Kyle Sirizzotti update

[NickHolt]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 24, 2006

Contact: K-MAC Sports, 512.417.9414

 

Sirizzotti struggles at Houston; remains fourth in TSRS standings

 

The recent struggles of 15-year-old Kyle Sirizzotti and the G.T. Sirizzotti Race Team continued as the Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) Late Models ran its seventh race of the 2006 season.

 

The beginning was good, as Sirizzotti set the fast time during qualifying for the third time of the season – and the second consecutive TSRS race. But electrical problems caused the #09 G.T. Sirizzotti Excavating/ Pesado Construction Company Chevrolet Monte Carlo to retire early and fall back to a 15th-place finish.

 

Problems with all top four drivers in the TSRS points standings allowed Sirizzotti to remain in fourth place, although he now trails points leader Tommy Gural by 75 points (1,126 to 1,051) and top rookie Cody Smith by 61 points (1,112 to 1,051).

 

“We were very happy after setting fast time,” said team owner Tony Sirizzotti. “We had to completely redo the setup for the car after the road course race at Texas World Speedway. That’s always a tricky situation; any time you change the setup from the last race, you’re afraid of not catching something small. But Tommy Owens (the team’s crew chief and engine builder) and his wife Denise, as well as the rest of the G.T. Sirizzotti Race Team, worked very hard – night and day – to get the car ready.”

 

They certainly did as Kyle – a sophomore at San Antonio O’Connor High School – set the fast time on the first of two qualifying laps with a time of 15.167 seconds. The youngster did well in the invert draw, pulling a “3” which put him inside of Row 2.

 

As the green flag fell, Sirizzotti got stuck as pole sitter Shane Harris spun his tires on the start; Sirizzotti would be fifth after Lap 1. He remained there until there were some fireworks on the track on Lap 12. David Snokhous and Michael Cullen got together in Turn 4; Snokhous lost a lot of sheet metal as the caution flag flew.

 

However, rookie Cody Smith and veteran Bobby Joe New got tangled up; they traded some paint on the front stretch, sending both to the pits for repairs. Sirizzotti then pulled to a complete stop in Turn 4; smoke started coming out of the cockpit of the #09 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

 

“Once again the ignition switch wiring caused a problem,” revealed Tony Sirizzotti. “It caused a fire and we didn’t have much to go on from there. We eventually fell out of the race due to the lack of the fan cooling the engine, the alternator not working and essentially, all the components that rely on that electrical power.”

 

The younger Sirizzotti would get back out on the track but pulled back in to the pits after just 42 laps. The team is looking forward to the remaining three races on the TSRS schedule, including the upcoming race Sept. 2 at Thunder Hill Raceway.

 

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