Racer drives toward ultimate career goal
By Jessica Tuggle
jtuggle@hometownnewsol.com
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY - "The faster I go, the harder I smile."
Kyle Connery, 20, loves to drive, but more specifically, he loves to drive fast and win races.
His love of racing as a sport and his skills on an oval have earned him accolades through the years, and most recently, won him the title of Rookie of the Year in the 2011 F-2000 Championship series.
Mr. Connery competed in 12 races in the 2011 season. He won six of those matchups, and came in second place in two others, finishing the season as third overall in championship points.
Mr. Connery's team, C.C. Autosport, has been approached by an overseas manufacturer and he will test a new car in January for the 2012 F-2000 Championship series.
He plans to move up the racing ranks and begin competing in the Firestone Indy Light series in 2013 and 2014 and reach his dreams of racing an Indy race car in 2015.
Winning so many races this season is quite exciting and makes thinking of future seasons seem within reach, Mr. Connery said.
Reaching speeds upward of 130 miles per hour is a great thrill and it never ceases to push him toward wanting to improve himself.
"Speed is something that is very deep inside me. The more I do this, the greater respect I have for what I'm doing. I'm very privileged to be able to compete at the front. When we're doing well, we're able to pull off passes normal people wouldn't think possible," Mr. Connery said.
Mr. Connery was born in Stuart and graduated from Vero Beach High School in 2010. He is currently pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at Indian River State College between races.
He began his racing career at the tender age of 13 on dirt tracks with go-karts and transitioning through the years to asphalt and full-size racecars.
The current car driven by the C.C. Autosport team is a Formula Continental entry built by Van Diemen. He will race on pro-tracks such as Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen and Virginia International Raceway in the coming year.
Finding sponsorships is crucial to continue his racing career, said Jack Matera, team manager.
"In these times, auto racing is a very expensive sport," said Mr. Matera.
"In Kyle we have a really great talent. He entered 12 professional races and won six of them. He comes from a great family, has great skills and is a great student. We welcome anyone to get involved," Mr. Matera said.
For more information about Mr. Connery, visit www.kyleconnery.com.