Kenny Irwin Jr.
2018 NMARHOF Inductee
Kenny Irwin, Jr. began his racing career in quarter midgets
while in the second grade, but his racing career took a detour from 1988 to 1991
as he and his father raced a family-owned Buick Somerset in SCCA Trans-Am and
IMSA GT racing series. In 1991 Kenny debuted in midgets with both the All-American
Midget Series (AAMS) and the United States Auto Club (USAC).
Kenny claimed the 1992 AAMS championship in a season
highlighted by a pair of wins on the high banks at Winchester Speedway and single
wins at Salem Speedway and Indianapolis Raceway Park while he also challenged
Stevie Reeves for the USAC national midget title.
Irwin opened his 1993 campaign with a win in
the Toronto Sky Dome Grand Prix 100, as he led the final 75 laps around the 1/6-mile
oval and held off John Andretti for the win.
At the end of season, Kenny again finished a close second place to the
repeat USAC Midget national champion Reeves.
In 1994, Irwin finished fourth in USAC national midget
points, then in August 1995 Kenny won his first and second USAC dirt races on
the same day, as he won the Silver Crown and midget races at the Springfield
Illinois mile dirt track. During the
1996 USAC national midget season, Kenny drove for Steve Lewis’ Nine Racing team
and scored two wins, at Richmond Virginia and Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota,
and claimed the 1996 USAC National Midget Series Championship.
For 1997 Irwin went to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series full-time,
won two races and earned Rookie of the Year honors. In 1998 he moved up to the Winston
Cup series and again was named Rookie of the Year. Kenny lost his life in July 2000 in a
practice crash at New Hampshire International Speedway only one month away from
his 31st birthday.
In addition to his eight career USAC National Midget Series
wins Irwin’s open wheel career record also count six USAC Silver Crown Series
wins and seven career USAC National Sprint Car Series wins. The National Auto
Racing Hall of Fame is honored to welcome Kenny Irwin Jr. as a 2018 inductee.
