{"id":25763,"date":"2019-08-21T10:10:56","date_gmt":"2019-08-21T14:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/?p=25763"},"modified":"2019-08-21T10:10:58","modified_gmt":"2019-08-21T14:10:58","slug":"kyle-gero-up-front-in-limited-sportsman-title-chase-at-thompson-speedway-motorsports-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/2019\/08\/kyle-gero-up-front-in-limited-sportsman-title-chase-at-thompson-speedway-motorsports-park\/","title":{"rendered":"KYLE GERO UP FRONT IN LIMITED SPORTSMAN TITLE CHASE AT THOMPSON SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KYLE GERO UP FRONT IN LIMITED SPORTSMAN TITLE CHASE AT THOMPSON SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Kyle Souza, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

THOMPSON, Conn. —<\/strong> With just three races remaining in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season, Kyle Gero is right in the middle of a tight Limited Sportsman championship race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former Thompson Mini Stock competitor, and New London-Waterford Speedbowl X-Car champion, is second, just eight points out in the title fight. He\u2019s trailing two-time and defending division champion Shawn Monahan, who has three wins in the first seven events.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

For Gero, this season has been about improving the setup and continuing to seek his first victory after a little bit of a learning curve over the last few years. Moving to the Limited Sportsman division was a welcomed challenge for Gero, who seems to be excelling in his second season. Before returning to Thompson competition, Gero had been off for more than one decade at the Connecticut oval. His Mini Stock days were in the early 2000s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGoing from a front-wheel drive car that made around 125 horsepower to a rear-wheel drive car that makes over 300 is definitely a huge difference. The track was familiar to me, and I had been up to Thompson watching races, but one of the things I\u2019m just now starting to get down is what they had to do to the track in turns three and four for the road course,\u201d Gero said. \u201cWhen I ran before, there was a line there where you could gauge where you were in the turn, but now there isn\u2019t. It was something I struggled last year with while trying to find some marks to stick with every lap.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though he started his season with two finishes outside the top 10, since then, it\u2019s been all about consistency. Gero finished fifth in the third race of the season and has followed it up with three second-place efforts and a fourth.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always thought that we are going to the track with a chance to win, otherwise we wouldn\u2019t go. We did a lot of work over the winter, so it doesn\u2019t surprise me to be where we are at. What\u2019s surprised me the most is my ability to see what has been going on out on the track,\u201d Gero said. \u201cThe guys up front have been beating and banging a little bit more at the beginning of races, and I\u2019ve just been sitting back and watching it and saying that I would capitalize when something happens. We\u2019re very grateful to be where we are at.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His career started at a young age, competing in go-karts for many years, winning races and countless championships. In fact, in one season, he was able to win all the races in his division, traveling from Connecticut to Maine to compete each week. After building the Mini Stock and competing for a few years, it was time for a step away.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI needed a break, and my dad needed a break after that,\u201d Gero said. \u201cI had my eyes on something different at the time, but I wish I would have stayed with it. I raced four-wheelers for a few years competitively, then I started helping some guys out at the track with their cars and I decided I would step back into it slowly.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His slow step back into racing saw him carrying a championship trophy at another Connecticut track, then decide it was time to step back to Thompson to try and chase a NASCAR championship.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust as much work goes into the go-kart compared to the race car,\u201d Gero said. \u201cThe 10-race schedule isn\u2019t too much for us \u2013 working full-time and having limited help, it works.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gero also knows competing in the Limited Sportsman isn\u2019t easy. A total of 36 drivers have taken the green flag this season, and it wouldn\u2019t be a surprise to see a few more drivers enter the division before the end of the year. For Gero to be only eight points back with three races left, he\u2019s pleased. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are starting to learn more about what we need to do with the setups,\u201d Gero said. \u201cThe adjustments have been big for us. These cars are over 3,000 pounds and it takes a lot to wheel one of them. You have a big heavy race car with a decent amount of power, they aren\u2019t going to handle that great. I\u2019ve always been a smooth driver and being smooth in a Sportsman almost goes out the window. You have to manhandle them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, with the support of his dad, family and crew, as well as Advanced Overhead Door, Thames Electric, 1-800-blacktop, Tick Mike, Park Roway Commercial Doors, JS Landscaping, KLT Industries and Lathrop Construction, Gero is in a good position to chase two goals down the stretch.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s hoping to earn his first win and contend to become the Thompson Limited Sportsman champion as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust have to take it race by race — I try not to points race because it can mess up your head and take a little bit of the fun away,\u201d Gero said. \u201cWe definitely have to be a little better on the setups. We are doing a little bit different package for the last three races. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is always that chance of a championship, which would be amazing. I want to win a race but standing up there on the stage at the end of the year is why we are all doing this.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park returns to NASCAR racing action on Sunday, September 1, with all five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions and Lock City Drift. Race fans and teams are reminded that this is the make-up date for the June 30 show that was rained out. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KYLE GERO UP FRONT IN LIMITED SPORTSMAN TITLE CHASE AT THOMPSON SPEEDWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK  By Kyle Souza, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park  THOMPSON, Conn. — With just three races remaining in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season, Kyle Gero is right in the middle of a tight Limited Sportsman championship race.  The former Thompson Mini Stock competitor, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-connecticut","category-thompson"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25763"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25764,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25763\/revisions\/25764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newenglandracingnews.com\/16\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}