#88 Kelly Bires drives the Hendrickcars.com NASCAR - bio
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Kelly Bires
Birthdate: August 25, 1984
Hometown: Mauston, Wisconsin
Marital Status: Single
Resides: Kannapolis, N.C.
Kelly Bires became JR Motorsports’ newest talent in September 2009, signing with the company to take over the highly competitive and extremely visible driver’s seat of the No. 88 Chevrolets in 2010.
Unlike JRM drivers who preceded him, Bires was not necessarily a discovery by team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., but rather a sought-after up-and-comer that had credentials to boast. At just 25 years of age, the Mauston, Wisconsin native had already frequented the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series for two years, the latter of which he scored three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
Bires signed with JR Motorsports prior to the end of the 2009 season, and competed in his first race under the JRM banner in the series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
Like many young drivers, Bires was bitten by the racing bug early. By the age of 12 he had already nailed down two Regional Karting Titles. By 14 he had added consecutive national championships. He entered the Allison Legacy Car Series at 15 and in two years, he won the two most prestigious awards, Rookie of the Year (2000) and Series Champion (2001). After making the move to the late model ranks in 2002, Bires ran locally in Wisconsin for two years before moving to Charlotte to pursue a career in NASCAR. It was to the detriment of his competitors when he showed up to the ASA Late Model Series in 2006, as he notched seven wins, four poles, 15 top-five finishes and no finishes out of the top-10 in 17 starts. He was the runaway winner of the series championship and Rookie of the Year honors.
Representatives from JTG Racing took notice of his successful year and signed Bires to drive one of its two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entries in 2007. As an added benefit for Bires, he received tutelage from veteran Mark Martin, who teamed with him in the series early in the season. A mid-season opportunity to race in the Nationwide Series presented itself, and Bires wasted no time to take it. He debuted in the No. 47 Clorox car for JTG Daugherty Racing at the Meijer 300 race at Kentucky Speedway, where he impressed competitors by finishing seventh after starting 26th. Bires ended his promising rookie season with two top-10 finishes.
In 2008, Bires continued to run for JTG, earning one top-five and six top-10 finishes. In 2009, Bires was tapped for a part-time schedule, driving select races for Kevin Harvick, Inc., as well as Braun Racing, and CJM Racing. In four competitive starts, Bires earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Additionally, Bires made one ARCA start at Talladega in 2009 where he led 35 laps and finished ninth.
In his spare time, Bires enjoys being outdoors snowmobiling and hunting, especially in his native Wisconsin.
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