Crashes Hamper Minter at Motorama
BEAUMONT, TX (September 28) – Having already claimed the 2007 American Sprint Car Series Gulf South
Rookie of the Year award, Kathryne Minter is trying to move forward in the overall standings. Crashing in her
heat race and in the "B" Feature Friday at Motorama Speedway slowed her progress.
Minter, who ranks ninth in the ASCS Gulf South points race, drove the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J
into sixth place in the First Heat Race and 12th in the "B" Feature.
"It was just an open-wheel deal in the heat race," Kathryne said. "I ran over somebody’s tire and turned over.
Tracy Cearley slid up into me in the ‘B.’ He just drove underneath me and I had nowhere to go. It was either
him or the wall. I hit him and cart-wheeled on my side. I’m OK; just a little sore. I would have made the show
even though we were having motor problems if I hadn’t hit him ... my car was fast. I was in a transfer position
when they called for a restart, and I could have easily made the show."
Minter is looking forward to Saturday's ASCS Gulf South event at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown.
“Hopefully, we can go back out and have a good run at Houston," Kathryne said. "We've had some good runs
there this year."
More information about Minter, 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.
Minter Records ASCS-Best Finish at South Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (September 22) – Kathryne Minter, who has already clinched the 2007 American Sprint
Car Series Rookie of the Year award, has her sights on her first sprint car victory. She came closer than ever
to achieving that goal Saturday at South Texas Speedway.
Minter won a battle with defending ASCS Gulf South champion Gary Watson while driving her #13m Concrete
Crushing Company J&J to a career-best fourth-place finish.
“The ‘A’ main was amazing,” Kathryne said. “I passed a few cars on the first lap, and I got to racing with Gary
Watson. I ran with him for most of the race. We just kept going back and forth. Gary got in front of me at one
point, but I used a lapped car to pass him back. We had a really good race going on, and I ended up finishing
ahead of him. It was really exciting.
“I was really focused; I wasn’t really concerned about what place I was running. I didn’t know I finished fourth
until they told me to stop on the front straightaway. It was great to go to the scales again.”
Minter’s second top-10 finish in her last three ASCS pushed her past Johnny Miller into ninth place in the Gulf
South point standings.
“I’m glad I’m moving up in the points,” Kathryne said. “Even though I’ve clinched the Rookie of the Year
award, I want to go to all the races and move up in the standings.”
Although her pill-picking woes continued, Minter qualified for the “A” Feature by passing three cars in the
First Heat Race.
“We drew a bad pill again,” Kathryne said. “There were 25 pills and I drew a 17, so I had to start fourth row
outside in the heat race. I passed a few cars early. I was in fourth place and I went to pass Kent Lewis Sr. and I
couldn’t get around him. That let (“A” Feature winner) Brandon Berryman get underneath me.
“(Crew Chief) Scotty McDonald and I are working really well together. He does a great job of setting up the
car, and he gives me a lot of confidence when I go out to race. I’m looking forward to working with him again
next week at Beaumont (Motorama Speedway) and Baytown (Houston Raceway Park). It will be good to run
those tracks again; we’ve been rained so many times down there this year. I’m hoping to get to victory lane
soon. I really think we can do it.”
Minter was a hit off the racetrack as well, appearing on Corpus Christi NBC affiliate KRIS-TV’s 10 p.m. sports
report and signing autographs for hundreds of her fans.
“The TV crew came out and interviewed me and got some video and showed it on the news,” Kathryne said. “I
went through three Sparpies signing autographs during the intermissions and after the race. They had the
best driver introduction ever, with a little interview for every driver.”
Mike Minter, owner of Kathryne Minter Racing, couldn’t be happier with his daughter’s progress. He also
appreciates all the help the team receives from its product sponsors.
“It was the first time we ran Vortex Wings,” Mike said. “The car also had a great new look, thanks to Gayle and
Vickie Bullock at BullMack Powder Coating. We really appreciate the time they took for us to take the car to
their shop and paint it with their multi-color process. It really looks great. We also appreciate Mike McCroy of
McCroy Oil helping us out with our lubricant needs.”
Minter Spins Out of Top 10 at Fast Trax
CHATHAM, LA (September 15) – Kathryne Minter was on her way past three cars when she spun out of 10th
place in Saturday’s American Sprint Car Series Coastal Region Versus Gulf South event at Fast Trax Speedway.
Although the mishap cost the 2007 ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year her second straight top-10 finish, she
raced back into 17th place and to within five points of ninth-place Johnny Miller in the standings.
“We were running pretty well in the ‘A’ main and I was going to pass some cars down low, but I missed my
groove and hit a slick spot,” Kathryne said. “I was going too fast when I hit the slick spot and I let off so I
wouldn’t spin my tires, but I got sideways and spun. After going to the back, we passed quite a few cars, but
we couldn’t make up the time.”
Minter overcame some problems with her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J in the First Heat Race to
finish in fifth place and qualify for the 25-lap “A” Feature.
“We had some running issues in the heat race, but we got those fixed for the feature,” Kathryne said. “We
still qualified for the ‘A’ main without having to run the ‘B,’ but we didn’t run very well. I ran around the top
and kept my momentum up so I didn’t lose any positions.”
Minter, who signed autographs at a Hooters restaurant in Monroe, LA, Saturday afternoon, has arranged
another autograph session for Saturday, September 22nd, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walmart Super Center
on South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. She will race in Saturday’s ASCS Gulf South event at South
Texas Speedway.
“The Hooters autograph session was great,” Kathryne said. “They really appreciated us being there. We’re
leaving (her home in Bedford, TX) Friday night for Saturday’s race because we have the autograph session at
Walmart Saturday. I’m really looking forward to that. We didn’t have our (temporary) tattoos with us when we
signed autographs at Hooters, but we’ll have them next weekend. We’ll have some extra handouts – in
addition to the (hero) cards – this time.”
More information about Minter, 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.
Minter Puts Together Career-Best Run in Waco
WACO, TX (September 14) – Missing her high school homecoming festivities didn’t seem to bother Kathryne
Minter when she raced in Friday’s American Sprint Car Series Sooner Region event at Heart O’ Texas
Speedway. In fact, she was faster than ever.
The 2007 ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year drove her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J to a career-
best seventh-place finish in ASCS competition to move into 14th place in the Sooner Region point standings.
Minter, who has only been racing for three years, was running fifth in the main event before ASCS veterans
Jason Johnson and Brian McClelland passed her with five laps remaining.
“That was when the track started drying out,” Kathryne said. “Earlier in the race, we were running eighth and
there was a big wreck. I missed everything in front of me, but Brian plowed into me from behind. It messed up
my Jacobs ladder and my brand new wing, so the car didn’t handle as well after that. We ran pretty well after
the next restart, but Jason got around me and I went across a slick spot and slid up the track coming out of
two and Brian barely got underneath me. I almost passed him back going into three, but I couldn’t get a good
enough run on him. It was a really good night.
“We ran the three-wide before the race, and it was really cool because I’m usually at the back when they do
that. I was in the front this time though, and it was a great view.
“After the feature when they told me to go to the scales, I said, ‘I’ve been waiting to hear those words.’”
Minter drew a low number, which allowed her to start on the front row in the Second Heat Race and
responded with a third-place finish.
“I broke my horrible streak of drawing bad numbers when I drew a four,” Kathryne said.
“Travis Rilat and Jason Johnson started behind me in the heat race, so I was trying to keep the pole-sitter
from jumping the start because I knew if he kept jumping the start they would put them ahead of us. When I
start a heat race on the inside, I don’t want to have to turn my car halfway through the corner so I want until
we’re coming out of four so I can get the car straight before I go. He jumped the start really bad the first time,
so I didn’t go. When he jumped the start the second time, I knew I had to go or they would put us on the
second row.”
Minter signed autographs for two hours at a Hooters restaurant in Monroe, LA, before Saturday night’s ASCS
Gulf South race at Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, LA.
“We hope to have a good turnout at Saturday’s race,” Kathryne said. “We’ve tried to race there three times
before and they’ve all been rained out, so I’ve never raced there before. I hear it’s a lot like Cowtown
(Speedway). They say it either stays tacky or it takes rubber when it dries out. I learned how to drive on
rubber-down tracks in Dodge City, so that could come in handy.”
Minter Roars into 11th Place at Cowtown Speedway
FORT WORTH, TX (September 8) – Kathryne Minter turned what could have been a disaster into an
outstanding performance in Saturday’s 9/11 Memorial Race at Cowtown Speedway.
Despite missing hot laps and the first heat race while a Good Samaritan and her crew replaced her magneto,
she qualified for the main event by racing into fourth place from the rear of the field in the “B” Feature and
drove the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J into 11th place after being involved in an early crash in the
“A” Feature.
“When we got there, we went to start the car to heat up the motor before hot laps and it wouldn’t start,”
Kathryne said. “The mag went out and we didn’t have another one with us because we let somebody borrow
our spare. Jeff Warren, who works for one of the teams, got a mag for us and helped us change it. We were
close to making it out for the heat race – which we would have had to start in the back – but I didn’t want us to
get in too big a hurry when we were putting the car back together.
“It was actually really good because, instead of working on the car and getting it set up for the ‘B’ main like
we normally would, we put the car back together and it was set up almost perfectly for the track. The car was
really fast and the track was really fast.”
Minter raced past eight cars before her top wing clipped one of the cars involved in an 11-car crash in the
fourth corner.
“We were actually running 10th before the huge pileup,” Kathryne said. “I was pretty far from it when it
started, but cars kept piling up and I just wasn’t able to miss it. My dad (Car Owner Mike Minter) wanted to
change the wing, but I just wanted to check on the shocks and bars to make sure they were OK. I knew if they
pushed me off the track to change the wing, I would have to restart at the back. Instead of restarting in sixth
or seventh position, we changed the wing and I had to restart at the back. It was just one of those tough
decisions you have to make. We passed a lot of cars twice. We passed a lot of cars in the first lap or so before
the big crash, then we passed a lot more before the track started going away and it became a one-lane
racetrack.”
