Kirk Morgan has announced that 17-year-old Colton Bettis has been hired to drive the Kirk Morgan Racing asphalt sprint car.
Bettis is in pursuit of a third consecutive BG Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series Championship and is the current points leader. Bettis just coming off a third-place finish with the Race for the Million series at Berlin Raceway solidifying his reputation as one of the sports rising young talents.
The deciding factor may have been the fact they live a mere three minutes from each other in Lutz, Florida.
“Also, Colton’s grandfather Tony Carreno and I have been friends for close to 30 years” explained Morgan. “I’ve been watching Colton race since he was three years old. I’ve supported him for a long time. I wanted him to gain some good experience under his belt before he came and raced for us. I knew this would eventually happen, and the experience would be important in preparing him for the opportunities ahead.”
Bettis now becomes the third full-time driver for the Kirk Morgan Racing team since its inception in 2021
Morgan is a successful business owner from Lutz, Florida, who owns and operates Morgan Exteriors. The team has won numerous Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series and Must See Racing events in the past. The team also captured the 2022 Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series title.
“We plan to run a full schedule in 2027 that includes the Race for the Million, Open Wheel Showdown, Must See, the two-or-three-winged races that were announced but not all the details were unveiled yet,” Morgan said. “We’ll be busy doing as many as we can. I’d be happy if we could run a top five right out of the gate. I have a lot of faith in Colton; he’s a heck of a wheel man and when he shows up at the track it’s known that he has a shot.”
Bettis has been racing pavement sprint cars since he was 10 years old. In 2021, at just 12 years old, Bettis won the Showtime Speedway Sprint Car Championship, becoming the youngest pavement sprint car champion in the sport’s history.
“This is a great opportunity for both sides” stated Bettis. “It takes a lot of pressure off my family and me. Kirk’s given me a great opportunity and I’m going to run with it. Kirk always told me I’d be his driver someday. I got a call a week or so ago. I appreciate him giving me a chance. Kirk has been with me since I started, and now I’m getting the opportunity to drive for him.
“A huge part of all of this coming together was the fact we live so close together. It’s so convenient for both of us when we need to test, or scale, I’m only three minutes from his house. I can ride my bike there. I enjoy time in the shop. I like working on the car and learning new things. It’s one of my favorite parts of racing.”
Bettis will now get the chance to work with team crew chief Todd Schmidt. Schmidt has had tremendous success with drivers Dave Steele, Troy DeCaire and Davey Hamilton Jr., among others. Bettis’s longtime mechanic Tra Pissot will also play a key role with the team
“It’s pretty cool getting to work with Todd. He’s worked with some greatest to ever do it; he’s been able to watch me come through the ranks. Hopefully, I can carry on the tradition and the success of the driver’s he’s worked with over the years,” finished Bettis.
