Kelly Bires
Encyclopedia
Kelly Bires is an American
stock car
driver. He currently drives the #25 Ford Mustang
for Team Rensi Motorsports
and the #18 International Comfort Products Corporation
Toyota Camry
for Joe Gibbs Racing
in the Nationwide Series.
at age 9 and began competing in national karting events at age 12. He won several regional titles and two national championships.
He became the Great Lakes Allison Legacy Series Rookie of the Year in 2000, and followed up the championship by winning the series in 2001. Bires next moved up to the Super Late Model racecars at Dells Motor Speedway, finishing fifth in points and named 2002 Rookie of the Year. The following year he finished second in championship points. Bires made his first start in ARCA
in May 2004. In 2006, he joined up with veteran American Speed Association Late Model Series
crew chief Howie Lettow and won the season championship that year.
truck in 19 races, handing over driving duties for the other six races to veteran Mark Martin. He had a tenth place finish at Atlanta
. After the departure of Jon Wood
due to illness, Bires left the Truck Series and started racing for Tad Geschickter beginning at Nashville Superspeedway
. His best Busch Series
start was 26th and best finish was 7th in the Meijer 300 presented by Oreo race at Kentucky Speedway
. Named the permanent driver of the #47 car in 2008, Bires had six top-ten finishes en route to a 13th place points finish. However, he was without a job at the end of the season due to lack of sponsorship.
, MSRP Motorsports
, and JTG where he did start and park
, as well as competing for Kevin Harvick Incorporated
and CJM Racing
. His best finish that year came at Iowa Speedway
, where he finished fifth in Bruan's Fraternal Order of Eagles
Toyota. At the end of the season, Bires signed a contract to drive for JR Motorsports
through 2011. While he did not compete in the season opening race at Daytona, he did have a seventh place finish at Auto Club. Bires had three top-twenty finishes altogether, but was released from JR Motorsports after five races.
Bires returned to the Nationwide Series in 2011, driving for Team Rensi Motorsports
. However, Bires had to start and park
his #25 on numerous occasions, and withdrew from two races. After Rensi cut back its schedule, Bires was hired by Joe Gibbs Racing
to drive their #18 Toyota at Richmond and Chicagoland.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stock car
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
driver. He currently drives the #25 Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
for Team Rensi Motorsports
Team Rensi Motorsports
Team Rensi Motorsports is a NASCAR Nationwide Series team owned by Ed Rensi, Gary Weisbaum, and formerly Sam Rensi. The team has also competed in the Winston Cup Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA racing series...
and the #18 International Comfort Products Corporation
International Comfort Products Corporation
International Comfort Products Corporation is a company that designs, manufactures and markets central air conditioning systems, gas and oil furnaces for use in homes and commercial buildings headquartered in La Vergne, Tennessee, United States....
Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
for Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...
in the Nationwide Series.
Early career
Bires began karting at Sugar River Raceway in Brodhead, WisconsinBrodhead, Wisconsin
Brodhead is a city in Green and Rock Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census. In February 2000, the city annexed a portion of land from the Town of Spring Valley in Rock County.-History:...
at age 9 and began competing in national karting events at age 12. He won several regional titles and two national championships.
He became the Great Lakes Allison Legacy Series Rookie of the Year in 2000, and followed up the championship by winning the series in 2001. Bires next moved up to the Super Late Model racecars at Dells Motor Speedway, finishing fifth in points and named 2002 Rookie of the Year. The following year he finished second in championship points. Bires made his first start in ARCA
Automobile Racing Club of America
Automobile Racing Club of America is an auto racing sanctioning body in the United States, founded in 1953 by John Marcum. The current president of ARCA is Ron Drager. The ARCA RE/MAX Series races stock cars similar to those seen in past years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and indeed most cars...
in May 2004. In 2006, he joined up with veteran American Speed Association Late Model Series
ASA Late Model Series
ASA Late Model Series is a nationally touring American stock car racing series. Founded by Ron Varney in 2003 as the "USPRO Cup Series" , it was renamed "ASA Late Model Series in when it was purchased by the American Speed Association in 2004...
crew chief Howie Lettow and won the season championship that year.
