DRIVER BLOG // KYLE KEENAN: AN INTRODUCTION

My driving career started in 1996 when my dad, Kevin Keenan, purchased a kart. For two years we took it to large industrial areas and drove it around. After being tired of getting kicked out of parking lots, we decided to go Dirt Oval racing.

We raced for two years at Pat's Acres and Portland Speedway. We were consistent podium finishers, collecting one win and eight podiums in the 12 races I ran over those two years. At the end of 2001, my dad went back to working for local NASCAR racer Bruce Vollstedt, and my driving got put on the backburner... [read more]

Around 2004 I started spending more and more time at the track. I met Spec Miata driver's Will Schrader and Gary Bockman, and began hanging out around their pits. I learned so much about racing on a whole new level, and learned just how precise everything has to be in order to run up front in a competitive class. Naturally, I fell in love with the Spec Miata class and hoped to one day battle it out with Gary Bockman, Joey Atterbury, Will Schrader, and all the other Spec Miata racers.

From 2004 to 2007, I worked for drivers including Gary Bockman, Joey Atterbury, Will Schrader, Brian Richards, Andrew Caddell, as well as working for TC Motorsports at Enduro's and some ICSCC events.

In 2008 I was given the opportunity to work for Pro Drive Racing School in Portland, Oregon. I took their four day racing school and recieved my SCCA Novice licence, however I spent 2008 getting used to the Spec Miata that my dad had allowed me to drive. We both planned to run some SCCA events in 2009. I also competed in Electrathon America, an electric racing series with hour-long races based to see on how much distance you can cover in one hour. The highlight of my season was a race win at the Entek International Grand Prix in Corvallis, Oregon. I won by nine laps over second place. Lynn Davis, a teacher at the Clark County Skills Center, asked me to drive and represent them at this race.

For 2009, we decided to run the North West Region SCCA Spec Miata class, and won the championship by a single point. I see it as my dad who won the championship. He puts in hours upon hours of work, on top of his day job and commitments with other race teams, so I can play on the weekends. His passion for motorsports and racing is absolutely astonishing, and I find it surreal that the same man who worked on Indy and NASCAR for years is the same one turning a wrench on our club racing efforts.

In 2010, we're hoping to compete in the Miatacage.com Oregon Region SCCA Spec Miata Championship Series. My goal is to finish in the top five in points in our Team KBR/AR Auto Service Spec Miata #44.

When not on track, I can be found at one of my two jobs, karting with some friends, or spending time with family

For additional information on Kyle Keenan and his 2010 racing efforts, readers can follow his career on his website Kyle-Keenan.com, as well as @KyleKeenan and on Facebook.

Stay tuned for more from Kyle Keenan as the 2010 season gets under way!

Photo: Camden Thrasher, Chris Klein & Craig Kincaid
Editorial: Kyle Keenan