As always, the American Sprint Car Series’ Gulf South Region Rookie of the Year points leader found the
silver lining around what many might view as a dark cloud.
“Once again, I can look back at the weekend and think about all the cars I passed and all the different ways I
passed them,” Kathryne said. “I learned a lot, so the experience will help me.”
Minter will get the opportunity to use her car-passing experience in Friday’s ASCS Sooner Region event at
Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco, TX, and in Saturday’s ASCS Coastal Region Versus Gulf South race at Fast
Trax Speedway in Chatham, LA.
“I’m going to miss Homecoming (at Temple Christian School), but I’m looking forward to picking up more
points in the standings,” Kathryne said. “I’m in the top 20 in Gulf South (10th), Sooner (18th) and close (24th)
in the national standings. I’m not sure we can get into top 20 in the national points, but we can sure try.”
Kathryne Minter’s Hard Work Pays Off
CLEVELAND, TX (September 4) – Kathryne Minter’s hard work during the Labor Day weekend was rewarded
with 10th place in the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South point standings.
The leader in the ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year race finished one spot shy of qualifying for the “A”
Feature in Friday’s Fifth Annual ASCS Gulf South versus Sooner Region Shootout opener at Heart O’ Texas
Speedway. Her ninth-place finish in the “B” Feature in Saturday’s ASCS Gulf South versus Sooner Region
Shootout finale at the Devil’s Bowl pushed her into 11th in points and Sunday’s 14th-place run in the ASCS
Gulf South main event at 105 Speedway pushed her into 10th place in the standings.
“I was really hoping that would happen,” Kathryne said after being informed she moved into the top 10. “I was
thinking about being ahead of one Kent Lewis (Sr.) and behind the other one (Jr.). When neither of them
raced at the Devil’s Bowl, I knew if I finished ahead of them Sunday I would move ahead of one and pull away
from the other. I’m really excited to move into the top 10.”
Minter, who spun while leading the “B” when she last raced at 105 Speedway on July 28th, enjoyed driving
her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J at the ¼-mile oval.
“We had fun; I’m glad we got to run there again,” Kathryne said. “We started pretty far back in the feature
(18th). We had an unlucky draw again, so we started in the very back of the heat race. My car was really fast
though. It was set up well, but it had rained again like Friday in Waco, so there was nowhere to pass. I got
stuck behind a car I was a lot faster than, and I couldn’t get around him. I couldn’t believe it was (defending
ASCS Gulf South champion who ranks third in the 2007 standings) Gary Watson. He came over to me and
apologized after the race. I ran into him once because I was clearly faster than him, but he apologized to me.
“The track was completely different than it was the last time we were here. The cushion was like a brick wall. It
wasn’t like a regular cushion you find at other tracks. It wasn’t like ‘here’s the track and here’s the cushion.’ It
was like ‘here’s the track and here’s a brick wall.’ If you hit it, you were either going to go over it or bounce
off of it and end up in the middle of the track again. I couldn’t get my car to run against the cushion without
going over it, so we ran the middle of the track.
“It was definitely a learning experience because I had never run on a track with a cushion that big. I had to
figure out how to keep my car either right on the cushion or run in the middle of the racetrack. I really wanted
to run the bottom because it was really fast and nobody else was running down there, but I was having brake
problems so I couldn’t keep my car low coming off the corner. It was a learning experience and, overall, it was
a good race.”
As always, Minter found the silver lining around the clouds.
“The whole weekend was a learning experience when it came to passing cars,” Kathryne said. “I passed so
many cars over the weekend, especially Saturday at the Devil’s Bowl. I didn’t run that great in any of the
races, but I learned a lot about passing cars. I didn’t make the show at the Devil’s Bowl, but I passed so many
cars that I no longer think of it as my favorite track where I don’t finish well. I was in a transfer spot in the ‘B’
and was running good but, even though I didn’t make it, I’m going to be a lot more confident the next time I
race at the Devil’s Bowl. I really think the next time I go there I’ll know what to do, and I’ll be able to do it. If we
had drawn a better number, I would have finished a lot better in my heat race and made the feature, but we
drew a 49 for the second night in a row. It’s the luck of the draw, and it wasn’t in our favor this weekend. I just
think it’s going to be different the next time we go to the Devil’s Bowl.”
Minter and her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J will be back in action Saturday at Cowtown Speedway.
WACO, TX (August 31) – Kathryne Minter came ever so close to qualifying for Friday’s Fifth Annual American
Sprint Car Series Gulf South versus Sooner Region Shootout “A” Feature at Heart O’ Texas Speedway.
Minter, who leads the ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year point standings, exchanged the final qualifying
position with Jimmy Brooks several times only to finish fourth in the “B” Feature. Minter battled J.P. Bailey in
the Fourth Heat Race, but her fifth-place finish was also one spot away from qualifying for the 25-lap main
event.
“I was really glad we got to race in Waco,” Kathryne said. “We had been rained out the last few times we were
scheduled to race there. We drew a horrible number, so we had to start at the back of the heat race, but we
passed some cars. It had rained a little bit, so it was a really narrow racetrack. The way they packed the track
and worked it in, there weren’t many places to pass. I ran through the wet, sloppy stuff into the corners and I
passed some cars coming out of the corners. There really wasn’t anywhere else to run because there was no
top and no bottom. It was a good, fast racetrack, but it was just one lane. You literally had to make your own
line if you wanted to pass anybody.
“I was running third for a while in the ‘B.’ I passed Jimmy Brooks when he hit the wet spot coming out of (turn)
two and slid up the track a little bit. A few laps later, I saw him come down to drive underneath me, so I moved
down. When I did that, I skated across the track and he got by me. We raced with each other for a few laps,
but I couldn’t quite get back by him.”
As always, Minter found the silver lining around the cloud following a tough race.
“I felt like I really improved as a driver,” Kathryne said. “I got out of my car and I was really sore, but I wasn’t
thinking about it. Usually, I’m thinking about how tired I am after a race, but I was thinking about how I could
have passed more cars.”
The strong run at Heart O’ Texas pushed Minter into 12th place in the Gulf South Region standings. Kathryne
is 33 points behind Kent Lewis Jr. and 31 points ahead of Kent Lewis Sr. as the Fifth Annual ASCS Gulf South
versus Sooner Region Shootout moves to the birthplace of the ASCS and the World of Outlaws, Devil’s Bowl
Speedway.
“Depending on who goes to the Devil’s Bowl race, I could move up higher in the point standings,” Kathryne
said. “I’ll definitely be there. I always want to run well there. I have extra motivation, too. My dad said if I run in
the top 10, he’ll buy me concert tickets. (Crewman) Scott (McDonald) and I are working well together, and he
knows a lot about setting up cars at the Devil’s Bowl. I’m sure it will be good; there are always several lanes
to run there. It’s my favorite racetrack.”
Minter Puts Together Strong Run in Houston
BAYTOWN, TX (August 18) – Despite suffering a flat tire in the First Heat Race, Kathryne Minter came back to
put together a strong run from the rear of the field in Saturday’s American Sprint Car Series Gulf South “A”
Feature at Houston Raceway Park.
Minter qualified for the main event with an outstanding run in the “B” Feature, then drove the #13m Concrete
Crushing Company J&J past nine cars in the “A” Feature. The 13th-place finish pushed her into 14th place in
the ASCS Gulf South standings and 227 points ahead of Landon Brown in their battle for the Rookie of the
Year award.
“We were running pretty well and I was going to make the pass for third place, but I got pinched off between
the car I was passing and the wall,” Kathryne said of her heat-race calamity. “My right rear tire hit the wall and
it flattened the tire. The caution wasn’t long enough to allow us to change the tire in time to restart the race,
so we had to start at the back of the ‘B.’ I wanted to move up as far as I could toward the front, and I finished
fourth.”
Minter really impressed her sponsor, Concrete Crushing Company owner Keith Keene, who was in
attendance at the semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval.
“My sponsor was there and he wanted to see me run the bottom of the racetrack,” Kathryne said. “It was torn
up on the bottom and I knew everybody would be running down there. Our idea was to run the top of the
racetrack and go around everybody, but my sponsor wanted to see me run the bottom of the track, so I had to
compromise. We set the car up to run the bottom of the racetrack, but we ran more in the middle. I knew I
needed to run where the other cars weren’t in order to pass them. Running in the middle, I had to drive it
harder, but I was able to stay in the gas longer and run deeper in the corner than everybody else, so I was
able to pass some cars. It was incredible when we went three wide going into (turn) two and I was in the
middle of it all.
“(Crew Chief) Jim Osborn was working with us again, which was good. He really sets up the car great for me.
He’s going to try to get to some more races with us this year. We’re also looking at some others who will stay
with us next year. We need somebody who will make the commitment so we can run the ASCS on Tour races
next year.”
Minter also took the time to appear on a Friday-afternoon radio show in Beaumont.
“It was great being a guest on Jack Piefer’s radio show on KLDI,” Kathryne said. “It was a really good
interview.
“We were supposed to be on “The Sammy and Bob Show” (on ESPN Radio) Saturday morning, but that didn’t
work out because Friday’s races (at Motorama Speedway in Beaumont) were rained out.”
Minter and the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J will be back in action Saturday at Cowtown Speedway in
Fort Worth.
More information about Minter, 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.
Minter Passes Nine Cars in Cowtown Feature
KENNEDALE, TX (August 11) – Racing at Cowtown Speedway for the first time since her July 14th crash,
Kathryne Minter drove the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J past nine cars to finish seventh in Saturday’
s “A” Feature at the quarter-mile oval.
“We started pretty far back in the ‘A,’ so I was just hoping for a top-10,” said Kathryne, who made her
Knoxville Raceway debut in the Knoxville 360 Nationals last week. “We passed a lot of cars early and ran 10th
most of the race. There were a lot of cautions, and on the restarts everybody would dive down low in the
corner. I stayed up high and passed a lot of cars on the outside. I thought Darrell Fletcher passed me and I
finished 11th, but I found out he was lapped and we finished seventh.”
