Rasmussen rules opener for Western RaceSaver Sprint Series

Kyle Rasmussen won the Feb. 23 season opener for the Western RaceSaver Sprint Series at Keller Auto Speedway. (Photo by Paul Trevino Photos)

HANFORD, Calif. (Feb. 23) – Opening night checkers flew for Kyle Rasmussen in the Friday night lidlifter for the Western RaceSaver Sprint Series at Keller Auto Speedway.

Rasmussen led the last 10 circuits of the 25-lapper for IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars after starting sixth. The winner in his first IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season outing of 2019, Rasmussen was chased across the stripe by Mike Schott and Brooklyn Holland.

“I had a really good handling car. I could put it wherever I wanted and it worked,” he said. “The engine my grandfather (Ron) built in-house was a monster.”

Rasmussen made the top line work in the first set of turns and ran the middle to bottom on the other end of the track.

He’d won a couple series events last year, during his first full season in the division.

Feature results – 1, Kyle Rasmussen; 2. Mike Schott; 3. Brooklyn Holland; 4. Grant Champlin; 5. Brendan Warmerdam; 6. Connor Danell; 7. Ryan Delisle; 8. Phil Heynen; 9. Lance Jackson; 10. Michael Pombo; 11. Brandon Emmett; 12. Kevin MacIntosh; 13. Mauro Simone.