SALISBURY, N.C. – Entering Wednesday night’s inaugural Keith Kunz Motorsports Giveback Classic presented by Toyota Racing Development, Jesse Colwell was a California kid with a big dream.
By the end of the night’s 50-lap championship feature, he was a driver with a guaranteed ride in the 33rd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals.
Colwell dominated the sixth-mile Millbridge Speedway dirt oval when it mattered most, charging past polesitter Caden Kvapil on lap 14 with a textbook slide job in turn three. He never trailed again after that, leading the final 37 circuits en route to the biggest win of his career.
After three series of celebratory donuts, Colwell parked between the twirly ferns in victory lane and climbed atop his kart in jubilation, knowing that he completed a career-making statement on this night.
“We just built a brand-new car for this race, because my last time out I ended up on my lid, so we brought all-new stuff out here and hoped it wouldn’t break,” said Colwell in victory lane. “I just needed to clear (Caden) and get to the bottom, and I knew once I got down it would be over, but I couldn’t clear him for the longest time. He did well and it was a tough battle.
“I wasn’t nervous on that final restart, because I saw the (No.) 1w (Mike Wheeler) parked in turn one and knew he had been my toughest competition,” he added. “This is pretty sweet.”
The 19-year-old from Red Bluff, Calif., earned $2,000 for his second win at Millbridge, but more importantly, will join Logan Seavey and others from Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports in January in Tulsa, Okla., where he’ll take part in the largest midget-car race in the country.
“I guess we’re going to Chili Bowl!” Colwell laughed. “This is for sure the biggest moment in my life.”
Kvapil and Tyler Letarte led the field to green off the front row, with Kvapil gaining the advantage off the initial start as Jesse Colwell quickly marched to second on the outside of the sixth-mile.
An early red flag flew on with three laps scored, seeing Landon Brooks go for an end-over-end tumble in the second turn as two-time defending track champion Carson Kvapil and Michael Hubert also sustained significant damage in the incident as well.
A yeoman’s effort in the work area allowed Carson Kvapil to return to action, but the race was slowed again after one more green-flag lap when Clark Houston and Mariah Ede looped their karts in turn two.
When racing resumed on the fifth round, the intensity ramped up as Colwell threw a barrage of slider attempts at Caden Kvapil before finally wresting the lead away working lap 10, but a caution before the lap was completed put the younger Kvapil back out front for another restart.
