Give Us Kyle Beard!! By: A.J. Payne

Posted Jody Shannon on January 14th, 2008 | Filed under A.J. Payne, Articles, The DRC

Yes, indeed let us see more of this great up and coming driver, because for all of my life I have either watched or worked around the auto racing, which I have been blessed to have seen and work with some truly racecar drivers. Nevertheless, this past year even with all everything I have seen, the true talent of a young man named Kyle Beard, from Trumann, Arkansas, took me back. I counted it as an honor to get to meet Kyle, and his dad for the first time and was delighted to find such wonderful people.

Furthermore, it was awesome to see the down to earth reception that I got from the whole Beard motorsports team. Even with all the work to get the car ready to race, they still were kind enough to take the time to meet with me, which is rare currently of auto racing. Therefore, I was so glad to see this past race season Kyle being able to use the experience he had gain to finish races, and win five Super Late Model events. In addition, Kyle was able to finish second in the AMPSeries (SUPER) Late Model point standings, where he was also able to become the first many AMPSeries (SUPER) Late Model Rookie of the year in 2007.

In addition, it is clear; Kyle is quickly becoming one of the next great racecar drivers in this country in this generation. This is apparent by the fact that in his first full year Kyle and his team was able to win the 2007 Midsouth Dirt Track Championship ($5,000) at Poinsett County Raceway in Harrisburg, Arkansas. Therefore, this 21-year-old driver from Trumann, Arkansas of the number Beard auto racing #86 GRT by Frye/Samuel’s Performance Racing Engine powered Super Late Model made a definite mark on the 2007 race season every time he hit the track. Although I do believe, the 2008 race season will be Kyle’s best season yet, because of the added year of experience of competition. Even though Kyle missed transferring into the main feature event at the 17th Annual Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track in Talladega, Alabama by one position.

Although you know there is more and I want all you wonderful people to get a better idea of Kyle’s background in auto racing. For example at the end of the 1999 race season Kyle got his first chance to taste what it was like to step behind the wheel of a racecar points out to me that this young man was well on his way to becoming successful in the sport of auto racing. This first taste opened an opportunity to Kyle to drive his father’s → (Gary Beard) ← Open Wheel Modified at Poinsett County Raceway (PCR) in Harrisburg, Arkansas, when he was only 12 years old.

Therefore, since Kyle had early success in the open wheel division, Kyle’s father decided during the next off-season to build a Super Street car for Kyle to race in the 2000 season at PCR. Although this did not come without made some people upset when they heard of the news of Kyle racing with them, since he was only 13 years old. Nevertheless, this uneasiness with Kyle soon turned into respect from his fellow competitors as he began to compete, and even out-running those other drivers he competed with, which were more than twice his age. Furthermore, in 2003 Beard Motorsports decided to put Kyle behind the wheel of a Super Late Model for the first time after only one prior night of competitive racing in a super late model before the 2003 race season.

Kyle began racing Super Late Models full time in 2004 were he won several heat races and finished 2nd in the final track point standings at PCR. Nevertheless, in 2005 the track that Kyle raced dropped the Super Late Model division. This action by the track resulted in Kyle going back to the Super Street division once again. Then in 2006 race season saw Kyle once again behind the wheel of an Open Wheel Modified, but even though Kyle enjoyed the division and had some success within this division Kyle style enjoyed the feel of the super late model a little more. Therefore, Kyle ultimately ran a Super Late Model, six times in 2006, and came away with a feature win and five top ten finishes. Furthermore, Kyle’s burning desire to compete in the Super Late Model division, made the decision for the Beard racing team to buy a GRT by Frye for the 2007 season very easy.

Therefore, this brief overview about Kyle should show just how much all-around talent, skill, and overall drive this young man shows each time he gets behind the wheel, along with the experience he gain this past year should make Kyle a favorite to win no matter where he travels to in the future. In addition, I feel this experience will if anything makes him one of the best racecar drivers around in the Late Model division now, and into the future. Furthermore, I will add this, and that is how well spoken Kyle is with his crew, in an interview at the track, for radio, television, or print media. I believe the fact, Kyle is able to stay level headed under pressure also speaks well of his ability to address any type of problem, which from time to time does pop up during a race. One good example would be the time in which Kyle was, spun out at ‘The Bama Brawl’ this past October and put to the back of the field during this race in Alabama during the 2007 race season. The fact that he was able to drive his way back up through the field, and still be able to get a solid finish shows Kyle to be someone with a level head, and the level of talent that it takes to be a thinking mans driver.

Although, my thoughts are the 2008 race season will again revile Kyle as the real deal, because of the talent along with the year of experience, which will reinforce what I saw from him in the 2007 season. In addition as Kyle pilots his high energy #86 GRT by Frye/Samuel’s Performance Racing Engine powered Super Late Model this next season at some of the larger, and well known regional and national events this year. The thought, which comes to mind is that those people that see this young man race in 2008, will see what I have seen him show on a couple of different occasions this past year. Oh yea, I would suggest to anyone that reads this article to find their way to the closes racetrack to them in 2008, and say give us a Beard.

One last thing I really wanted to say to Kyle and his dad or anyone else that reads this is even if they are fully aware of, but bear’ repeating is this. That champion do what champions have to do, which means sometimes one has to help that cream rise to the top.

Written by: AJ Payne