SALISBURY, N.C. – After a successful inaugural run in 2018, Millbridge Speedway officials confirmed Friday afternoon that the Keith Kunz Motorsports Giveback Classic presented by Toyota Racing Development will return to the sixth-mile dirt oval, Nov. 2-4.
On the line, just as it was in the inaugural edition of the race, will be a guaranteed Chili Bowl ride from Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports.
A $10,000 bonus will be on offer should a driver decline the KKM Chili Bowl seat.
“For 2020, we got together with Jeremy and Ashly Burnett at Millbridge, and decided to have the KKM Giveback Classic presented by TRD again,” Kunz relayed Friday from Bubba Raceway Park. “It’ll be more of a format like we’re used to with midgets (on a regular basis).
“We want to see the guys qualify, so there will be qualifying, which is unusual for the micros … but then it’ll be a heat race (and) qualifier format from then on into the features,” he added. “It’s open to everyone, and the grand prize will be the Chili Bowl ride.”
The second annual KKM Giveback Classic presented by TRD will feature non-winged micro sprints, as opposed to Open outlaw karts, following the success of the micro division during the TRD Micro Showdown at Millbridge last fall.
Micro sprints will also race regularly at Millbridge this season, competing seven times on Wednesday nights and also racing on multiple Saturdays at the Salisbury, N.C. dirt track as well.
The 2020 KKM Giveback Classic presented by TRD will be comprised of time trials, heat races, qualifying races and alphabet mains, leading up to a 67-lap, $5,000-to-win grand finale with the Chili Bowl seat on offer.
However, knowing that many participating drivers might not yet be at the minimum age threshold to compete at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals – drivers must be 16 or older to race at Tulsa Expo Raceway – Kunz and the Burnetts developed a contingency plan for that and other situations as well.
“Not everyone is eligible to race the Chili Bowl, and some guys might already have rides or won’t want the ride, so with that in mind we’re offering the $10,000 option for the winner to take if they decline the ride, in addition to the $5,000 base purse,” Kunz explained. “So this race could pay $15,000 to win if a driver decides to go that route.”
Jesse Colwell was the winner of the inaugural KKM Giveback Classic in 2018, and parlayed his victory into a full-season ride with KKM that netted him a POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League championship.
After a one-year layoff from helping to hand out a Chili Bowl ride, the Burnetts are eager to renew the tradition this fall and help to potentially change the life of one lucky racer.
“Jeremy and I are really excited for everything that Keith and everybody at TRD and Toyota have done for us,” said Millbridge Speedway co-promoter Ashly Burnett. “They’ve basically changed our race track and our lives, so we’re really honored and excited to be back with Keith again and excited to see what the micro sprint guys will do.
“We’re excited to showcase the micro sprint guys; we’ve always been outlaw kart people and we stick by them, but we’re looking forward to showcasing something different this fall as well.”