Minter ran fifth in the Second Heat Race, and qualified for the main event with a runner-up run in the “B”
Feature.
“I ran second for a few laps in the heat, but the car was a little tight for the way the track was,” Kathryne said.
“It was really tacky.
“I led a lot of the ‘B,’ but Darrell Fletcher passed me with two laps to go. He was clearly faster than I was. The
faster line had been up top for most of the race, but it slicked off and he got some grip down low and passed
me coming out of (turn) two. It was clearly his race to win, but I was glad to finish second and qualify for the
‘A.’”
Minter was also glad to have former crew chief, Jim Osborn, in her pit Saturday.
“It was good to have ‘Slim’ working with us again,” Kathryne said. “He was in town and Brad (Sparks) was still
in Knoxville (IA) getting his stuff so he can move down here near us. It worked out well where he could be
there.”
Sparks, the team’s new crew chief, will be back this weekend when Minter returns to American Sprint Car
Series Gulf South Regional competition at Motorama Speedway in Beaumont, TX, Friday and Houston Raceway
Park in Baytown, TX Saturday. Minter, who ranks 15th in the ASCS Gulf South point standings, is 103 points
ahead of Landon Brown in the Rookie of the Year standings.
“Beaumont is one of my favorite tracks now; I’ve grown to like the place,” Kathryne said. “I’m just praying we
get to race at Houston. I’ve been waiting all season for this race to actually happen, but there’s no rain in the
forecast so we’ll probably get to race.
“Hopefully we’ll run well and open a bigger lead in the Rookie of the Year race.”
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.
Minter’s Knoxville Debut Climaxes in Brodix Event
KNOXVILLE, IA (August 7) – Kathryne Minter capped her Knoxville Raceway debut with an eye-catching
performance in Sunday’s Brodix Tournament of Champions.
Minter grabbed everybody’s attention at “The Home of the Nationals,” especially when her #13m Concrete
Crushing Company J&J caught fire during the final lap of the Third Heat Race.
“It was really scary,” Kathryne said. “I could see the flames all around my car. The oil filter broke and spilled
oil on the headers. The car went up in a puff of white smoke and caught on fire. I didn’t know what it was, so I
pulled my car out of gear, went up above the cushion in turn four, turned my fuel off and turned the car off. I
didn’t get burned, but it was very scary. I’m glad I wear Carbon-X underwear under my Simpson uniform.”
Fans and World of Outlaws team members in attendance were also amazed by Minter’s 109.19-MPH lap around
the legendary half-mile oval.
“Our new crew chief, Brad Sparks, talked to (driver) Chuck Swenson before we went out for hot laps and
asked if he would get in front of me so I could see the lines he was running,” Kathryne said. “Our hot laps
determined who we would time trial with, so it actually mattered how we ran in hot laps. I followed Chuck in
hot laps and timed in third in my group. I was only two-tenths of a second behind Chuck’s car. I time trialed
with the sixth group and I ended up timing 21st fastest (in the 49-car field).”
Ignoring the frightening conclusion to the Third Heat Race, Minter finished fifth in the First “B” Feature,
accepted a provisional and raced into 23rd place in the Brodix Tournament of Champions main event.
“We barely missed qualifying for the feature in the ‘B,’ but they gave us a provisional and I started 25th in the
‘A,’” Kathryne said. “We were pretty fast for a few laps, but the main thing was I learned a lot and found out
how to pace myself in a long (30-lap) race.”
Despite the illness that caused her inflamed vocal cords to hurt whenever she spoke, Minter thoroughly
enjoyed her Knoxville Raceway debut.
“I met a lot of people, and we talked to some about deals that might turn into something good,” Kathryne said.
“I wish I had been able to stay another week and participate in some activities I was invited to, but we had to
go back home.”
Minter was invited to a special Knoxville Nationals autograph session, Stacy Ervin’s “Women in Racing” forum
at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and a couple of radio shows. She was also wanted to accept an
invitation to meet NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers at Monday’s Front-Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway
in Oskaloosa, IA.
“Kasey Kahne was supposed to be at the ‘Osky’ race,” Kathryne said. “I really wanted to meet him.”
Minter Races Past 12 Cars at Knoxville 360 Nationals
KNOXVILLE, IA (August 4) – Kathryne Minter drove her family’s #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J past 12
cars in Saturday’s feature racing program at the 17th Annual Knoxville 360 Nationals.
Minter, who was making her debut at Knoxville Raceway, raced into third place in the “E” Feature to qualify
for the “D,” then raced past seven cars to finish 16th in the “D” Feature.
“I was running third and I was really mad because I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Kathryne said after the
“E” Feature. “At first, they said they were only taking the top two, but they ended up taking seven. I was
praying for a caution. I was catching the guy in front of me (Eric Lutz), but I just didn’t have enough laps to
pass him.”
A malfunctioning spark plug kept the #13m from running at its full capacity.
“The car felt really good in hot laps,” Kathryne said, “but we had some motor problems. We had trouble with
one of the spark plugs, so we had some running issues. I was still fast even though we had the spark plug
problem. We hurried to get that fixed after hot laps.”
Despite having to continually deal with the engine problems, Minter improved seven positions the “D”
Feature.
“We were still dealing with the motor when I went out for the ‘D,’ Kathryne said. “I started pretty far back, but
we ran pretty well the first few laps before the track started changing. We knew it was going to change, but
we didn’t have time to deal with that because we were making sure we got the motor fixed. It was a brand new
motor we got back from Wells Thursday, so we wanted to make sure we got it taken care of. My car was really
tight in one corner and really loose in the other one, so I had to keep reminding myself to turn more here and
not as much there. It was really loose in three and four, so I didn’t turn as much. In one and two, it was really
tight, so I had to remind myself to turn it more there. So it was pretty challenging.
“We had quite a few cautions. On one, I looked down and noticed my motor was only running at 140 (degrees).
It usually runs at 200 to 210. The temperature was really low and it the motor didn’t sound quite right. I knew I
wasn’t going to qualify (for the “C”) from where I was, so I pulled in with about three laps left. I didn’t want to
hurt my motor, so I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. If I had been in a transfer spot, I would have
stayed out.”
The Knoxville 360 Nationals was definitely a learning experience for the 16-year-old driver who has only been
racing three years. She accepted an invitation to race in Sunday’s Brodix Tournament of Champions.
“I learned a lot, and I hope it helps me in the Brodix race,” Kathryne said. “I hope I don’t have to use the
provisional they have for me; I want to make it by myself.”
Minter has been a hit off the racetrack as well, and was invited to Monday’s autograph session at Knoxville
Raceway.
“I hope I can stay next week because they want me to do an autograph signing,” Kathryne said. “There was
also a guy from a radio show called Racing Fans Direct who wants me to be a guest. I’ve signed so many
autographs this week; it’s amazing. I’ve been having a really good time.”
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.
Minter to Make Knoxville Nationals Debut
KNOXVILLE, IA (July 30) – Kathryne Minter, the hottest young driver in sprint car racing, is headed to Knoxville!
Minter, who leads the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Rookie of the Year race, will make her
debut at Knoxville Raceway in this week’s 17th Annual 360 Knoxville Nationals. She has also accepted an
invitation to race in Sunday’s Brodix Tournament of Champions at the legendary half-mile oval.
“I’m really excited about going to my first Knoxville Nationals,” Kathryne said Monday. “I talked to (sprint car
racing veteran) Travis (Rilat) about it, and he said Sedalia (Missouri State Fair Speedway) is actually faster, so
I shouldn’t worry about it. I felt good racing at Sedalia – I finished fourth in my heat race with Gary Wright – so
I think I can go to Knoxville and be OK. He just told me to race it like any other racetrack.
“I’m excited about running the Tournament of Champions race, too. I appreciate the invitation, and I’m looking
forward to running three nights at Knoxville Raceway.”
Although she has only been racing three years, the 2006 graduate of the Lyn St. James Driver Development
Program has won more than 50 feature races. Two years ago, Kathryne won five of seven IMCA Ice-Breaker
races on her way to claiming the series championship.
Minter was Ms. St. James’ guest at the Fifth Annual Women in the Winner's Circle Luncheon honoring women
in motorsports at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week.
Kathryne, who drives the Minter-family-owned #13m J&J, ranks in the top 25 in the American Sprint Car Series
on Tour point standings despite racing in only selected events.
Mike Minter, Kathryne’s father and car owner, is looking forward to his team’s debut at “The Home of the
Nationals.”
“Travis (Rilat) came down and talked to Kathryne about Knoxville,” Mike said last weekend. “He said Knoxville
is such a famous place, people get the impression it’s something it’s not. Obviously, when we get there, she’ll
see a big stadium – nothing like anything she’s raced at before. But, I think, as a racer, once her car gets
pushed off and she starts driving, it’ll be just another circle of dirt with a lot of fast cars on it. From a fans’
perspective, they just sit there in awe.”
Minter couldn’t be happier with the Goodyear tires the team has been racing lately.
“The Goodyear tires are handling really well for Kathryne,” Minter said. “I really like the way the tires wear;
they wear a lot more evenly than other brands. They don’t feather at the edges. I’m really excited about the
performance we’re getting from the Goodyear tires. I’m really interested to see how they perform at
Knoxville. The only other big track we’ve run them is at the Devil’s Bowl, and I think running up there at
Knoxville for three days will show us exactly what we have. I hope the Goodyear people will be there, so they
can meet and talk to Kathryne.”
Minter to Attend ‘Women in the Winner’s Circle’ Luncheon
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 25) – Kathryne Minter is taking a couple of days out of her busy racing schedule to
accept her invitation to Thursday’s Fifth Annual Women in the Winner’s Circle Luncheon at legendary
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The annual event is held to help raise funds for the Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation (formerly the
Lyn St. James Foundation) that was founded by auto racer and motivational speaker Lyn St. James in 1993.
“I’m really excited about going,” Kathryne said Wednesday before flying to Indianapolis. “It was awesome
attending the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program last year. It’ll be good to be around girls who have
only been racing a few years like me. It will also be nice to see some of the friends I met during the program.
