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Kathryne Minter Racing
Chassis -- J & J
Driver -- Kathryne Minter
Crew Chief – Sean McClelland
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PR
Minter Hires Veteran Crew Chief Brad Sparks
KNOXVILLE, IA (July 31) – When Kathryne
Minter races at Knoxville Raceway for the first time on opening night of
the 17th Annual Knoxville 360 Nationals Thursday, she will have
a veteran crew chief setting up her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J.
Kathryne Minter Racing has hired
Brad Sparks, who helped Dustin Lindquist run in the top five in last year’s
Knoxville 360 Nationals.
“We finished fourth at the
Nationals and fifth in the Brodix (Tournament of
Champions) with Lindquist last year,” Sparks
said. “Kathryne is looking forward to going to Knoxville and driving it for the first
time, and I’m looking forward to getting back. I really enjoy the place.”
Minter couldn’t have been happier
with the way her car felt when Sparks set it
up in last Saturday’s American Sprint Car Series Gulf South race at 105 Speedway in Cleveland , TX .
“My car felt perfect,” Kathryne
said. “I’ve never felt the car like that before. I didn’t have to use the
brakes and turn the steering wheel … it practically drove itself. It was
easy to turn and, after it turned in the corner, it stayed straight. It was
amazing.
“When Brad told me he changed a
bunch of things on the car, I thought, ‘Oh no.’ I wondered what I was
supposed to expect, but he went over it with me when we got to the track.
He’s been great, and I’m really looking forward to working with him at Knoxville .”
Mike Minter, Kathryne’s
father and car owner, is pleased to have Sparks join the team, too.
“We’re excited to have Brad on our
team,” Mike said. “He and Kathryne are communicating well, and we like how
he sets up the car.”
Sparks got involved in sprint car racing
in 1983 when his father sponsored a sprint car driven by Ron Beechler.
“We ended up owning the team after
a while, then I went into the Army from ’86 to ’90,” Sparks said. “Then I came back to racing.
Sparks
worked with such drivers as Eldon Dotson, Rich Bubak,
Pete Butler, Roger Rager, Chuck Swenson, Jesse Gianetto and Lindquist before hitting the World of
Outlaws trail with defending series champion Donny Schatz and rookie Sam Hafertepe Jr. Brad also raced 358 and 410 sprint cars
in Pennsylvania in the early 2000s.
“Kathryne has talent, and I’m
looking forward to her picking up stuff (learning) every week,” Brad said.
“Last week at 105, she was very comfortable with the racecar. We’re just
taking baby steps. We’re going to Knoxville
this week, and I told her it’s an historic racetrack but not to get
intimidated by it. She has a good attitude, so she’ll be fine. I told her
it’s like getting in your car and running down a highway. It’s big, and
there’s lots of room to move around. There are just a couple of things you
have to watch when you go there. Just keep your car under you and your tires
under you – that’s about all you have to do there – and figure out how to
keep it wide open.”
Sparks
likes the Goodyear tires the team is running, and was pleased to know
Kathryne liked the setup he gave her at 105 Speedway .
“I like the way the Goodyear tires
wear; they have good rubber,” Brad said. “I really like the consistency of
the tires from side-to-side. You don’t have to measure three 91s to get a
91.
“I’m glad she liked my setup. I
told her that every week we can do something a little bit better so the car
would be a faster and more comfortable. We’re communicating well. She’s
really open to suggestion and she’s talking to me, which is good. Pretty
soon, she should be out there racing the heck out of it.”
BullMack
Custom Coating, one of the team’s sponsors, is coating the #13m’s headers
and mufflers with ceramic so the car conforms to the 360 Knoxville Nationals’ rules.
More information about Kathryne,
including her “Kat’s Corner” and “Off-Track With Kathryne” columns, can be
found on her website at www.mint13.com.
Fans can also check out Kathryne’s merchandise
and request a free autographed hero card on her site. Kathryne Minter
Racing invites fans to visit the team’s trailer after the races.
Kathryne Minter Racing is sponsored
by the Concrete Crushing Company, Big Worm Motorsports.com,
Body Construction Fitness Center, BullMack Custom
Coatings, ButlerBuilt Seats, C.S.i.
Racewear, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company,
Keene Heavy Equipment Company, Keizer Aluminum
Wheels, MBR Guaranteed Foundation Repairs, Racing Limos of Fort Worth, Smiley's Racing Products and Twin Kell
Cleaners.
Ideas, suggestions, questions or comments can
be sent to: SprintCar PR.
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