Kyle Cummins Reacts After First USAC Knoxville Win
Kyle Cummins won his first at Knoxville on Friday with the USAC National Sprint Car Series in the Corn Belt Nationals.
Video Transcript
Finally getting to add Knoxville Raceway to the list of victories on your resume, Kyle.
Is there anything you can compare this feeling to as being a winner in Victory Lane at Knoxville?
not really.
It's probably just because, Jerry Petty's up there.
he told me he had to win, and we had to win tonight, and then if we're gonna win tonight, then we have to win tomorrow.
So, no, they've never, we've never won here with him.
We always are terrible here.
just seems like we, I just can't get ahold of the track, and, you know, tonight we kinda brought a little bit different something, and, and I tried something in the heat race, and it was g- really bad.
so I kinda went back to what we've kinda been running again, and, the first couple laps I felt good.
And then, I think CJ was definitely faster, and then as the run went on I got, I, I felt like if I fell back enough to see the cushion, then I could start running back down.
And as my tires got heat in them, I think I, I became a little bit better, but then we always had a yellow.
So, just, it's really, really hard to pass here.
just all you can do.
And so I, I, that one restart I didn't get a good restart, and I threw it down in there.
I'm like, "Ah, not clear," like not even close here.
Tried to run the middle, thought maybe that was something.
And, that middle in three and four I was looking at it the whole night thinking, "Man, maybe I can get something."
And then, on that last restart I was like, "Okay, I have such a head of steam, there, surely I can get him cleared there."
But, you know, it's just a, they were good tonight.
They've been getting better.
And, but I, I can't thank enough for our team.
Jerry Petty with Avante Windows and Doors.
there's banners all over this place, so, it's, it's only right that his car is up here.
But, just thank Jerry and Bev.
His whole family's up there, and their wives and, and, Joanie, and, you know, Jugo Superfoods.
we just got, we got a new shock package with, Jugo Superfood gummies on the covers here, and, they, they helped us, stay, glued to the racetrack.
But, just thank, Premier Recycling, Lucas Oil of Evansville, Bill Floyd, S&C Machine, Lance with Lifestyle Homes, and, oh gosh darn it.
Apache Transport, Phil with Apache Transport.
but just a lot of people, you s- you know, I can't thank everybody.
My team, Cameron Larose, Zach Fields, Casey DeRenzi, Aiden S- Aiden Smit- Aiden Schmitt.
my wife and, and kids, we drove all night through the night, or Thursday we came.
And, you know, the kids, that's a lot for the kids in the car, so we were kinda worn out by the time we got here.
But, just thank my wife, thank all my team.
Tanner for selling shirts.
just appreciate everybody for coming out, and, hopefully we can get another one tomorrow.
You talked a little bit about what made that last restart different and why it was more successful for you particularly.
What was the lead-up to that like each time?
And was it the kinda situation where you kinda just had to wait to see what the 53 was gonna do before you could react?
Yeah, I actually decided on that.
So the one before I was all messed up.
The next one I went to the middle and was like, "Nah," like not good, but the middle was better than three and four, so I decided, "Okay, that one, don't even think about sliding him.
Just get a start, get around one and two, and hopefully break some momentum and get in three and four," 'cause I thought I could really stick a lot better there.
And, when we took off I was, like, backpedaling down the straightaway.
I'm like, "Come on, man, go."
And I'm like, "Okay, this is, this is the only time I can get it."
And, you know, just gotta run here.
It's, it's, like I said, it's extremely tough to, pass somebody.
And then once I got out there I could see the cushion, so then I was like, "We gotta go," you know what I'm saying?
And, it about bit me a couple times there.
But, just glad to, glad to get one here, and, hopefully we can get another one with the big money tomorrow.