It’ll be great to catch up with them and see how they’re doing. People have been asking me what I’m doing
this week and when I tell them, they’re like, ‘That’s SO cool.’ I didn’t know that many people knew about it, but
it’s a really big deal. It’s an honor to be invited and have the opportunity to attend this great event.”
The Foundation is a non-profit educational organization focusing on worldwide activities and programs for
automotive safety and driver development, especially for women who aspire to become racecar drivers. The
Foundation remains dedicated to continuing to train, advocate and educate for diversity in racing until
“opportunity” and “diversity” are no longer concerns and are taken for granted.
The Foundation has trained more than 230 female racecar drivers from 38 states and three countries through
its Driver Development Program and has contributed to Girls, Inc., the Wilbur Shaw Soap Box Derby Hill in
Indianapolis, and other charitable organizations. The WWCF has also donated numerous autographed items
for various charities throughout the world.
“Today’s racing world is more encouraging for female drivers than when we first held this event in 2003,” said
St. James, 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. “More and more, women are receiving opportunities to prove
themselves on the track. And, increasingly, women are rising to higher levels of racing and earning their
place on the podium.
“How far we’ve come in such a short time and how far we still need to go to receive equal opportunities in
the field. At the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation, we continue to commit resources to training and
mentoring drivers as they are starting their journey and throughout their careers. At the luncheon, we will
introduce a new program – Project Podium – which will provide significant monetary grants on a matching-
fund basis to drivers who are dedicated to succeeding in this challenging industry.”
The WWCF relies on the contributions of corporate, sanctioning group and individual sponsors to continue
with its important programs to help provide significant support to women who have the passion to succeed in
the extremely popular and growing sport of auto racing.
Committed sponsors include NASCAR, USAC, Indy Racing League/Indy Pro Series, NHRA, Champ Car World
Series/Atlantic Series, American Le Mans Series (ALMS), Grand-Am, Racing Limos, and National City Bank.
Co-hosting with St. James will be ESPN basketball commentator Nancy Lieberman. Donald Davidson,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian, will also be a guest presenter.
More than 40 winning female racers will be introduced, including Minter, IRL racer Sarah Fisher and racing
legend Janet Guthrie, along with industry leaders such as Mike Helton (NASCAR), Terry Angstadt (Indy Racing
League), Roger Bailey (Indy Pro Series), Vicki O’Connor (Champ Car Atlantic Series).
Minter, who graduated from the WWCF driver development program last year, will be racing to maintain her
lead in the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Rookie of the Year point standings Friday at
Motorama Speedway in Beaumont, TX, and Saturday at 105 Speedway in Cleveland, TX.
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.
Minter Races With, Without Wings at Dodge City
DODGE CITY, KS (July 22) – Kathryne Minter has been accepting all kinds of invitations lately. Dodge City
Raceway Park invited her to race in its American Sprint Car Series Rocky Mountain Region double-feature
event, and she also agreed to drive a midget and a non-winged sprint car at Dodge City’s semi-banked, 3/8-
mile oval.
“It was a great weekend,” Kathryne said. “They kept asking me to go into the stands and to sign autographs
and sell T-shirts. I did that several times and then, after the races – especially Sunday after I ran so well in the
non-winged car – so many people came by. So many of them said, ‘You were great,’ and I said, ‘Wow …
thanks!’”
Minter, who has only been racing three years, raced into 15th place in Saturday’s ASCS opener despite
dropping out due to mechanical problems.
“I actually had to pull off because I lost my brakes,” Kathryne said. “We had brake problems Friday (at State
Fair Speedway in Oklahoma City) and I thought we had them fixed, but they went away completely. So I pulled
off because I’d rather be safe than sorry, and I knew we had another race Sunday. When we were cleaning up
the car, we noticed my (brake) rotor had cracked in at least two places so we had to replace it. We’re going to
replace everything on the brakes when we get home to make sure everything is ready for next weekend.”
A fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Second “B” Feature kept Minter from qualifying for the main event.
“There were a lot more cars Sunday, including some of the guys who ran the ASCS national show (in Lawton,
OK) Saturday,” Kathryne said. “When I went out there for hot laps, the track had taken rubber and I didn’t
know how to handle it at first. Our brakes weren’t completely fixed in the ‘B,’ but I could pump them up to
make them work some. Having to think about that instead of racing made it really tough. I was really fast in the
‘B,’ but I just wasn’t in position to qualify for the feature.
“The track was really nice Saturday; it didn’t take rubber like it did Sunday. I ran better that night because I
haven’t learned how to race in the rubber. After hot laps, Sunday, Bud Kaeding (who swept the weekend’s
ASCS features) came over and talked to me. He was like, ‘Kathryne, run in the rubber and don’t go anywhere
else.’ I said, ‘OK,’ and I went out and ran so fast, and it was my first time in a non-winged car. I learned a lot
about racing on rubber.”
Officials from the NMMRA non-winged sprint car series approached Minter about racing in their event Sunday
afternoon.
“Racing a non-winged car for the first time was so cool,” Kathryne said. “I couldn’t believe they came and
asked me if I wanted to race without a wing. They just noticed we had an extra car, so they asked if we could
come out and race with them. I wasn’t sure about it because I had always heard they were really hard to drive
without a wing. The guy who runs the organization was really nice and said I could run in as many hot-lap
sessions as I wanted. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, but I went out for hot laps and I was a little intimidated, but I
learned a lot. I found out that when you don’t have a wing to carry you through the corners, you have to let off
and yank your steering wheel to make the turns. And you have to keep turning because you don’t have the
wing. It’s a lot different.
“A guy hit me in the heat race on the first lap going into three and we spun out. The rule in that organization
is, if you spin out or have to restart for any reason in a heat race, you’re done. If I had been able to finish the
heat race, I would have had a better starting position in the feature and I’d have done really well. But I was
really fast in the feature and I learned a lot. It was a great experience and I really appreciate them asking me
to run without the wing.”
Minter also enjoyed her first experience racing a midget during her special weekend of invitations.
Minter Learns Plenty in First State Fair Experience
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (July 20) – Kathryne Minter’s first racing experience at State Fair Speedway came
against the world’s best 360 sprint car drivers in Friday’s fourth leg of the 15th Annual American Sprint Car
Series Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek.
The 16-year-old driver of the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J finished seventh in the Fourth Wesmar-
Shaver Heat Race and 13th in the Second “B” Feature.
“I was really looking forward to racing at State Fair for the first time, but it was tough,” Kathryne said. “We had
problems with our brakes, and our wing slider broke in the heat race. I was talking to Kevin (Ramey), and he
told me to move my wing back. I moved it back and went to move it back more because the track was drying
out, but it was stuck. Apparently, a piece of mud was stuck in it because it fell out in the arm later on when I
was checking it. We struggled with the brakes all night, too.
“I talked to Danny Jennings about how to race the track through the night, and he helped me a lot. It was a
good learning experience.”
Minter is looking forward to racing in this weekend’s ASCS Rocky Mountain Region double-feature event at
Dodge City Raceway Park.
“I’m really glad we accepted their invitation to race,” Kathryne said of the Saturday-Sunday event. “Dodge City
is a really nice facility, with asphalt pits and everything. It’s going to be a learning experience. I’m going to
keep my mind open and watch everyone in hot laps and in the races to see the best lines to run. Hopefully,
we’ll nail the setup and run well both nights.”
Minter is also eagerly anticipating Thursday’s Lyn St. James Women in the Winner’s Circle Celebration
Luncheon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“When I go to the Women in the Winner's Circle Luncheon, I’m going to be around a lot of girls who have had
the same problems I’m having,” Kathryne said. “I’m going to talk to Lyn about finding a crew chief, and I’m
going to get one who will stay with me.”
Minter Learns Valuable Lessons at Devil’s Bowl
MESQUITE, TX (July 19) – Sprint car racing 101 was in session Thursday at Devil’s Bowl Speedway as Kathryne
Minter raced against the world’s best 360 sprint car racers in the 15th Annual American Sprint Car Series
Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek.
Minter, who has only been racing for three years, competed against three-time defending ASCoT champion
Gary Wright and 2000 ASCoT titleist Wayne Johnson in the Second Wesmar-Shaver Heat Race and held off
Justin Melton for sixth place.
“I know I can race better against those guys,” Kathryne said. “I finished sixth in a heat race with Gary Wright
and Wayne Johnson, so I know it’s not all about the competition. I know I can do it. It was a fast heat race.”
Although her 10th-place finish in the “B” Feature didn’t qualify her for the main event, Kathryne learned some
valuable lessons.
“I miss working with ‘Slim Jim’ Osborn (the team’s former crew chief who left when his wife was transferred to
California),” Kathryne said. “He taught me so much and we communicated really well.
“I learned a lot on my own in the ‘B.’ I found the cushion in (turns) one and two and, for the most part, I stayed
in it. My car was set up more for the really slick areas, which helped me out in one and two. But, in three and
four, it wasn’t so slick, so I struggled down there.”
Veteran ASCS driver Danny Jennings, who, like Minter, races on Goodyear tires, has taken a liking to
Kathryne and wants to help.
“Danny Jennings (Thursday’s Fourth Wesmar-Shaver Heat Race winner) came up to me and said, ‘I just want
you to know I’m looking out for you and I’m trying to find the right crew chief for you.’ That’s really nice.”
Minter is looking forward to Friday’s fourth leg of the ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek at State Fair
Speedway in Oklahoma City.
“I’m really excited about going to State Fair Speedway for the first time,” Kathryne said. “I’m going to talk to
my dad (Team Owner Mike Minter), who will be there with me, and then to ‘Slim’ by phone. That should help.
We can tell ‘Slim’ what the track’s doing and he and I communicate so well, we can figure it out.”
Minter has accepted Dodge City Raceway Park’s invitation to race in the ASCS Rocky Mountain Region races
at its 3/8-mile oval Saturday and Sunday.
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.
For 2007 press releases prior to July 19, please click here.
