March 25, 2004 Kittleson Ready for Florida Homecoming by Jeremy Troiano, 51 Sports CONCORD, N.C. (March 22, 2004) -- You could say 24-year-old Travis Kittleson is suffering through an identity crisis. The sophomore ASA driver was born in Wisconsin, a state known for producing talented race car drivers, but didn't begin his racing career until six years ago while living in Florida with his parents. Kittleson has spent most of his life in the sunshine state, but during the winter he moved his entire operation and himself to Mooresville, North Carolina. "My family and friends in Wisconsin still consider me a Wisconsinite, while a lot of people in Florida consider me a homestate boy. I don't know, but I know I can't wait to get back to Florida and get the season going. I consider Florida my home because that is where my parents live right now, so it is fun to be able to open the year down there. It makes it a little more special now that I live in North Carolina. It is like a homecoming of sorts." Kittleson will open the 2004 ASA season at USA International Speedway in Lakeland this coming Saturday. It is a track Kittleson is quite familiar with, a place where he has visited Victory Lane before. "I've won in Super Late Models at Lakeland so it would be really special to get my first ASA win there. I just can't imagine what it would be like to pull into Victory Lane there in an ASA car. I think there will be a few fans of ours there, so it would be neat. We're really ready for it. "This is the best I've felt going into a race season since I started. We really have everything as prepared as we can right about now. We've worked hard all off season to get these cars ready for the year and I think we are farther ahead than we have ever been. That comes down to just a lot of hard work and preparation." The team is going to head down to Florida a couple of days early to hopefully give Travis a little time to visit and relax before the long three-day race weekend in Lakeland. And he needs it, as he is trying to fight off a persistent cold before the season gets going. "I've got a few little things I need to do down there and it would be nice if I could even get the chance to take my mom out to lunch or dinner sometime because it has been quite a while since I've seen her. After a day of relaxing, we'll head on over to Lakeland and get ready for the opener. Hopefully by then, I'll be feeling better and we'll be completely focused on the year." Kittleson and his R/T Racing/Bob Steele Chevrolet team are planning to run the entire ASA schedule in 2004 after a ninth-place finishing position in the ASA final national standings of 2003. However, they are still looking for a marketing partner to help them in their quest for the 2004 ASA National Championship. For inquiries, call the team at 321-693-6700 and be sure to visit traviskittleson.com for more information. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!