Hibbing driver eyes one more big win, the Silver 1000 [Duluth News Tribune, Minn.]

Sept. 02--Kyle Peterlin of Hibbing jokes he was born at a race track because his family spent so much time going to the races, but he never pictured himself being a driver.

That changed when Hibbing Raceway added a Pure Stock division.

With urging from his mother, Sandra, Peterlin decided to give it a try despite being just 14 at the time. Now 10 years later, he is one of the top drivers on the local circuit.

Peterlin won Late Model point titles at Hibbing and Proctor speedways this season, and tonight at Proctor he hopes to cement his banner year with a victory in the 38th annual Silver 1000, the granddaddy of local stock car races.

"We've had a really good season at Proctor, so I'd like to be able to cap it off, but it's tough competition," Peterlin said. "You've got the regulars, who are always tough to beat, and then you've got guys who come in for the big races, like Pat Doar and Steve Laursen. I call them 'The Travelers' because they don't really have a home track. They just go wherever the money is. So for the Silver, it could be a little bit of everybody."

Jeff Provinzino of Hibbing (Late Models) and Duane Dale of Aurora (Modifieds) are the defending Silver 1000 Late Model champions.

Peterlin got a career-best second at the Silver 1000 in 2007 after a disqualification moved him up a place. That was his first year racing Late Models, WISSOTA's top class, after six years racing Pure Stocks and Super Stocks. He was just 20 at the time.

Larry Peterlin, Kyle's father and the owner of Town and Country Builders in Hermantown, provided the financial backing and technical support.

"My dad raced for five years or so in the early 1980s, but the technology had changed a lot since then," Kyle Peterlin said. "We pretty much had to learn it all on our own.

"I've had good race cars ever since I started, but when you get into a Late Model, you can't just have good stuff. You've got to set it up right and know what you need for every type of track."

Peterlin got advice from other drivers and twice attended a special school for setting up race cars. The result has paid off. This year he has 10 wins and is a career-best third in the WISSOTA national points standings.

"My family treats racing like a year-round job," Kyle Peterlin said. "My mom originally pushed us into it, and at first I was nervous about it. I never envisioned myself being where I am now. Someday I'd like to race on the World of Outlaws tour, but that's really as far as I'd ever care to go. I'm not really into asphalt."

COMO MODIFIED SERIES

Tonight's race is held in conjunction with the Como Modified Series. With five races to go in the nine-race series, Joey Jensen of Forest Lake, Minn., holds a 213-199 lead over Darrell Nelson of Hermantown in the season points standings, with the series winner earning $10,000.

Series founder Joe Stariha has worked with driver Kelly Estey of Kelly Lake to raise more than $6,500 for the Midwest Modified purse for this weekend's Labor Day Shootout at Hibbing, making for a total purse of $10,000, one of the highest purses in WISSOTA history for the division.

To see more of the Duluth News Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544)