Borrowed car can't even stop Borgman

Sportsman #72 Kyle Borgman

Thursday, July 05, 2007
By Scott Brandenburg Chronicle correspondent

Kyle Borgman's on such a roll on the local auto racing circuits not even a blown out motor can stop him.

Two weekends ago, Borgman blew the engine of his white Monte Carlo in a heat race at Thunderbird Raceway, putting his string of consecutive weeks with a win in jeopardy.

Luckily though Borgman's girlfriend, Sarah Klein, had a sister, Sadie Klein, who was willing to let him race her red Monte Carlo in the feature race.

Despite starting eighth in the field and with a different car Borgman again blistered the field for another win, his third in three weeks at Thunderbird.

This race he won while using a borrowed car just happened to be the mid-season championships.

"It had a similar setup and it only took me a lap or two to get comfortable with it," said Borgman, a recent Oakridge graduate. "Every time I go into a race I think I'm going to win. If you don't have that mentality, then why race?"

Borgman now has four wins at Thunderbird this season. He's also got two wins over at Winston Motor Speedway.

In all the 18-year-old Muskegonite has six wins in 19 races with no end in sight.

Borgman's dad Dan may give him some competition in the near future though. A racing veteran, dad liked the way Borgman handled the red Monte Carlo so much he bought it from Sadie Klein.

"I told him good luck," said Borgman when he found out his dad bought the car. "He's a good driver. It should be a lot of fun racing against him."

Borgman's had nothing but fun since moving up to the Sportsman Class at Thunderbird near the end of last season. That's when he purchased his Monte Carlo.

Borgman posted a late win last year and has been tearing up the track ever since.

The most impressive win Borgman's posted this season was when he began a race in the 14 slot and moved all the way up to take the checkered flag.

"There's a lot of turns and not a lot of straightaways so it's not that easy to pass," said Borgman. "I just look to see where the car ahead of me is going and then make my move. If it's up then I go down and if they're down then I go up."

Borgman and his dad and mom Jill all work for the family business, Borgman Tree Service. He says he helps out over 30 hours a week with the company when they're busy.

In the down time, Borgman spends "a lot" of time working on the car along with Dick Grenell.

Lately, Borgman's been spending plenty of time in the winner's circle too.