NASCAR career
2007-2008
In the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Bires was the driver of the #21 Wood Brothers RacingWood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing is an American auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. The team was formed in 1950 by the sons of Walter and Ada Wood, thus the Wood Brothers...
truck in 19 races, handing over driving duties for the other six races to veteran Mark Martin. He had a tenth place finish at Atlanta
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
. After the departure of Jon Wood
Jon Wood
Jon Wood is a NASCAR driver. He is the grandson of Glen Wood, one of the famous Wood Brothers who founded what has become Sprint Cup's longest continuously active team. Wood is currently a free agent....
due to illness, Bires left the Truck Series and started racing for Tad Geschickter beginning at Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...
. His best Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
start was 26th and best finish was 7th in the Meijer 300 presented by Oreo race at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
. Named the permanent driver of the #47 car in 2008, Bires had six top-ten finishes en route to a 13th place points finish. However, he was without a job at the end of the season due to lack of sponsorship.
2009 to present
Bires spent the 2009 season driving for various teams, including Braun RacingBraun Racing
Braun Racing was a NASCAR racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team was sold to Steve Turner in September 2010. The Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams remain active under Turner Motorsports. Following the announcement of the purchase, Turner Motorsports announced that they had...
, MSRP Motorsports
MSRP Motorsports
HP Racing, formerly named MSRP Motorsports and later Prism Motorsports, is a NASCAR team competing in the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series. It is owned by former NASCAR driver Phil Parsons and Randy Humphrey, along with their wives Stacey and Marcia...
, and JTG where he did start and park
Start and park
Start and park is a term used in NASCAR-sanctioned and other auto racing sanctioning bodies to describe the practice of racing teams starting races but pulling the car off the track after just a few laps in order to collect prize money while avoiding expenses such as replacement tires, engine wear...
, as well as competing for Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Kevin Harvick Incorporated was a NASCAR team owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana, who herself is the daughter of a former Busch Series driver, John Linville...
and CJM Racing
CJM Racing
CJM Racing was a NASCAR Nationwide Series team. They fielded the #11 car for a variety of drivers.-NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:Victory Motorsports was formed in 2006 when two businessmen, Bryan and Tony Mullet, purchased the Sprint Cup equipment of Faith Motorsports from Morgan Shepherd...
. His best finish that year came at Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful...
, where he finished fifth in Bruan's Fraternal Order of Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles International is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington by a group of six theater owners including John Cort , brothers John W. and Tim J. Considine, Harry Leavitt , Mose Goldsmith and Arthur Williams...
Toyota. At the end of the season, Bires signed a contract to drive for JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports
JR Motorsports is a NASCAR team based in Mooresville, North Carolina, co-owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, cousin and former crew chief Tony Eury, Jr., and the owner of his Cup ride Rick Hendrick. It currently fields the No...
through 2011. While he did not compete in the season opening race at Daytona, he did have a seventh place finish at Auto Club. Bires had three top-twenty finishes altogether, but was released from JR Motorsports after five races.
Bires returned to the Nationwide Series in 2011, driving for Team Rensi Motorsports
Team Rensi Motorsports
Team Rensi Motorsports is a NASCAR Nationwide Series team owned by Ed Rensi, Gary Weisbaum, and formerly Sam Rensi. The team has also competed in the Winston Cup Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA racing series...
. However, Bires had to start and park
Start and park
Start and park is a term used in NASCAR-sanctioned and other auto racing sanctioning bodies to describe the practice of racing teams starting races but pulling the car off the track after just a few laps in order to collect prize money while avoiding expenses such as replacement tires, engine wear...
his #25 on numerous occasions, and withdrew from two races. After Rensi cut back its schedule, Bires was hired by Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...
to drive their #18 Toyota at Richmond and Chicagoland.