ALEXANDRIA, Ind. — Rising dirt track racer and University of Northwestern Ohio student Clayton Gaines is set to ignite his 2017 season in a big way when he returns to the quarter-mile Anderson Speedway bullring in Indiana for the USSA Mel Kenyon Midget Series season-opener on April 15.
Gaines, the 2013 Kenyon Series Simpson World Indy Rookie of the Year, is a two-time feature winner at Anderson.
The 19-year-old won his first-career series race there in May of 2015, with a thrilling third-to-first run on the final lap, and backed up that performance with a second victory last July, starting on the pole and leading from start to finish.
In total, Gaines has two wins, 15 top-fives, and 19 top-10s in 21 career series starts on the Anderson quarter-mile.
His prior experience at the tough short track, combined with the confidence from his two prior wins, give Gaines optimism that he can start the season off in victory lane as he pursues his first career Kenyon Midget points championship.
“As a driver, any time you go to a track where you’ve won before, it gives you confidence that you’re going to be able to go back and be strong,” said Gaines, who finished 13th in Kenyon points last year after running a partial schedule. “For me, Anderson is a place where I know, any time we unload we’re going to have speed and I know what I need out of the car in order to be successful. It’s a great place to start our season and I can’t wait to get back to the race track. It’s been a long off-season and I’m gunning to get started.”
Gaines enters the year with renewed focus, with he and his family-owned team setting their eyes on running the complete 19-race Kenyon Midget schedule and earning their first series titles.
The native Hoosier will also take on the challenge of learning the ropes in a winged dirt sprint car, and will compete this spring in several Friday night programs at historic Bloomington Speedway before looking to branching out with that car later in the year. The team Gaines will compete with on the sprint car side will be announced in the coming weeks.
Away from the race track, Gaines will continue his schooling at UNOH, as he pursues a degree in automotive technology. He will also continue working as a crew member on Aaron Pierce’s open wheel race team, including assisting Pierce at this year’s 69th annual Pay Less Little 500 in May at Anderson.
“If it wasn’t for Aaron, I wouldn’t know half the stuff I know now both as a driver and a mechanic,” Gaines explained. “He’s taught me everything there is to know about Anderson and the other tracks we go to that he’s been at … and that’s led me to be able to race with the big dogs in the sport pretty quickly. I’m always grateful to work with him and looking forward to learning even more from his and his guys this year!”
Supporting his racing endeavors, Gaines has sponsorship from Sam Pierce Chevrolet, Hilltop Stables, Clark Insurance Group, Gray’s Remodeling, Gene’s Root Beer, Buck Farms, Shafer Photo, McClead’s Service and Ingram Electric.
About Clayton Gaines
Clayton Gaines is a 19-year-old open wheel racer from Alexandria, Indiana, who grew up in America’s racing heartland and has raced in the shadows of one of the most legendary racing tracks in the world — the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — for most of his career.
Gaines began his racing career at the age of 10 in the quarter midget division, moving into midgets two years later and quickly becoming accustomed to the high-energy style of racing in the open wheel division.
He started running in the United States Speed Association’s Mel Kenyon Midget Series in 2013 and promptly stormed into regular contention at the front of the field, winning rookie of the year honors that season with a host of consistent finishes.
He and his family-owned team won their first Kenyon Midget feature during Little 500 week at Anderson in 2015 and finished 13th in series points last year, winning a second race at Anderson during a limited schedule.
For 2017, Gaines plans to contest the full Kenyon Midget schedule and pursue the series championship. He will also run a handful of races in a winged dirt sprint car as well, focusing his early season endeavors on learning the cars as he begins his progression towards the national stage.
For more information on Clayton Gaines and Gaines Motorsports, contact the team at [email protected].
CREDIT: Gaines Motorsports
