I remember when a kid beat NASCAR Champs Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart a year ago. He may be the real deal and the next Wisconsin driver to ascend to the national level. Like Kenseth did ten years ago, Kelly Bires gets a commitment to finish out the Busch Series season.
Kelly Bires: Kelly Bires has moved from NASCAR Busch Series fill-in to NASCAR Busch Series full- timer. The 22-year-old Mauston native confirmed Thursday he will drive in place of Jon Wood for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in 14 of the final 16 Busch Series races this season, the exceptions being the pair of road- course races left on the schedule.
Lightweight driver becoming a big deal: Kelly Bires weighs all of 120 pounds and is an unknown rookie in the NASCAR Busch Series, but his competitors should think twice about tangling with him. Bires, having ran just four Busch races, was a two-time state wrestling champion in his home state of Wisconsin and is just a year removed from beating former Nextel Cup champions Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart in an ASA all-star challenge race in Madison, Wis.
"The thing that impressed us about him is he came in the office with no daddy and no agent and really presented himself as to why he should be our development driver." … After winning back-to-back state wrestling titles and graduating sixth in his class with a 3.975 grade-point average, Bires had his share of opportunities.
