Brandon Kidd Has Successful Showing In Toledo Speedway Debut

Brandon Kidd Has Successful Showing In Toledo Speedway Debut

Topics: Brandon Kidd, Menards 200

Brandon Kidd Has Successful Showing In Toledo Speedway Debut

Chris Knight
Knight Motorsports Management
Andy Belmont Racing
May 21, 2012

TOLEDO, Speedway (May 21, 2012) - - Making his first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start since Pocono (Pa.) Raceway last August, Brandon Kidd returned to the tour on Sunday afternoon at Toledo Speedway for the running of the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care.

Two weeks ago, Andy Belmont Racing (ABR), a long-time fixture in the ARCA Racing Series community announced that the Manlius, New York native will drive the No. 2 Myrtle Beach Speedway Ford Fusion in a part-time schedule including the fifth race on the tour at Toledo Speedway.

After practice on Saturday, the team adjusted their No. 2 Myrtle Beach Speedway Ford Fusion accordingly for Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell. During time trials, Kidd laid down the 18th quickest lap and noted that he was confident in his racecar’s abilities for the upcoming contest.

The green flag waived shortly after 2:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon with the 20-year old quickly on the move in his blue oval. Rising from 18th to 16th in the first 20 laps of the event, Kidd would fall to 17th by lap 30 but continue to mount competitive lap times.

Over the next 30 laps, the handling on the No. 2 Myrtle Beach Speedway Ford Fusion would change which would drop the DIRTcar Crate Late Model (DCCLM) ace in the running order to 23rd by lap 60.

A caution flag flew a few laps later offering the team an opportunity to bring his driver to pit lane for service. For the restart, Kidd would line-up 26th.

By lap 75, the New Yorker had climbed back up to 21st and knocking on the door of entering the top-20. An untimely caution would stall his efforts. When racing resumed, Kidd maintained a safe spot inside the top-25 and by the halfway point, he was holding onto the 22nd position.

When a melee broke out on the backstretch shortly after the cross-flags, the caution period allowed the perfect opportunity once again for the team to bring his young driver to pit lane for tires, fuel and an adjustment hoping to give his driver the ingredients to propel forward during the remainder of the race.

Restarting 21st, the adjustments paid off as Kidd was able to pedal forward as move as high as 13th on lap 152 but during the late stages of the event; the handling would again work against the driver offering a slide back to 18th where he took the checkered flag.

“I’m really happy with our finish,” said Kidd. “We really had a good car all weekend and I want to thank everyone on the ABR team for their support. Andy (Belmont, team principal) was my eyes in the skies as a spotter and I can’t tell you what a comfortable feeling that was for me. At times, we battled the handling on our No. 2 Myrtle Beach Speedway Ford Fusion, but that’s something everyone had to deal with at one point or another during the race. I had a lot of fun out there and just want to thank all of our sponsors who made it possible.”

Kidd’s fifth career start and finish in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards was his fourth top-20 finish in five races.

The duo will reunite for the running of the Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway (July 13), followed by Lucas Oil Raceway Park at Indianapolis (July 27) and a to-be-determined race.

Next up on the tour is the sixth stop of the season at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, a new track for the series’ 60th anniversary tour. The Akona 200 presented by Federated Car Care is set for Saturday, June 2. The green flag is set to fly shortly after 8:00 p.m. in the one-day show with live radio coverage available through the ARCA Racing Network online at ARCARacing.com.

For more on Brandon Kidd, please visit brandonkiddracing.com.

Additional information on Andy Belmont Racing is available by logging on to AndyBelmont.com.

About Andy Belmont Racing (ABR):

Andy Belmont Racing (AndyBelmont.com) is a competitive and respected motorsports operation who fields race cars in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. ABR has been serving the motorsports community and winning for nearly 25 years. Currently, the team fields a full-time ARCA Racing Series program for series winner Mikey Kile in the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion.

PHOTO CAPTION: Brandon Kidd, driver of the No. 2 Myrtle Beach Speedway Ford Fusion in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Andy Belmont Racing (ABR).