Drew Kennedy in the Volunteer Speedway victory lane(photo from Kennedy’s Facebook page)
To say that Drew Kennedy has gotten hot at just the right time would be an understatement. Over the past few weeks he has placed third in his late brother’s Dylan Kennedy Memorial race for Steelhead Late Models on August 4th on his home track at Wartburg(TN) Speedway. He then won a Crate Late Model feature at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. on August 11th. And finally, the 28-year-old racer capped the month off on August 25th with a victory in the $3,000-to-win Steelhead Showdown at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn.
Kennedy knows that his recent run of success has not been achieved alone. Over a year ago he and his father, Billy Glen Kennedy, enlisted the help of veteran racer Mike ‘Milkman’ Weeks to maintain Rocket XR1 Chassis with Phantom Racing Engines power for both Kennedy and Weeks to race on a regular basis and the results are showing up on the track.
“Milkman has really got these cars dialed in right now,” Kennedy declared in an interview with InsideDirtRacing.com. “I think me and him both had a chance to win that race at Bulls Gap if he hadn’t had the misfortune of a right rear flat. Of course, Dylan’s race has always been the one I’ve wanted to win but that’s tough sledding up there with Eddie(King, Jr.) and Anthony(White) and you’ve just got to hope for a mistake by them, and unfortunately, that never happened.”
Drew Kennedy’s Rocket No. K37
Although he did not capture the $3,700 first prize in Wartburg, Kennedy rebounded the next week to score a Crate Late Model win at 411. Following a weekend to recharge while taking in the NASCAR show at Bristol Motor Speedway, the driver and his No. K37 car were primed and ready for the $3,000-to-win Steelhead Showdown event at Volunteer.
“We were fortunate enough to get our first win at 411 the week after Dylan’s race,” Kennedy recalled. “We took the week off and went to Bristol for a little rest and relaxation. Then when we came back and I had an unbelievable hot rod Saturday for that Steelhead race against some good guys there so I couldn’t be more pleased with that.”
Kennedy started the feature in Bulls Gap from the seventh spot after qualifying 10th then driving to a third place result in his heat race. He then marched to the front of the field to claim the big prize.
The driver who works in his family’s funeral home business as an embalmer and funeral director during the week has to rely on Weeks to prepare the cars for racing on the weekends.
Mike Weeks
“Milkman just busts his butt so hard down there that by the time I get down there, there’s really not much to do,” Kennedy explained. “He puts his heart and soul into this stuff and I think it shows in both of our cars.”
Of course, Kennedy lists as one of his primary goals in racing to win the Dylan Kennedy Memorial. And he believes that the event, which just completed its second year, will continue to grow in honor of his younger brother.
“This year it was even bigger than the year before,” Kennedy stated. “We’ve got some bigger ideas planned for next year that will hopefully make that thing an even bigger show and draw even more cars there. This sport was real special to Dylan and I think he would be proud of what we’ve done there. We’re going to try to keep doing that every year.”
As for the remainder of the 2018 campaign, Kennedy plans to keep doing what he has been doing.
“I want to do that Gus Chilton Memorial at Wartburg on Sunday because he was always good friends with our family,” Kennedy pointed out. “Depending on how that goes, we may swap motors and try to make the crate race in Crossville on Monday. I’ll probably finish out the year doing some crate racing just bouncing around the region trying to hit some big shows like we have been doing.”
And what about further down the road?
“I’m having fun doing what I’m doing right now. I mean it would be nice to do some super racing someday but I think I still have a lot to learn on these cars before I can think about the long term. As stiff as the competition is around here, I think I’ve got my hands full sticking with crate racing and limited racing right now.”
