SALISBURY, N.C. – Texas young gun Colby Horn is among those who have been counting down the days to this week’s Keith Kunz Motorsports Giveback Classic presented by Toyota Racing Development.

Horn, 14, is actually one of the few out-of-town drivers who has any prior starts at Millbridge Speedway this season, as well as the only non-track regular to win a points race at the sixth-mile dirt oval during the year.

That has the teenager amped up about his chances to contend in Wednesday night’s 50-lap, $2,000-to win feature event.

“I’m pretty excited; I have been for about three months, to be honest with you,” said Horn. “All the buildup leading into this week has been amazing and being able to pull off a win during the summer, I think, was huge for our positioning going into these two days of racing.

“I’m so thankful for my dad, my friends, my parents, Jimmy Elledge and everyone at QRC for everything they’ve done for me up to this point … so now it’s time to go chase the big prize and see what we can do.”

Horn and his family established a plan to fly back and forth between Texas and North Carolina to compete as semi-regulars at Millbridge during the summer. That plan paid off in their first start after making the decision, as Horn won on June 20 to add his name to the winner’s list at the facility.

“That win was my fifth time on the track, and being 14 at the time, it was really important for my confidence and belief in myself,” recalled Horn. “I’m one of the smallest guys out there and to have raced against drivers like Karsyn Elledge, Carson Kvapil and Clark Houston – drivers who know this place like the backs of their hands – I think it says a ton and shows that we can go out and contend this week.”

Horn said he’s got an ever-growing notebook about what it takes to be successful at Millbridge, but that he’s not planning on changing his approach just because it’s a big race week.

“Millbridge is a track where you have to know how to run the top,” explained Horn. “You can’t just come here and expect to finish up front your first time here, in my opinion. I rank it right up there with Red Bluff and Cycleland as far as tracks that are tricky to get around. If you know how to rim-ride, move around as the groove changes and battle aggressively, you’ll be alright.

“I’m just going to go through the same checklist and plan that I have for the past five or six races that I’ve run here,” Horn noted. “It’s about staying calm, feeling out the track, being patient and seeing what happens. You can’t take more than this track wants to give, or you’ll be in trouble really quickly.”

Though he won’t be old enough to claim a Chili Bowl ride with Keith Kunz Motorsports if he wins on Wednesday – the minimum age for the event is 16 – Horn does realize the significance of topping the event and what it would do for him if he could stand in victory lane.

“To have an opportunity with Keith and Toyota, even if it’s not at the Chili Bowl … that’s the kind of chance that a kid my age could only dream of,” Horn said. “If I won, it would be an amazing moment and one to be thankful for. I’ve always stuck with karts and to be able to take a step up to the next level would be beyond anything I ever expected to happen at this stage in my career.

“There’s a lot of people that have been hyping me up for this race and supporting me as I come here to fight for the win, so I just want to go out and hopefully make them all proud.”