Kelly Bires
Nationwide Series
Kelly Bires is another great driver in the Wood Brothers stable. Very good qualifer with solid track presence, Kelly can get through a pack.
Kelly has been moved up to the Busch Series of late and is running exceptional well. Perhaps too well as he is showing that he just might be primed enough for the big time.
This is Kelly's second stop as a developmental driver, first one was with FitzBradshw, and he is planning on making the best of the oppourtunity. Bires would make a great addition to any Busch or Cup team and the Wood Brothers might want to consider making him a permanant fixture in the organization
If you think that Kelly Bires is a true wheelman at the racetrack, you should inquire about his two straight Wisconsin State Wrestling Titles and his high school GPA of 3.975. He finished sixth in his graduating class despite spending most weekends on the competitive Wisconsin asphalt tracks.
The 22-year old rookie will split time with veteran and legend Mark Martin in the No. 21 Ford F-150 in the Craftsman Truck Series for the 2007 season. Like most hot-shoe drivers, Bires got the racing bug early by nailing down two State Karting Titles by the age of 12. He entered the Allison Legacy Car Series at 15 and in two years, he won the two most prestigious awards.
In 2001, he was Rookie of the Year. In 2002, he was the Series Champion. Clearly, Bires has a pretty short learning curve when it comes to going fast and turning left. After moving up to the late model ranks in Wisconsin in 2001, Bires caught the attention of the Busch Series team, FitzBradshaw, of who signed him to a developmental test driving contract. After working at the shop and learning all of the ins and outs of car setup, Bires returned to Wisconsin in 2005, anxious to kick-start his late model career once again.
It was to the detriment of his competitors when he showed up in the ASA Late Model Series in 2006. His stunning performance speaks for itself—seven wins, four poles, 15 top-five finishes and none out of the top-10 in seventeen starts. Without question, he was the run away winner of the Rookie of the Year Title.
Wood Brothers/JTG Representatives took notice of his dominant year and signed Kelly Bires to drive one of their two Craftsman Truck Series entries in 2007. In a major plus for Bires, he will receive tutelage from Mark Martin, who will drive the F-150 in five events, leaving the remainder of the season to the Wonderkid from Wisconsin.
In 2007, Bires will be released on the unsuspecting public and is sure to quickly become both a fan favorite and a habitual resident of Victory Lane
