Kyle Courtney
Kyle Courtney got the attention of many east Tennessee dirt racing fans in 2014. It was the 14-year-old driver’s first season in full bodied cars and he showed right away that he had the talent to compete.
The Gibbs High School student raced in the Mini Stock class last season at 411 as well as other tracks around the area.
“It went pretty good,” Courtney said during an interview conducted prior to last week’s Hangover race at 411 Motor Speedway. “We won four races, three here at 411 and one at I-75.”
Courtney comes from a racing family. His father Brian competes in Crate Late Models around the area while his uncle, Michael Courtney, was the 411 track champion in Mini Stocks last year. His competitive nature can also be seen in his participation on the Gibbs varsity wrestling team in the 106 pound weight class.
The young driver has plans to branch out in his budding racing career during the upcoming season.
Kyle Courtney’s Mini Stock
“We’re going to travel some more and not run for points anywhere,” the Knoxville resident explained. “We started halfway through the year here(at 411) last season and still finished fourth. But we’re planning on travelling to places like South Carolina and Alabama this year.”
And Courtney’s plans don’t just involve Mini Stocks in 2015.
“Toward the middle of the year I think we’re going to go into Crate Late Models and Sportsman,” he declared.
However, Courtney’s real goal for the season is to grow as a racer.
“Every race I want to learn something,” he said. “If I mess up, I want to learn from that mistake. My goal for this year is to be up front in a Crate and in Sportsman and be able to handle our CVR.”
