| Florida's Travis Kittleson New ASA Rookie Points Leader | Pendleton, IN (April 15, 2003) – Florida’s Travis Kittleson jumped into the top spot in the race for the $50,000 Rookie of the Year award in the American Speed Association.
Kittleson has recorded top-10 finishes in each of the season’s first two events, including a career-best fifth in the season-opening Jani-King 200 at USA International Speedway, Kittleson, of Merritt Island, Fla., finished eighth Saturday night in the inaugural ASA Racing Series Texas 250 at Houston Motor Speedway, the second of 17 events on the 2003 ASA schedule.
Kittleson has made 14 starts in the series that build champions, finishing in the top 10 on five occasions and leading 81 laps. The 23-year-old competitor drives the No. 30 Bob Steele Chevrolet and currently ranks fourth in the driver points, just 68 markers behind the leader, 1997 series champion and Texas 250 winner Kevin Cywinski.
A pair of likewise steady performances has kept Ryan Hemphill in the battle for the 2003 rookie championship behind Kittleson. Hemphill placed eighth in his debut with the No. 11 Meijer Chevrolet at USA International and then crossed the line 11th in the Texas 250 to rank second in the race for the $50,000 Rookie of the Year Award.
After a third-place finish in Florida, Georgia’s Reed Sorenson dropped to third position in the rookie standings after being involved in an early incident at Houston. Sorenson spent many laps in the pit area for repairs, relegating him to
30th.
Illinois competitor Boris Jurkovic ranks fourth, starting the season with finishes of 13th and 16th respectively. Brett Sontag of Joliet, Ill. is fifth, trailing Kittleson by 117 points. Sontag scored a career-best 14th place finish at Houston.
Maine standout Tracy Gordon holds down the sixth position in the $50,000 Rookie standings with Scott Lagasse Jr., Kris Stump, Casey Smith and Davin Scites rounding out the top 10.
The third event of the 2003 ASA Racing Series is on tap for Saturday, April 19 at Concord Motorsport Park in Concord, N.C. The BFGoodrich Tires 250 takes the green flag at 9 p.m. (Eastern) and will be telecast live on SPEED CHANNEL.
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