With TSR's Donny Schatz dominating the World of Outlaws, Kraig Kinser will need to look elsewhere to prove he has the stuff to beat the series champion. (KraigKinser.com)
Kraig Kinser, 2005 Knoxville Nationals winner and son of sprint car legend Steve Kinser, has been released as the driver of Tony Stewart Racing’s number-20 entry in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to drive for Tony Stewart Racing the past two years,” the third-generation driver said when contacted by phone late Friday afternoon.
Kinser, 25, was winless in 2009, but wound-up eighth in the Outlaws points championship with 10 top-five and 30 top-ten finishes.
According to a statement released by the Indianapolis-based team, “The decision to make a change was not reached lightly, as Kraig has exemplified outstanding character during his time with Tony Stewart Racing and has been a great asset in representing our partners and the TSR brand.”
Kraig Kinser is a nine-time winner on the Outlaws circuit, where he was Rookie of the Year in 2004. His best result in the final standings was fifth in 2005.
“I’m trying to stay positive,” Kinser noted about his dismissal, adding that he will spend the coming weeks devising a “game plan” for 2010.
So far, Kinser said he has not been contacted by another team regarding a ride, and that he has no plans to race in Australia, as several American drivers do in the off-season.
When asked whether he would consider the possibility of driving for his father’s team, Kinser replied, “I’m looking at all my options and will see what works best,” adding that he “wants to be happy.”
At TSR, Kinser raced in the shadow of his teammate, four-time reigning Outlaws champion Donny Schatz.
The team has not named Kinser’s replacement, but when contacted about the vacancy, a Tony Stewart Racing spokesperson indicated that several candidates are being considered, including some who inquired about the ride.
Stewart, contacted Saturday in Homestead, Florida, where he is competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season-finale, said he is looking for someone who is a better fit with Schatz.
“Kraig and Donny ran two different packages, chassis-wise and engine-wise and we're trying to figure out how to bring that together where both guys are running the same chassis and same engine package,” Stewart told SPEEDtv.com.
“So we're trying to find a driver that likes the J&J car like Donny does and somebody that we feel will be an asset to Donny as a teammate and be able to work together with him.”
Stewart added that TSR is doing what it can to help Kinser secure a new ride.
An announcement is expected in the coming weeks, perhaps at the International Motorsports Industry Show taking place December 2-3 at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, an event Tony Stewart is helping to promote.
In addition to winged sprint cars, Kraig Kinser has driven in the USAC Silver Crown Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and ARCA RE/MAX Series, where he won in his 2005 series debut at Michigan International Speedway.
Steve and Kraig Kinser are the only father-son duo to win sprint car racing’s biggest event, the Knoxville Nationals.
Steve Kinser, 55 and a 20-time World of Outlaws champion, is recuperating from recent surgery to repair a bulged disc in his neck.
“He amazes me,” Kraig said of his dad when asked about his recovery.
“He’s already acting like he wants to get back in the car.”
