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Sprint Car Driver Kyle Larson Competes in Tulsa Shootout Finale
Finishes Seventh In First Ever 600 Micro Attempt
Tulsa, Oklahoma. January 1st and 3rd, 2009. Elk Grove, California’s Kyle Larson ventured to the heartland of America to ring in the New Year and to take on the very best drivers in the sport of 600 Multi Outlaw micro sprint racing during the 24th annual Tulsa Shootout. Held on the same track inside the massive Quik Trip Center that the Chili Bowl is contested each year, the Shootout is the largest event of its kind anywhere with 24 classes totaling nearly 1000 entries, which, besides micros, also includes quads and various classes of karts. The micros alone tallied 473 of the racing machines on hand.
For the 16 year old 410 and 360 sprint car driver, the Shootout’s grand stage was Larson’s first ever attempt to race a micro. Larson competed in the headliner division, the Multi 600 Outlaws, driving for master engine builder and fellow Elk Grove resident Gordon Seros. Thursday’s heat race lineups were determined by draw for the 106 multi outlaw entrants. Larson started eighth in his race and drove to a second place finish behind Tulsa’s own Riley Adair, who started sixth. After the 13 heat races were completed the top 60 in combined finishing and passing points were seeded into five A-main qualifier races.
Larson, fourth in points after the heat races, started sixth in his qualifier race. Over the 12 lap distance he motored forward to a second place finish behind Sacramento, California driver Scott Mauldin. The effort gave Larson the second most total points of all competitors and landed him on the front row of Saturday’s feature race. He would be sharing the row with USAC sprint car and midget star Brady Bacon, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, who held the distinction of being the defending Multi division Shootout champion.
As the 30 lap main event got underway Bacon grabbed the lead but Larson stayed glued to his tail as the duo raced comfortably out front. As the leaders caught lapped traffic on lap nine a yellow flag appeared to bunch up the field. On the restart third place driver Andrew Peters, of Greentown, Indiana, slid under Larson in turn one and carried the pass until contact put Larson into the turn two wall. Larson recovered and held the third spot as Jerrod Wilson, of Skiatook, Oklahoma, closed in.
On lap 12 Wilson gave a slider to Larson in turn three and four to take over third. A half lap later Larson dove under Wilson in turn one, but lost traction and slid slightly sideways as he attempted to complete the pass. As he gathered up his mount, Wilson got into the back of Larson and both spun, while also collecting Carl Junction, Missouri, driver Andrew Felker.
Larson restarted 22nd and began to charge back to the front. Bacon led until departing the race with mechanical issues on lap 19, handing the lead to Peters. As Larson cracked the top ten with three laps to go, leader Peters began to run out of fuel. As Peters slowed, Chris Andrews, of Tulsa, inherited a short lived lead, as his machine also began to be starved for fuel.
In a matter of two laps, previously third running Kevin Bayer, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, found himself out front as the white flag appeared. While all the late race developments unfolded Chico, California’s Kenny Allen, who started 16th, quietly moved into second. As Bayer bobbled a couple times on the final lap Allen nearly made a race winning pass in turns three and four. When the dust had settled, Larson was scored seventh of the 24 starters who began the race.
At the conclusion of the event Larson said, “First, I want to thank Gordon and Vicky Seros for providing a ride the caliber of the PMP car that I drove. Now I know why Gordon is considered to be such a great engine builder in the micros. The Honda engine that he recently put together was definitely capable of winning this race.”
“This is an awesome event with unbelievable competition. I’ve wanted to drive a micro for a long time, and for my first time in one, I guess I did all right. I wish Jerrod Wilson and I would have kept it going when we got together, because I think we would have been the ones fighting it out over those last couple of laps. The Shootout is something I would sure like to try to win again next year.
“I also want to thank Scott Mauldin and Shawn Laeber for their setup help. The car kept getting better every time I got in it. Others I have to thank for their help in getting me here or helping at the track are Terry and Justyn Cox, Greg and Garrett Peterson, Phil Wilkinson, Christine and Jay Root, Brad Hannum, Drew Laeber, and Pat August.”
Check out www.kylelarsonracing.com for video clips and photos
Race: January 1 and 3, 2009 
#029 Kyle Larson and #99 Brady Bacon
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