Ryan Timms wanted to send a message at the high banks when the USAC National Midget Championship opened its season at the Belleville Highbanks on May 19-20.
The 16-year-old, who essentially came into fame last year after winning an impressive smattering of winged sprint car races, was anxious to show his skills aboard the No. 67 Keith Kunz Motorsports ride.
Timms had replaced two-time series champion Buddy Kofoid, who previously wheeled the coveted No. 67, in December and felt as if he had a lot to prove on the midget circuit — despite collecting two USAC wins in limited action last season.
But when the bell rang in Kansas, Timms answered.
The Oklahoma native rocketed to the front of the field and led 27 of 30 laps during the Friday night feature, keeping Jake Andreotti and Zach Daum at bay. All felt well and good, until Timms finished 14th the following night.
“It hasn’t gone too great after that, but I think it’s more on the driver’s part,” Timms said.
Known for his natural flair behind the wheel of a 410 winged sprint car, the lanky teen readily admits the transition to a midget has been a challenge.
Amid tackling new tracks on the USAC circuit, dialing in a different driving style and racing without a wing, Timms has some things to figure out — and he knows it.
But he’s steadily been filling up his mental notebook to help speed up the learning curve and better understand the different track tendencies of each car.
“When it comes to running a curb in a midget versus a sprint car, in a sprint car you can just flat-foot it and go wide open. A midget, you need to be more careful, but you still got to be on it at the same time,” Timms said.
Timms still has frequent opportunities to flex his muscles in a winged sprint car, as he’s made several starts in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, High Limit Sprint Car Series and United Sprint Car Series (USCS), among others, so far this season.
But as far as his KKM responsibilities go, the Oklahoma native plans to keep a narrow focus on chasing the USAC national midget championship. He’s also been a regular contender in the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series.
“They expect me to win races,” Timms said, referring to KKM. “They don’t expect me to dominate and set the world on fire, but I expect it for myself.”
As is true for many drivers, it is the addictive nature of winning that has its hooks in Timms. To the 16-year-old, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of holding the checkered flag at the end of the night.
“It’s the best part, and it’s kind of why you do it,” Timms said. “You have to take your losses and it’s not going to be a good night every night. But as long as you learn something from it and it drives you to keep going, you’ll have a good year.”
Following Belleville, Timms patiently persevered through a rough patch on the USAC midget circuit, which included six consecutive finishes outside the top 10.
But on June 11, he put the No. 67 back in victory lane at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway to cap off USAC’s Indiana Midget Week and experience a moment of glory once again.