BEAUMONT, TX (September 28) – Having already claimed the 2007 American Sprint Car Series Gulf South
Rookie of the Year award, Kathryne Minter is trying to move forward in the overall standings. Crashing in her
heat race and in the "B" Feature Friday at Motorama Speedway slowed her progress.
Minter, who ranks ninth in the ASCS Gulf South points race, drove the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J
into sixth place in the First Heat Race and 12th in the "B" Feature.
"It was just an open-wheel deal in the heat race," Kathryne said. "I ran over somebody’s tire and turned over.
Tracy Cearley slid up into me in the ‘B.’ He just drove underneath me and I had nowhere to go. It was either
him or the wall. I hit him and cart-wheeled on my side. I’m OK; just a little sore. I would have made the show
even though we were having motor problems if I hadn’t hit him ... my car was fast. I was in a transfer position
when they called for a restart, and I could have easily made the show."
Minter is looking forward to Saturday's ASCS Gulf South event at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown.
“Hopefully, we can go back out and have a good run at Houston," Kathryne said. "We've had some good runs
there this year."
More information about Minter, 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.
Minter Records ASCS-Best Finish at South Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (September 22) – Kathryne Minter, who has already clinched the 2007 American Sprint
Car Series Rookie of the Year award, has her sights on her first sprint car victory. She came closer than ever
to achieving that goal Saturday at South Texas Speedway.
Minter won a battle with defending ASCS Gulf South champion Gary Watson while driving her #13m Concrete
Crushing Company J&J to a career-best fourth-place finish.
“The ‘A’ main was amazing,” Kathryne said. “I passed a few cars on the first lap, and I got to racing with Gary
Watson. I ran with him for most of the race. We just kept going back and forth. Gary got in front of me at one
point, but I used a lapped car to pass him back. We had a really good race going on, and I ended up finishing
ahead of him. It was really exciting.
“I was really focused; I wasn’t really concerned about what place I was running. I didn’t know I finished fourth
until they told me to stop on the front straightaway. It was great to go to the scales again.”
Minter’s second top-10 finish in her last three ASCS pushed her past Johnny Miller into ninth place in the Gulf
South point standings.
“I’m glad I’m moving up in the points,” Kathryne said. “Even though I’ve clinched the Rookie of the Year
award, I want to go to all the races and move up in the standings.”
Although her pill-picking woes continued, Minter qualified for the “A” Feature by passing three cars in the
First Heat Race.
“We drew a bad pill again,” Kathryne said. “There were 25 pills and I drew a 17, so I had to start fourth row
outside in the heat race. I passed a few cars early. I was in fourth place and I went to pass Kent Lewis Sr. and I
couldn’t get around him. That let (“A” Feature winner) Brandon Berryman get underneath me.
“(Crew Chief) Scotty McDonald and I are working really well together. He does a great job of setting up the
car, and he gives me a lot of confidence when I go out to race. I’m looking forward to working with him again
next week at Beaumont (Motorama Speedway) and Baytown (Houston Raceway Park). It will be good to run
those tracks again; we’ve been rained so many times down there this year. I’m hoping to get to victory lane
soon. I really think we can do it.”
Minter was a hit off the racetrack as well, appearing on Corpus Christi NBC affiliate KRIS-TV’s 10 p.m. sports
report and signing autographs for hundreds of her fans.
“The TV crew came out and interviewed me and got some video and showed it on the news,” Kathryne said. “I
went through three Sparpies signing autographs during the intermissions and after the race. They had the
best driver introduction ever, with a little interview for every driver.”
Mike Minter, owner of Kathryne Minter Racing, couldn’t be happier with his daughter’s progress. He also
appreciates all the help the team receives from its product sponsors.
“It was the first time we ran Vortex Wings,” Mike said. “The car also had a great new look, thanks to Gayle and
Vickie Bullock at BullMack Powder Coating. We really appreciate the time they took for us to take the car to
their shop and paint it with their multi-color process. It really looks great. We also appreciate Mike McCroy of
McCroy Oil helping us out with our lubricant needs.”
Minter Spins Out of Top 10 at Fast Trax
CHATHAM, LA (September 15) – Kathryne Minter was on her way past three cars when she spun out of 10th
place in Saturday’s American Sprint Car Series Coastal Region Versus Gulf South event at Fast Trax Speedway.
Although the mishap cost the 2007 ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year her second straight top-10 finish, she
raced back into 17th place and to within five points of ninth-place Johnny Miller in the standings.
“We were running pretty well in the ‘A’ main and I was going to pass some cars down low, but I missed my
groove and hit a slick spot,” Kathryne said. “I was going too fast when I hit the slick spot and I let off so I
wouldn’t spin my tires, but I got sideways and spun. After going to the back, we passed quite a few cars, but
we couldn’t make up the time.”
Minter overcame some problems with her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J in the First Heat Race to
finish in fifth place and qualify for the 25-lap “A” Feature.
“We had some running issues in the heat race, but we got those fixed for the feature,” Kathryne said. “We
still qualified for the ‘A’ main without having to run the ‘B,’ but we didn’t run very well. I ran around the top
and kept my momentum up so I didn’t lose any positions.”
Minter, who signed autographs at a Hooters restaurant in Monroe, LA, Saturday afternoon, has arranged
another autograph session for Saturday, September 22nd, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walmart Super Center
on South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. She will race in Saturday’s ASCS Gulf South event at South
Texas Speedway.
“The Hooters autograph session was great,” Kathryne said. “They really appreciated us being there. We’re
leaving (her home in Bedford, TX) Friday night for Saturday’s race because we have the autograph session at
Walmart Saturday. I’m really looking forward to that. We didn’t have our (temporary) tattoos with us when we
signed autographs at Hooters, but we’ll have them next weekend. We’ll have some extra handouts – in
addition to the (hero) cards – this time.”
More information about Minter, 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.
Minter Puts Together Career-Best Run in Waco
WACO, TX (September 14) – Missing her high school homecoming festivities didn’t seem to bother Kathryne
Minter when she raced in Friday’s American Sprint Car Series Sooner Region event at Heart O’ Texas
Speedway. In fact, she was faster than ever.
The 2007 ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year drove her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J to a career-
best seventh-place finish in ASCS competition to move into 14th place in the Sooner Region point standings.
Minter, who has only been racing for three years, was running fifth in the main event before ASCS veterans
Jason Johnson and Brian McClelland passed her with five laps remaining.
“That was when the track started drying out,” Kathryne said. “Earlier in the race, we were running eighth and
there was a big wreck. I missed everything in front of me, but Brian plowed into me from behind. It messed up
my Jacobs ladder and my brand new wing, so the car didn’t handle as well after that. We ran pretty well after
the next restart, but Jason got around me and I went across a slick spot and slid up the track coming out of
two and Brian barely got underneath me. I almost passed him back going into three, but I couldn’t get a good
enough run on him. It was a really good night.
“We ran the three-wide before the race, and it was really cool because I’m usually at the back when they do
that. I was in the front this time though, and it was a great view.
“After the feature when they told me to go to the scales, I said, ‘I’ve been waiting to hear those words.’”
Minter drew a low number, which allowed her to start on the front row in the Second Heat Race and
responded with a third-place finish.
“I broke my horrible streak of drawing bad numbers when I drew a four,” Kathryne said.
“Travis Rilat and Jason Johnson started behind me in the heat race, so I was trying to keep the pole-sitter
from jumping the start because I knew if he kept jumping the start they would put them ahead of us. When I
start a heat race on the inside, I don’t want to have to turn my car halfway through the corner so I want until
we’re coming out of four so I can get the car straight before I go. He jumped the start really bad the first time,
so I didn’t go. When he jumped the start the second time, I knew I had to go or they would put us on the
second row.”
Minter signed autographs for two hours at a Hooters restaurant in Monroe, LA, before Saturday night’s ASCS
Gulf South race at Fast Trax Speedway in Chatham, LA.
“We hope to have a good turnout at Saturday’s race,” Kathryne said. “We’ve tried to race there three times
before and they’ve all been rained out, so I’ve never raced there before. I hear it’s a lot like Cowtown
(Speedway). They say it either stays tacky or it takes rubber when it dries out. I learned how to drive on
rubber-down tracks in Dodge City, so that could come in handy.”
Minter Roars into 11th Place at Cowtown Speedway
FORT WORTH, TX (September 8) – Kathryne Minter turned what could have been a disaster into an
outstanding performance in Saturday’s 9/11 Memorial Race at Cowtown Speedway.
Despite missing hot laps and the first heat race while a Good Samaritan and her crew replaced her magneto,
she qualified for the main event by racing into fourth place from the rear of the field in the “B” Feature and
drove the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J into 11th place after being involved in an early crash in the
“A” Feature.
“When we got there, we went to start the car to heat up the motor before hot laps and it wouldn’t start,”
Kathryne said. “The mag went out and we didn’t have another one with us because we let somebody borrow
our spare. Jeff Warren, who works for one of the teams, got a mag for us and helped us change it. We were
close to making it out for the heat race – which we would have had to start in the back – but I didn’t want us to
get in too big a hurry when we were putting the car back together.
“It was actually really good because, instead of working on the car and getting it set up for the ‘B’ main like
we normally would, we put the car back together and it was set up almost perfectly for the track. The car was
really fast and the track was really fast.”
Minter raced past eight cars before her top wing clipped one of the cars involved in an 11-car crash in the
fourth corner.
“We were actually running 10th before the huge pileup,” Kathryne said. “I was pretty far from it when it
started, but cars kept piling up and I just wasn’t able to miss it. My dad (Car Owner Mike Minter) wanted to
change the wing, but I just wanted to check on the shocks and bars to make sure they were OK. I knew if they
pushed me off the track to change the wing, I would have to restart at the back. Instead of restarting in sixth
or seventh position, we changed the wing and I had to restart at the back. It was just one of those tough
decisions you have to make. We passed a lot of cars twice. We passed a lot of cars in the first lap or so before
the big crash, then we passed a lot more before the track started going away and it became a one-lane
racetrack.”
As always, the American Sprint Car Series’ Gulf South Region Rookie of the Year points leader found the
silver lining around what many might view as a dark cloud.
