocoa and C & C Boilers, the business run by the owners of the JCR3 team.
 The season also could include a race or two in the ARCA stock car series but nothing is definite at this point.
Either way, Kittleson is thrilled to be back in a full-time ride after bouncing around the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and then Busch Series over the past two seasons. He ran a total of nine races, eight in trucks and one in the Busch, now Nationwide Series.
The Busch race in 2007 was in the high-profile No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy, which Kittleson piloted to a 17th-place finish at Gateway.
"I just needed to get back to running full-time," Kittleson said. "I needed to put myself back on the map. Last year at best I feel I ran mediocre. I was rusty. You're just not sharp running that many races.
"I want to go out and build my name back up, contend for a championship, win some races and do something big."
Speaking of doing something big, Kittleson said he is not giving up on landing a NASCAR ride.
"Anytime that I have the opportunity to drive or fly to any of the NASCAR races to work the pits, I'll still be doing it. I'm not going to give up on that."
Have an opinion on
this story? Post a message on
The Southern Motor Racing Forum OR Send the Editor an E-mail!
|
