Bradley Kilby- Virginia’s Rising Star
Bradley celebrates another 2017 victory
photo courtesy of Kilby Racing
Fourteen year-old Bradley Kilby from the historic town of Bealeton
Virginia had a very successful 2017 racing season as he captured ten race victories
at two tracks in fifteen outings. Bradley won the 2017 INEX Bandolero championship
at Dominion Raceway and fell just one point shy of winning the 2017 INEX Bandolero
championship at Langley Speedway. INEX is the sanctioning body for Legends
racing worldwide is the third largest short track racing sanctioning body in the
world and boasts current NASCAR stars Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Austin
Dillion as alumni.
Bradley on a victory lap in his Bandolero
photo courtesy of Kilby Racing
Bradley who hones his skills off the track on iracing.com drove
machines owned by his parents Wes and Lorri Kilby with sponsorship from MN Upholstery
Services, Express Auto Service, Robert Dodson & Son, Sky Signs, Laymans
Drafting Service and Tower Racing. Bandoleros are tube-chassis cars which stand
only 34 inches tall, powered by a sealed 30-horsepower Briggs & Stratton Vanguard
V-twin engine connected to a centrifugal clutch. A 750-pound full-fendered Bandolero car rides
on 6-inch wheels fitted with spec tires with adjustable coil over shock
absorbers on the rear wheel which places a premium on driver ability.
Bradley celebrates his runner up finish
at the 2017 Langley Speedway banquet
photo courtesy of Kilby Racing
Dominion Raceway in Thornburg Virginia where Kilby claimed five
victories in six starts enroute to his 2017 track championship is a slightly
banked 4/10-mile asphalt track, similar to the historic .397 mile Langley
Speedway in Hampton Virginia where Bradley finished just one point behind the
INEX Bandolero track champion Jacob Putman, although Kilby scored five City
Cycle Corporation series wins during the season compared to Putman’s two wins.
Bradley with Frank Kimmel
photo by the author
While at the 2017 edition of the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in Indianapolis in early December, Bradley networked with and learned valuable career lessons from racing legends that included 10-time ARCA racing series champion Frank Kimmel and long-time IndyCar crew chief and current Harding Racing team manager Larry Curry.
For the 2018 racing season, Bradley Kilby is moving up in
class to race the Dominion Raceway Late Model series with a Chevrolet-bodied car
powered by a Chevrolet ‘603’ crate engine fed by a two barrel carburetor. The 17-race
DRLM series kicks off on April 7 2018 and will continue through October 20. Check
back on this site frequently during the 2018 racing season to keep up with Bradley’s success,
and remember to “like” Kilby Racing on Facebook.
Bradley practices his victory lane pose next to the car of
Austin Theriault the 2017 ARCA champion
photo by the author