“Once again, I can look back at the weekend and think about all the cars I passed and all the different ways I
passed them,” Kathryne said. “I learned a lot, so the experience will help me.”
Minter will get the opportunity to use her car-passing experience in Friday’s ASCS Sooner Region event at
Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco, TX, and in Saturday’s ASCS Coastal Region Versus Gulf South race at Fast
Trax Speedway in Chatham, LA.
“I’m going to miss Homecoming (at Temple Christian School), but I’m looking forward to picking up more
points in the standings,” Kathryne said. “I’m in the top 20 in Gulf South (10th), Sooner (18th) and close (24th)
in the national standings. I’m not sure we can get into top 20 in the national points, but we can sure try.”
Kathryne Minter’s Hard Work Pays Off
CLEVELAND, TX (September 4) – Kathryne Minter’s hard work during the Labor Day weekend was rewarded
with 10th place in the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South point standings.
The leader in the ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year race finished one spot shy of qualifying for the “A”
Feature in Friday’s Fifth Annual ASCS Gulf South versus Sooner Region Shootout opener at Heart O’ Texas
Speedway. Her ninth-place finish in the “B” Feature in Saturday’s ASCS Gulf South versus Sooner Region
Shootout finale at the Devil’s Bowl pushed her into 11th in points and Sunday’s 14th-place run in the ASCS
Gulf South main event at 105 Speedway pushed her into 10th place in the standings.
“I was really hoping that would happen,” Kathryne said after being informed she moved into the top 10. “I was
thinking about being ahead of one Kent Lewis (Sr.) and behind the other one (Jr.). When neither of them
raced at the Devil’s Bowl, I knew if I finished ahead of them Sunday I would move ahead of one and pull away
from the other. I’m really excited to move into the top 10.”
Minter, who spun while leading the “B” when she last raced at 105 Speedway on July 28th, enjoyed driving
her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J at the ¼-mile oval.
“We had fun; I’m glad we got to run there again,” Kathryne said. “We started pretty far back in the feature
(18th). We had an unlucky draw again, so we started in the very back of the heat race. My car was really fast
though. It was set up well, but it had rained again like Friday in Waco, so there was nowhere to pass. I got
stuck behind a car I was a lot faster than, and I couldn’t get around him. I couldn’t believe it was (defending
ASCS Gulf South champion who ranks third in the 2007 standings) Gary Watson. He came over to me and
apologized after the race. I ran into him once because I was clearly faster than him, but he apologized to me.
“The track was completely different than it was the last time we were here. The cushion was like a brick wall. It
wasn’t like a regular cushion you find at other tracks. It wasn’t like ‘here’s the track and here’s the cushion.’ It
was like ‘here’s the track and here’s a brick wall.’ If you hit it, you were either going to go over it or bounce
off of it and end up in the middle of the track again. I couldn’t get my car to run against the cushion without
going over it, so we ran the middle of the track.
“It was definitely a learning experience because I had never run on a track with a cushion that big. I had to
figure out how to keep my car either right on the cushion or run in the middle of the racetrack. I really wanted
to run the bottom because it was really fast and nobody else was running down there, but I was having brake
problems so I couldn’t keep my car low coming off the corner. It was a learning experience and, overall, it was
a good race.”
As always, Minter found the silver lining around the clouds.
“The whole weekend was a learning experience when it came to passing cars,” Kathryne said. “I passed so
many cars over the weekend, especially Saturday at the Devil’s Bowl. I didn’t run that great in any of the
races, but I learned a lot about passing cars. I didn’t make the show at the Devil’s Bowl, but I passed so many
cars that I no longer think of it as my favorite track where I don’t finish well. I was in a transfer spot in the ‘B’
and was running good but, even though I didn’t make it, I’m going to be a lot more confident the next time I
race at the Devil’s Bowl. I really think the next time I go there I’ll know what to do, and I’ll be able to do it. If we
had drawn a better number, I would have finished a lot better in my heat race and made the feature, but we
drew a 49 for the second night in a row. It’s the luck of the draw, and it wasn’t in our favor this weekend. I just
think it’s going to be different the next time we go to the Devil’s Bowl.”
Minter and her #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J will be back in action Saturday at Cowtown Speedway.
WACO, TX (August 31) – Kathryne Minter came ever so close to qualifying for Friday’s Fifth Annual American
Sprint Car Series Gulf South versus Sooner Region Shootout “A” Feature at Heart O’ Texas Speedway.
Minter, who leads the ASCS Gulf South Rookie of the Year point standings, exchanged the final qualifying
position with Jimmy Brooks several times only to finish fourth in the “B” Feature. Minter battled J.P. Bailey in
the Fourth Heat Race, but her fifth-place finish was also one spot away from qualifying for the 25-lap main
event.
“I was really glad we got to race in Waco,” Kathryne said. “We had been rained out the last few times we were
scheduled to race there. We drew a horrible number, so we had to start at the back of the heat race, but we
passed some cars. It had rained a little bit, so it was a really narrow racetrack. The way they packed the track
and worked it in, there weren’t many places to pass. I ran through the wet, sloppy stuff into the corners and I
passed some cars coming out of the corners. There really wasn’t anywhere else to run because there was no
top and no bottom. It was a good, fast racetrack, but it was just one lane. You literally had to make your own
line if you wanted to pass anybody.
“I was running third for a while in the ‘B.’ I passed Jimmy Brooks when he hit the wet spot coming out of (turn)
two and slid up the track a little bit. A few laps later, I saw him come down to drive underneath me, so I moved
down. When I did that, I skated across the track and he got by me. We raced with each other for a few laps,
but I couldn’t quite get back by him.”
As always, Minter found the silver lining around the cloud following a tough race.
“I felt like I really improved as a driver,” Kathryne said. “I got out of my car and I was really sore, but I wasn’t
thinking about it. Usually, I’m thinking about how tired I am after a race, but I was thinking about how I could
have passed more cars.”
The strong run at Heart O’ Texas pushed Minter into 12th place in the Gulf South Region standings. Kathryne
is 33 points behind Kent Lewis Jr. and 31 points ahead of Kent Lewis Sr. as the Fifth Annual ASCS Gulf South
versus Sooner Region Shootout moves to the birthplace of the ASCS and the World of Outlaws, Devil’s Bowl
Speedway.
“Depending on who goes to the Devil’s Bowl race, I could move up higher in the point standings,” Kathryne
said. “I’ll definitely be there. I always want to run well there. I have extra motivation, too. My dad said if I run in
the top 10, he’ll buy me concert tickets. (Crewman) Scott (McDonald) and I are working well together, and he
knows a lot about setting up cars at the Devil’s Bowl. I’m sure it will be good; there are always several lanes
to run there. It’s my favorite racetrack.”
Minter Puts Together Strong Run in Houston
BAYTOWN, TX (August 18) – Despite suffering a flat tire in the First Heat Race, Kathryne Minter came back to
put together a strong run from the rear of the field in Saturday’s American Sprint Car Series Gulf South “A”
Feature at Houston Raceway Park.
Minter qualified for the main event with an outstanding run in the “B” Feature, then drove the #13m Concrete
Crushing Company J&J past nine cars in the “A” Feature. The 13th-place finish pushed her into 14th place in
the ASCS Gulf South standings and 227 points ahead of Landon Brown in their battle for the Rookie of the
Year award.
“We were running pretty well and I was going to make the pass for third place, but I got pinched off between
the car I was passing and the wall,” Kathryne said of her heat-race calamity. “My right rear tire hit the wall and
it flattened the tire. The caution wasn’t long enough to allow us to change the tire in time to restart the race,
so we had to start at the back of the ‘B.’ I wanted to move up as far as I could toward the front, and I finished
fourth.”
Minter really impressed her sponsor, Concrete Crushing Company owner Keith Keene, who was in
attendance at the semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval.
“My sponsor was there and he wanted to see me run the bottom of the racetrack,” Kathryne said. “It was torn
up on the bottom and I knew everybody would be running down there. Our idea was to run the top of the
racetrack and go around everybody, but my sponsor wanted to see me run the bottom of the track, so I had to
compromise. We set the car up to run the bottom of the racetrack, but we ran more in the middle. I knew I
needed to run where the other cars weren’t in order to pass them. Running in the middle, I had to drive it
harder, but I was able to stay in the gas longer and run deeper in the corner than everybody else, so I was
able to pass some cars. It was incredible when we went three wide going into (turn) two and I was in the
middle of it all.
“(Crew Chief) Jim Osborn was working with us again, which was good. He really sets up the car great for me.
He’s going to try to get to some more races with us this year. We’re also looking at some others who will stay
with us next year. We need somebody who will make the commitment so we can run the ASCS on Tour races
next year.”
Minter also took the time to appear on a Friday-afternoon radio show in Beaumont.
“It was great being a guest on Jack Piefer’s radio show on KLDI,” Kathryne said. “It was a really good
interview.
“We were supposed to be on “The Sammy and Bob Show” (on ESPN Radio) Saturday morning, but that didn’t
work out because Friday’s races (at Motorama Speedway in Beaumont) were rained out.”
Minter and the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J will be back in action Saturday at Cowtown Speedway in
Fort Worth.
More information about Minter, 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.
Minter Passes Nine Cars in Cowtown Feature
KENNEDALE, TX (August 11) – Racing at Cowtown Speedway for the first time since her July 14th crash,
Kathryne Minter drove the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J past nine cars to finish seventh in Saturday’
s “A” Feature at the quarter-mile oval.
“We started pretty far back in the ‘A,’ so I was just hoping for a top-10,” said Kathryne, who made her
Knoxville Raceway debut in the Knoxville 360 Nationals last week. “We passed a lot of cars early and ran 10th
most of the race. There were a lot of cautions, and on the restarts everybody would dive down low in the
corner. I stayed up high and passed a lot of cars on the outside. I thought Darrell Fletcher passed me and I
finished 11th, but I found out he was lapped and we finished seventh.”
Minter ran fifth in the Second Heat Race, and qualified for the main event with a runner-up run in the “B”
Feature.
