Kevin Belmont

Kevin Belmont (born February 7, 1964) is an American professional motorsport driver who has competed in several top-level motorsports events such as the ARCA Re/Max Series. He is the son of Chic and Sandy Belmont, who went to a race on their first date back in the 50s. He is the younger brother of Andy Belmont who finished 3rd in the points last year in the Auto Racing Club of America's premier ARCA Re/Max Series for stock cars. An experienced racer at the local level, Kevin has had a long association with his brother's racing program. A couple of years ago, Kevin served as Andy's spotter at the short and intermediate tracks that are the core of ARCA's program.

Biography
For the 2001 season, Kevin became the on Andy's #1 America Online Ford Taurus. He would often get behind the wheel of the team's backup car and qualify it the field making the team eligible for two starting checks. Kevin would usually run 10 or 15 laps at the beginning of the race and then park the car so that he would be back in Andy's pit prior to the first pit stop. About a third of the way into the year, Andy developed an engine problem early in the race while Kevin had fast and reliable car. Spotter, and dad, Chic Belmont asked Andy over the radio what he wanted Kevin to do and was told to keep Kevin running since he had a much better chance of a good finish. Kevin wound up with a top 10 in the race.

As the year played out, Kevin continued to run well, but it presented financial problems for Andy Belmont Motorsports because they were running both programs on one sponsorship. It also spread Kevin pretty thin because he was still his brother's Crew Chief, the Driver of the second team car, the owner of a successful Sign Business back home, as well as a husband and the father of three. According to Kevin, "I'd have been OK if I hadn't needed to sleep occasionally." When the end of the season points were calculated, Andy finished 3rd behind Frank Kimmel and Jason Jarrett and Kevin was 11th.

For 2002, Belmont became full time driver for the James Hylton team in the ARCA Re/Max Series. "My deal with James is for the full year and he plans to run the full ARCA schedule." The Speedway car is Kevin's but there are already five additional race cars in the inventory. "We have one Thunderbird for Speedways and a Taurus for Talladega. They also have 3 intermediate cars and one built for short tracks." Kevin is excited about his prospects for the coming race season. "James has a great bunch at the shop and a strong crew at the track. You can't beat his experience as a driver and an owner. He wants to win and so do I. I think that my experience as Andy's will come in handy because it adds another idea to the mix and helps me communicate as a driver what the car is doing and what it needs."

Kevin traveled to North Carolina every second or third week to be with the team when they are not racing. "I still have a sign business at home to look after. That's what keeps food on the table. My customers have been great! They know what the race schedule is and are working their sign orders around it."

The first race of the season for the new team was the ARCA 200 mile race the first weekend of Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. Not having tested at Daytona over the winter, the team was late finding speed during qualifying and had to use a provisional to get into the race. The race car ran well during the race and was solidly in the middle of the field when an intense rain shower interrupted the race for more than 20 minutes at the halfway point. After the shower blew over and the track was dried, the race resumed, but the heavy clouds in the area portended an early finish. Coming off the turn two banking one of the other racers became impatient and bumped Kevin's rear bumper turning him hard into the outside wall. The ensuing caution flag turned into a red flag when it started raining again.

NASCAR had the 2002 Bud Shootout scheduled after the ARCA race and a TV window to make, so the red became a Checkered Flag with only 53 of the schedule 80 laps completed. Kevin was checked out by the Speedway's medical staff and discharged. He was sore and bruised but unhurt. Kevin uses a Hutchins Head and Neck Restraint system and was glad he did. According to Chic Belmont, "Kevin has bruises on his chest and shoulders from the seat belts and on his back from the Hutchins Device. It is obvious that it did exactly what it was supposed to in keeping his head and neck aligned with his body during the impact with the outside wall."

Other information
Belmont finished 28th in the Atlanta ARCA 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, after breaking a rear end on lap 91, while running 12th in the HorsePower Development Pontiac.

Belmont, driver of the #38 HorsePower/Midstate Communications Pontiac, started 15th but moved quickly into the 12th position by lap two. During the first caution the crew realized they had lost communication with their driver, but he signaled that he could hear his spotter, Bob Thompson. Once the race went back to green, Kevin settled back into the middle of the field due a bad set of tires. During this run, Kevin showed his patience as he maneuvered the race car continuously out of harms way. After the third caution and improved tires, Belmont recaptured his lost positions, while running .16 seconds behind the leader. Soon after a fourth caution, Belmont felt something let go in the car. At first it was thought to be the engine but soon the crew discovered a broken drive shaft. Belmont's day ended as he rolled the Pontiac back to the garage stall.

"What a bittersweet day." said Belmont. "I'm real happy with the on track performance of this car. To come from a mediocre initial practice run and then finding the changes needed to drive up the way we did. I had a lot of fun in this race car Saturday. I just couldn't believe it when we broke, we had a great car." Belmont states.

"Our Atlanta effort proved that Kevin has the ability to get speed out of the car during race conditions," said Mancinelli, owner of the HorsePower Development team. "Our chassis adjustments during Happy Hour netted us big gains, and we were grateful for the help of friends Waddell Wilson, Jeff Hammond and Jason Shapiro. We will take what we learned and race by race we will continue to improve."