AUTO RACING: Kinzer Enjoys The Street Fight Crowd At Bristol Dragway

By Allen Gregory
Sports Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: June 12, 2008

BRISTOL, Tenn.  _ J.W. Kinzer eased up to the light with a look of intense concentration.

It had been another long day at work, and Kinzer was eager to release some stress in bold fashion.

As a crowd of onlookers gathered, Kinzer sped away at 124 miles per hour in his flame-red 2007 Porsche 997 twin-turbo.
Not bad for a 79-year-old.

“This is a wonderful car, and I have lot of fun with it,” Kinzer said.

The Kentucky businessman was just part of the diverse scene during the weekly Thursday night edition of Street Fights at Bristol Dragway.

Like many participants, Kinzer was joined in the pits by a cadre of friends and co-workers. Kinzer owns the Allen, Ky.-based Kinzer Drilling Company.
“I just love this (Street Fights) program,’’ Kinzer said. “It beats anything I’ve ever seen. There may be bigger tracks than Bristol Dragway, but I’ve never seen better.”

And Kinzer has seen much in the competitive arenas of big business and motorsports. His resume includes four national championships in motorcycle hillclimbing.

“Racing has been in the blood of my family for a long time,” said Kinzer, former owner of Coeburn’s Lonesome Pine Raceway. “I used to have a Honda dealership, and that’s how my two sons got involved in the sport of motorcycle hillclimbing.

“We traveled the United States and Canada. We even went to Widowmaker in Utah, which is the largest hillclimb in the world. Over time, I kind of got addicted to it.”

Kinzer won his first championship at age 50, eventually matching the record of his oldest won Terry with four national titles and two Canadian championships.

Brandon Kinzer, grandson of J.W., is a familiar name among fans of Super Late Model dirt racing across the country. He will compete at Talladega Saturday.

For J.W. Kinzer, the Street Fights feed his unending need for speed. He competes in both the King of Strip and Charter Bandits classes, which are designed for the fastest cars.

“It’s fun to see all the different types of street cars out here,” Kinzer said. “I’ve been beat a few times, but I don’t think we we’ve ever been beat by a street regulation car.”

Kinzer leaves the high-tech mechanical tricks to the younger crowd. He’s all about the basics.

“My car is set up to do 195 miles per hour, but the fastest I’ve had it on the track is 145,” Kinzer said. “This car handles like a dream on the highway, and it’s got pretty much everything in it except a telephone.”

That’s just fine for Kinzer, who oversees a century-old company which features 100 employees who maintain 1,800 oil and gas wells.

“Coming to the dragway is a great way to forget about business and everything else,” Kinzer said. “We never really were that much interested in drag racing before. Of course after I got this car, I became more interested.”

Brad Barker, who serves as the accountant to the Kinzer Drilling Company, was among a group of six friends who made the trip to Bristol on the company jet Thursday.

“J.W. is in the office at 7 every morning,” Barker said. “Drag racing is a great opportunity for us get away from business for an evening and compete at a first-place facility.
“J.W. loves everything about it, and we have another employee who competes with a 2003 Cobra Terminator.”

For his first pass Thursday, Kinzer and his Porsche was matched up against a female driver in a Firebird.

“We don’t run against anyone in particular, it just comes down to whoever is in the other lane,” said Kinzer, who posted a speed of 124.91 in his second pass. “Folks are real helpful out here. Everybody has a good time.”

And Kinzer plans to keep speeding the rest of the summer.

“I wouldn’t doubt that I was the oldest participant on the track,” Kinzer said. “I’m just going to take one year at a time, then see what happens.
“I’m having a lot of fun right now.”

Notes: The Street Fights program, which averages 200 participants, continues through Sept. 11. Most events are held on Thursday, with the next program set for June 19. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 6.  Admission is $5 for spectators and $10 to race. For more information, call (423) 764-DRAG, or visit http://www.bristoldragway.com.
(276) 645-2544.