“I ran second for a few laps in the heat, but the car was a little tight for the way the track was,” Kathryne said.
“It was really tacky.
“I led a lot of the ‘B,’ but Darrell Fletcher passed me with two laps to go. He was clearly faster than I was. The
faster line had been up top for most of the race, but it slicked off and he got some grip down low and passed
me coming out of (turn) two. It was clearly his race to win, but I was glad to finish second and qualify for the
‘A.’”
Minter was also glad to have former crew chief, Jim Osborn, in her pit Saturday.
“It was good to have ‘Slim’ working with us again,” Kathryne said. “He was in town and Brad (Sparks) was still
in Knoxville (IA) getting his stuff so he can move down here near us. It worked out well where he could be
there.”
Sparks, the team’s new crew chief, will be back this weekend when Minter returns to American Sprint Car
Series Gulf South Regional competition at Motorama Speedway in Beaumont, TX, Friday and Houston Raceway
Park in Baytown, TX Saturday. Minter, who ranks 15th in the ASCS Gulf South point standings, is 103 points
ahead of Landon Brown in the Rookie of the Year standings.
“Beaumont is one of my favorite tracks now; I’ve grown to like the place,” Kathryne said. “I’m just praying we
get to race at Houston. I’ve been waiting all season for this race to actually happen, but there’s no rain in the
forecast so we’ll probably get to race.
“Hopefully we’ll run well and open a bigger lead in the Rookie of the Year race.”
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.
Minter’s Knoxville Debut Climaxes in Brodix Event
KNOXVILLE, IA (August 7) – Kathryne Minter capped her Knoxville Raceway debut with an eye-catching
performance in Sunday’s Brodix Tournament of Champions.
Minter grabbed everybody’s attention at “The Home of the Nationals,” especially when her #13m Concrete
Crushing Company J&J caught fire during the final lap of the Third Heat Race.
“It was really scary,” Kathryne said. “I could see the flames all around my car. The oil filter broke and spilled
oil on the headers. The car went up in a puff of white smoke and caught on fire. I didn’t know what it was, so I
pulled my car out of gear, went up above the cushion in turn four, turned my fuel off and turned the car off. I
didn’t get burned, but it was very scary. I’m glad I wear Carbon-X underwear under my Simpson uniform.”
Fans and World of Outlaws team members in attendance were also amazed by Minter’s 109.19-MPH lap around
the legendary half-mile oval.
“Our new crew chief, Brad Sparks, talked to (driver) Chuck Swenson before we went out for hot laps and
asked if he would get in front of me so I could see the lines he was running,” Kathryne said. “Our hot laps
determined who we would time trial with, so it actually mattered how we ran in hot laps. I followed Chuck in
hot laps and timed in third in my group. I was only two-tenths of a second behind Chuck’s car. I time trialed
with the sixth group and I ended up timing 21st fastest (in the 49-car field).”
Ignoring the frightening conclusion to the Third Heat Race, Minter finished fifth in the First “B” Feature,
accepted a provisional and raced into 23rd place in the Brodix Tournament of Champions main event.
“We barely missed qualifying for the feature in the ‘B,’ but they gave us a provisional and I started 25th in the
‘A,’” Kathryne said. “We were pretty fast for a few laps, but the main thing was I learned a lot and found out
how to pace myself in a long (30-lap) race.”
Despite the illness that caused her inflamed vocal cords to hurt whenever she spoke, Minter thoroughly
enjoyed her Knoxville Raceway debut.
“I met a lot of people, and we talked to some about deals that might turn into something good,” Kathryne said.
“I wish I had been able to stay another week and participate in some activities I was invited to, but we had to
go back home.”
Minter was invited to a special Knoxville Nationals autograph session, Stacy Ervin’s “Women in Racing” forum
at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and a couple of radio shows. She was also wanted to accept an
invitation to meet NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers at Monday’s Front-Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway
in Oskaloosa, IA.
“Kasey Kahne was supposed to be at the ‘Osky’ race,” Kathryne said. “I really wanted to meet him.”
Minter Races Past 12 Cars at Knoxville 360 Nationals
KNOXVILLE, IA (August 4) – Kathryne Minter drove her family’s #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J past 12
cars in Saturday’s feature racing program at the 17th Annual Knoxville 360 Nationals.
Minter, who was making her debut at Knoxville Raceway, raced into third place in the “E” Feature to qualify
for the “D,” then raced past seven cars to finish 16th in the “D” Feature.
“I was running third and I was really mad because I thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Kathryne said after the
“E” Feature. “At first, they said they were only taking the top two, but they ended up taking seven. I was
praying for a caution. I was catching the guy in front of me (Eric Lutz), but I just didn’t have enough laps to
pass him.”
A malfunctioning spark plug kept the #13m from running at its full capacity.
“The car felt really good in hot laps,” Kathryne said, “but we had some motor problems. We had trouble with
one of the spark plugs, so we had some running issues. I was still fast even though we had the spark plug
problem. We hurried to get that fixed after hot laps.”
Despite having to continually deal with the engine problems, Minter improved seven positions the “D”
Feature.
“We were still dealing with the motor when I went out for the ‘D,’ Kathryne said. “I started pretty far back, but
we ran pretty well the first few laps before the track started changing. We knew it was going to change, but
we didn’t have time to deal with that because we were making sure we got the motor fixed. It was a brand new
motor we got back from Wells Thursday, so we wanted to make sure we got it taken care of. My car was really
tight in one corner and really loose in the other one, so I had to keep reminding myself to turn more here and
not as much there. It was really loose in three and four, so I didn’t turn as much. In one and two, it was really
tight, so I had to remind myself to turn it more there. So it was pretty challenging.
“We had quite a few cautions. On one, I looked down and noticed my motor was only running at 140 (degrees).
It usually runs at 200 to 210. The temperature was really low and it the motor didn’t sound quite right. I knew I
wasn’t going to qualify (for the “C”) from where I was, so I pulled in with about three laps left. I didn’t want to
hurt my motor, so I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. If I had been in a transfer spot, I would have
stayed out.”
The Knoxville 360 Nationals was definitely a learning experience for the 16-year-old driver who has only been
racing three years. She accepted an invitation to race in Sunday’s Brodix Tournament of Champions.
“I learned a lot, and I hope it helps me in the Brodix race,” Kathryne said. “I hope I don’t have to use the
provisional they have for me; I want to make it by myself.”
Minter has been a hit off the racetrack as well, and was invited to Monday’s autograph session at Knoxville
Raceway.
“I hope I can stay next week because they want me to do an autograph signing,” Kathryne said. “There was
also a guy from a radio show called Racing Fans Direct who wants me to be a guest. I’ve signed so many
autographs this week; it’s amazing. I’ve been having a really good time.”
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.
Minter to Make Knoxville Nationals Debut
KNOXVILLE, IA (July 30) – Kathryne Minter, the hottest young driver in sprint car racing, is headed to Knoxville!
Minter, who leads the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Rookie of the Year race, will make her
debut at Knoxville Raceway in this week’s 17th Annual 360 Knoxville Nationals. She has also accepted an
invitation to race in Sunday’s Brodix Tournament of Champions at the legendary half-mile oval.
“I’m really excited about going to my first Knoxville Nationals,” Kathryne said Monday. “I talked to (sprint car
racing veteran) Travis (Rilat) about it, and he said Sedalia (Missouri State Fair Speedway) is actually faster, so
I shouldn’t worry about it. I felt good racing at Sedalia – I finished fourth in my heat race with Gary Wright – so
I think I can go to Knoxville and be OK. He just told me to race it like any other racetrack.
“I’m excited about running the Tournament of Champions race, too. I appreciate the invitation, and I’m looking
forward to running three nights at Knoxville Raceway.”
Although she has only been racing three years, the 2006 graduate of the Lyn St. James Driver Development
Program has won more than 50 feature races. Two years ago, Kathryne won five of seven IMCA Ice-Breaker
races on her way to claiming the series championship.
Minter was Ms. St. James’ guest at the Fifth Annual Women in the Winner's Circle Luncheon honoring women
in motorsports at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week.
Kathryne, who drives the Minter-family-owned #13m J&J, ranks in the top 25 in the American Sprint Car Series
on Tour point standings despite racing in only selected events.
Mike Minter, Kathryne’s father and car owner, is looking forward to his team’s debut at “The Home of the
Nationals.”
“Travis (Rilat) came down and talked to Kathryne about Knoxville,” Mike said last weekend. “He said Knoxville
is such a famous place, people get the impression it’s something it’s not. Obviously, when we get there, she’ll
see a big stadium – nothing like anything she’s raced at before. But, I think, as a racer, once her car gets
pushed off and she starts driving, it’ll be just another circle of dirt with a lot of fast cars on it. From a fans’
perspective, they just sit there in awe.”
Minter couldn’t be happier with the Goodyear tires the team has been racing lately.
“The Goodyear tires are handling really well for Kathryne,” Minter said. “I really like the way the tires wear;
they wear a lot more evenly than other brands. They don’t feather at the edges. I’m really excited about the
performance we’re getting from the Goodyear tires. I’m really interested to see how they perform at
Knoxville. The only other big track we’ve run them is at the Devil’s Bowl, and I think running up there at
Knoxville for three days will show us exactly what we have. I hope the Goodyear people will be there, so they
can meet and talk to Kathryne.”
Minter to Attend ‘Women in the Winner’s Circle’ Luncheon
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 25) – Kathryne Minter is taking a couple of days out of her busy racing schedule to
accept her invitation to Thursday’s Fifth Annual Women in the Winner’s Circle Luncheon at legendary
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The annual event is held to help raise funds for the Women in the Winner's Circle Foundation (formerly the
Lyn St. James Foundation) that was founded by auto racer and motivational speaker Lyn St. James in 1993.
“I’m really excited about going,” Kathryne said Wednesday before flying to Indianapolis. “It was awesome
attending the Lyn St. James Driver Development Program last year. It’ll be good to be around girls who have
only been racing a few years like me. It will also be nice to see some of the friends I met during the program.
