Kathryne Minter Devil's Bowl summary

Minter Learns Valuable Lesson at Devil's Bowl

MESQUITE, TX (May 12) -- Sprint car 101 was in session for Kathryne Minter Saturday in the O'Reilly American Sprint Cars on Tour's "Red River Shootout" at Devil's Bowl Speedway. She learned that sometimes things happen that are beyond her control.

Minter, hoping to qualify for the "A" Feature for the first time at her favorite track, failed to achieve her goal due to a mechanical malfunction and a collision with a fellow driver. The 16-year-old racer Bedford, TX, took it in stride like a veteran.

"I wish I could have made the 'A,' but these things happen," Minter said. "The 31 (Matt Cleavenger) got into me on the front straightaway (in the "B" Feature). That gave us a flat tire and messed up the front end -- it locking up. The car wouldn't turn at all after that. Hopefully, we'll make it next time. We'll just try to do better next week."

Kathryne started the evening in the star-studded First Brodix Heat Race trying to drive the Minter family's #13m Concrete Crushing Company J&J past the likes of three-time defending ASCS National Tour champion Gary Wright, 1997 ASCS National Tour Rookie of the Year Danny Jennings, last year's National 360 Driver of the Year Jason Johnson and 2004 Devil's Bowl Speedway track champion Johnny Miller. A fitting on the #13m's top wing broke caused it to move all the way back, making the car too tight to handle. The result was a ninth-place finish in the 10-lap race.

A collision with Cleavenger early in the "B" Feature flattened Minter's left front tire, which kept her from qualifying for the 25-lap main event.

Lesson learned, Minter will be much the wiser when she runs ASCS Gulf South events at Motorama Speedway in Beaumont, TX, Friday and Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, TX, Saturday.

-credit: kmr