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J.D. Byrider – A Winning Team
Auto Racing is one of the most popular sports around – both in terms of spectators at the events and TV ratings. Every week, thousands of race teams show up at tracks that range in size from the ¼ mile dirt track in Lawrenceburg, Indiana to the asphalt superspeedways in Daytona and Talladega. And, every week, millions of fans pack their coolers, stock their campers or settle in to their favorite TV chairs to watch.
The sport is so popular that the TV ratings for NASCAR are second only to those for the NFL. Add to that the audiences that follow Formula I, the Indy Racing League, NHRA and a myriad of other stock car, sports car, sprint car, midget, go kart and on and on...and you begin to understand that this popularity is no myth.
And, one can also quickly see that racing is a team sport. While the primary focus is on the cars and drivers who compete on the track, those drivers will tell you that they can’t be successful without a good team.
It’s this team focus that drew J.D. Byrider to the sport. We sponsor a race team that reflects the company’s passion to run at the head of the pack.
Tony Stewart
Like J.D. Byrider, Tony Stewart is from Indiana. And, like J.D. Byrider, Tony Stewart knows how to put together a winning team. He’s been a champion at every level in which he’s competed: three national go kart championships; three national championships with the United States Auto Club; the Indy Racing League Championship; Two NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships. He’s one of the premier drivers on the NASCAR circuit today. J. D. Byrider and Tony Stewart have been a team since 1997 when we began sponsoring a late model dirt-track car that Tony still drives a couple of times a year. Since then, the team has grown to three drivers: Tony in the dirt late model; Steve Barnett in another dirt late model; and Steve Kinser in a winged, open-wheel sprint car. Tony has a couple of important jobs these days: one of race team/track owner and one of driver. He’s the driving force behind Stewart Haas Racing, a newly formed company that competes primarily on the NASCAR Spring Cup circuit. Tony not only oversees the efforts of Ryan Newman, driver of the #29 U.S. Army Chevrolet, but he also pilots the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet himself. Additionally, under the Tony Stewart Racing banner, he fields two USAC Sprint and Midget racing teams as well as two teams in the World of Outlaws sprint car series. Despite this hyperactive schedule, Tony still finds time to be part of the J.D. Byrider Team and race the #14 J.D. Byrider dirt late model a couple of times a year. And we’re proud to be associated with a proven winner.
Steve Kinser
Steve is a 20-time Champion of the World of Outlaws. Being the winningest driver in the history of the program has earned Steve the title of “King of the Outlaws”. We are proud to add “The King” to the J.D. Byrider Racing Team in 2010. It’s only fitting that we have a legend such as Steve representing our brand, criss-crossing America racing a car that’s an offshoot of the old open-wheel cars driven by such legends as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford, all Indy 500 winners.
The World of Outlaws series races on short dirt ovals across the country and is one of the most exciting forms of racing anywhere. Steve’s accomplishments are legendary. One of his greatest is having won the Knoxville Nationals 12 times. Steve’s son, Kraig, raced two seasons for Tony Stewart Racing and Kraig won the Knoxville Nationals in 2005. Steve and Kraig are the only father-son duo to have won the prestigious event.
Steve was a wrestler in high school, which probably is what made him perfect for wrestling a 1200-pound, 900 horsepower winged sprint car around some of the fastest dirt ovals in America. In 1997, as a 42-year-old rookie, Steve qualified 20th and finished 14th in the granddaddy of American open wheel races, the Indianapolis 500.
Tony Stewart Racing and J.D. Byrider look forward to a great World of Outlaws season in 2011. In addition to Steve with 20 Championships, the team also boasts 4-time winner,
Donny Schatz. Schatz pilots the #15 Armor All Chevy. J.D. Byrider supports Kinser’s #11 sprinter as an associate sponsor, with Bass Pro Shops as the primary.
Steve Barnett
The J.D. Byrider team centers around good people. Tony Stewart picked Steve Barnett to be part of his dirt late model team because Steve is a proven winner – six consecutive Northern All Stars Series championships. But he also picked him because Steve’s a good guy.
We’re proud to have Steve on our team – and to have him carry the J.D. Byrider colors on his car, uniform and hauler as he travels throughout the Midwest, racing from March to October. At the venues when both Tony and Steve are racing the dirt late-models, there is a true air of excitement and an appreciation by the fans for J.D. Byrider’s commitment to racing.
We approach each business day with the same commitment as we attempt to form a “winning team” with our customers.
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