It’ll be great to catch up with them and see how they’re doing. People have been asking me what I’m doing
this week and when I tell them, they’re like, ‘That’s SO cool.’ I didn’t know that many people knew about it, but
it’s a really big deal. It’s an honor to be invited and have the opportunity to attend this great event.”
The Foundation is a non-profit educational organization focusing on worldwide activities and programs for
automotive safety and driver development, especially for women who aspire to become racecar drivers. The
Foundation remains dedicated to continuing to train, advocate and educate for diversity in racing until
“opportunity” and “diversity” are no longer concerns and are taken for granted.
The Foundation has trained more than 230 female racecar drivers from 38 states and three countries through
its Driver Development Program and has contributed to Girls, Inc., the Wilbur Shaw Soap Box Derby Hill in
Indianapolis, and other charitable organizations. The WWCF has also donated numerous autographed items
for various charities throughout the world.
“Today’s racing world is more encouraging for female drivers than when we first held this event in 2003,” said
St. James, 1992 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. “More and more, women are receiving opportunities to prove
themselves on the track. And, increasingly, women are rising to higher levels of racing and earning their
place on the podium.
“How far we’ve come in such a short time and how far we still need to go to receive equal opportunities in
the field. At the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation, we continue to commit resources to training and
mentoring drivers as they are starting their journey and throughout their careers. At the luncheon, we will
introduce a new program – Project Podium – which will provide significant monetary grants on a matching-
fund basis to drivers who are dedicated to succeeding in this challenging industry.”
The WWCF relies on the contributions of corporate, sanctioning group and individual sponsors to continue
with its important programs to help provide significant support to women who have the passion to succeed in
the extremely popular and growing sport of auto racing.
Committed sponsors include NASCAR, USAC, Indy Racing League/Indy Pro Series, NHRA, Champ Car World
Series/Atlantic Series, American Le Mans Series (ALMS), Grand-Am, Racing Limos, and National City Bank.
Co-hosting with St. James will be ESPN basketball commentator Nancy Lieberman. Donald Davidson,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian, will also be a guest presenter.
More than 40 winning female racers will be introduced, including Minter, IRL racer Sarah Fisher and racing
legend Janet Guthrie, along with industry leaders such as Mike Helton (NASCAR), Terry Angstadt (Indy Racing
League), Roger Bailey (Indy Pro Series), Vicki O’Connor (Champ Car Atlantic Series).
Minter, who graduated from the WWCF driver development program last year, will be racing to maintain her
lead in the American Sprint Car Series Gulf South Region Rookie of the Year point standings Friday at
Motorama Speedway in Beaumont, TX, and Saturday at 105 Speedway in Cleveland, TX.
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.
Minter Races With, Without Wings at Dodge City
DODGE CITY, KS (July 22) – Kathryne Minter has been accepting all kinds of invitations lately. Dodge City
Raceway Park invited her to race in its American Sprint Car Series Rocky Mountain Region double-feature
event, and she also agreed to drive a midget and a non-winged sprint car at Dodge City’s semi-banked, 3/8-
mile oval.
“It was a great weekend,” Kathryne said. “They kept asking me to go into the stands and to sign autographs
and sell T-shirts. I did that several times and then, after the races – especially Sunday after I ran so well in the
non-winged car – so many people came by. So many of them said, ‘You were great,’ and I said, ‘Wow …
thanks!’”
Minter, who has only been racing three years, raced into 15th place in Saturday’s ASCS opener despite
dropping out due to mechanical problems.
“I actually had to pull off because I lost my brakes,” Kathryne said. “We had brake problems Friday (at State
Fair Speedway in Oklahoma City) and I thought we had them fixed, but they went away completely. So I pulled
off because I’d rather be safe than sorry, and I knew we had another race Sunday. When we were cleaning up
the car, we noticed my (brake) rotor had cracked in at least two places so we had to replace it. We’re going to
replace everything on the brakes when we get home to make sure everything is ready for next weekend.”
A fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Second “B” Feature kept Minter from qualifying for the main event.
“There were a lot more cars Sunday, including some of the guys who ran the ASCS national show (in Lawton,
OK) Saturday,” Kathryne said. “When I went out there for hot laps, the track had taken rubber and I didn’t
know how to handle it at first. Our brakes weren’t completely fixed in the ‘B,’ but I could pump them up to
make them work some. Having to think about that instead of racing made it really tough. I was really fast in the
‘B,’ but I just wasn’t in position to qualify for the feature.
“The track was really nice Saturday; it didn’t take rubber like it did Sunday. I ran better that night because I
haven’t learned how to race in the rubber. After hot laps, Sunday, Bud Kaeding (who swept the weekend’s
ASCS features) came over and talked to me. He was like, ‘Kathryne, run in the rubber and don’t go anywhere
else.’ I said, ‘OK,’ and I went out and ran so fast, and it was my first time in a non-winged car. I learned a lot
about racing on rubber.”
Officials from the NMMRA non-winged sprint car series approached Minter about racing in their event Sunday
afternoon.
“Racing a non-winged car for the first time was so cool,” Kathryne said. “I couldn’t believe they came and
asked me if I wanted to race without a wing. They just noticed we had an extra car, so they asked if we could
come out and race with them. I wasn’t sure about it because I had always heard they were really hard to drive
without a wing. The guy who runs the organization was really nice and said I could run in as many hot-lap
sessions as I wanted. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, but I went out for hot laps and I was a little intimidated, but I
learned a lot. I found out that when you don’t have a wing to carry you through the corners, you have to let off
and yank your steering wheel to make the turns. And you have to keep turning because you don’t have the
wing. It’s a lot different.
“A guy hit me in the heat race on the first lap going into three and we spun out. The rule in that organization
is, if you spin out or have to restart for any reason in a heat race, you’re done. If I had been able to finish the
heat race, I would have had a better starting position in the feature and I’d have done really well. But I was
really fast in the feature and I learned a lot. It was a great experience and I really appreciate them asking me
to run without the wing.”
Minter also enjoyed her first experience racing a midget during her special weekend of invitations.
Minter Learns Plenty in First State Fair Experience
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (July 20) – Kathryne Minter’s first racing experience at State Fair Speedway came
against the world’s best 360 sprint car drivers in Friday’s fourth leg of the 15th Annual American Sprint Car
Series Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek.
The 16-year-old driver of the #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J finished seventh in the Fourth Wesmar-
Shaver Heat Race and 13th in the Second “B” Feature.
“I was really looking forward to racing at State Fair for the first time, but it was tough,” Kathryne said. “We had
problems with our brakes, and our wing slider broke in the heat race. I was talking to Kevin (Ramey), and he
told me to move my wing back. I moved it back and went to move it back more because the track was drying
out, but it was stuck. Apparently, a piece of mud was stuck in it because it fell out in the arm later on when I
was checking it. We struggled with the brakes all night, too.
“I talked to Danny Jennings about how to race the track through the night, and he helped me a lot. It was a
good learning experience.”
Minter is looking forward to racing in this weekend’s ASCS Rocky Mountain Region double-feature event at
Dodge City Raceway Park.
“I’m really glad we accepted their invitation to race,” Kathryne said of the Saturday-Sunday event. “Dodge City
is a really nice facility, with asphalt pits and everything. It’s going to be a learning experience. I’m going to
keep my mind open and watch everyone in hot laps and in the races to see the best lines to run. Hopefully,
we’ll nail the setup and run well both nights.”
Minter is also eagerly anticipating Thursday’s Lyn St. James Women in the Winner’s Circle Celebration
Luncheon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“When I go to the Women in the Winner's Circle Luncheon, I’m going to be around a lot of girls who have had
the same problems I’m having,” Kathryne said. “I’m going to talk to Lyn about finding a crew chief, and I’m
going to get one who will stay with me.”
Minter Learns Valuable Lessons at Devil’s Bowl
MESQUITE, TX (July 19) – Sprint car racing 101 was in session Thursday at Devil’s Bowl Speedway as Kathryne
Minter raced against the world’s best 360 sprint car racers in the 15th Annual American Sprint Car Series
Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek.
Minter, who has only been racing for three years, competed against three-time defending ASCoT champion
Gary Wright and 2000 ASCoT titleist Wayne Johnson in the Second Wesmar-Shaver Heat Race and held off
Justin Melton for sixth place.
“I know I can race better against those guys,” Kathryne said. “I finished sixth in a heat race with Gary Wright
and Wayne Johnson, so I know it’s not all about the competition. I know I can do it. It was a fast heat race.”
Although her 10th-place finish in the “B” Feature didn’t qualify her for the main event, Kathryne learned some
valuable lessons.
“I miss working with ‘Slim Jim’ Osborn (the team’s former crew chief who left when his wife was transferred to
California),” Kathryne said. “He taught me so much and we communicated really well.
“I learned a lot on my own in the ‘B.’ I found the cushion in (turns) one and two and, for the most part, I stayed
in it. My car was set up more for the really slick areas, which helped me out in one and two. But, in three and
four, it wasn’t so slick, so I struggled down there.”
Veteran ASCS driver Danny Jennings, who, like Minter, races on Goodyear tires, has taken a liking to
Kathryne and wants to help.
“Danny Jennings (Thursday’s Fourth Wesmar-Shaver Heat Race winner) came up to me and said, ‘I just want
you to know I’m looking out for you and I’m trying to find the right crew chief for you.’ That’s really nice.”
Minter is looking forward to Friday’s fourth leg of the ASCS Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek at State Fair
Speedway in Oklahoma City.
“I’m really excited about going to State Fair Speedway for the first time,” Kathryne said. “I’m going to talk to
my dad (Team Owner Mike Minter), who will be there with me, and then to ‘Slim’ by phone. That should help.
We can tell ‘Slim’ what the track’s doing and he and I communicate so well, we can figure it out.”
Minter has accepted Dodge City Raceway Park’s invitation to race in the ASCS Rocky Mountain Region races
at its 3/8-mile oval Saturday and Sunday.
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.
For 2007 press releases prior to July 19, please click here.
Press releases by Richard Day unless otherwise stated.
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