2019 TOP TEN – Kyle Neveau
Position number nine, in the “Spears Srl Southwest Tour Series presented by Lucas Oil” Championship Standings, is held by San Clemente, CA chauffer Kyle Neveau. The 2018 SRL Rookie-of-the-Year Runner-up improved two positions over his previous year’s effort, finishing the season with one top-five and two top-10 results. He led an event for the first time in his SPEARS Southwest Tour Series career, when the series visited Irwindale Speedway (CA) in March, for the season opener. Although the event ended on lap 80 of 100, for the second-generation driver, he showed the speed that the Class Auto Motorsports Team exhibited throughout the season, at the longer half-mile tracks.
Although the team ran well at the half-miles, even winning the “Odd Heat” at the October Classic at Kern County Raceway (CA), the finishes were not what Neveau envisioned. He was disappointed with the season in general, with three DNF’s (Did Not Finish) in the nine events. He concluded the season with a finishing average of 13.7 and a qualifying average of 13.9. His qualifying average improved at the bigger tracks, however, averaging 10.3 in fields approaching 28 cars per event.
Neveau recalled, “2019 was a disappointment. We just didn’t have speed throughout the season. I honestly don’t even know where we wound up in points, but I know it wasn’t good.”
Headed into the 20th season, for the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series, Neveau is optimistic that the team will rebound, as a result of adjustments made in the off-season. A new car will hit the ground at the $25,000-to-win All-Star Showdown on February 1st. It is an event that Neveau is eager to attend, especially with his recent success at Irwindale Speedway.
“Moving into 2020, I think we’re making some necessary changes and getting our act together more than we did in 2019”, Neveau admitted. “We’re building a new car, and I’m eager to get to Irwindale to start the SRL season with it. We’ll also be running several non-SRL races again this year, starting with the @Chilly Willy in January (at Tucson Speedway, AZ). I’m looking forward to getting back to the grind.
Although the 27-year-old was disappointed in his SRL efforts, he had several impressive runs outside the series in 2019. He was one of the quickest cars in the 2019 Chilly Willy 150 throughout the weekend, before finishing 25th after a third-place start. He finished fourth in the Open Comp at the LVMS Bullring and Dirt Track (NV), and he capped off his efforts outside the series with an eighth in the “All American 400”, at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville (TN).
The opportunity to compete in the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series, as well as the special “Open Shows” the team attended in 2019, took a large effort from the team, and a lot of financial support.
“I want to thank everyone who makes this possible, including our guys, sponsors, and everyone else”, Neveau stated. “A lot of people make sacrifices for us to be able to do this, and it really means a lot to me personally. I’d also like to thank my fine sponsors at Santa Monica Brew Works, Gordon Frasier CPA, FinishMaster as well as the help we received from Willie Allen and Michael House with W.A.R. Shocks.”
The 2020 season, for the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series, will begin on February 1st, at Irwindale Speedway. The resumption of the All-Star Showdown will pay $25,000 to the winner of the 200-lap Feature Event.
Celebrating its nineteenth season in 2019, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
