Decades
of
Indy Cars
Decades
of
MIDGETS
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
National Midget Racers Hall of Fame
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King of the Midgets
The 2000's
This photo appears courtesy of www.SteveHardin.com
Mel and Brice Kenyon (above) at the Hut 100 at Terre Haute on April 9, 2000
March 11, 2000 - Thunder in the Dome XVI @ RCA Dome, Indianapolis - Mel and son, Brice competed in the Team Indiana heat #2, with Mel winning the 12 lap heat and Brice placing 6th. In the 40 lap Team Indiana feature Mel placed 9th and Brice finished 15th. In the 100 lap Main Event against Team USA, Mel finished 17th.
This photo appears courtesy of www.SteveHardin.com
This photo appears courtesy of www.SteveHardin.com
Mel at the Rumble in the Dome at the RCA Dome.
Photo courtesy of www.fansview.com
Mel in action at the "Rumble in the Dome" at the RCA Dome.
September 15, 2001 - ARCA Auto Value Midget Series Event #10 @ Toledo Speedway, Ohio - Mel started 17th and finished 13th in the feature.
2001 - Mel finished 9th in the Championship points for NAMARS Hawk Performance/MSI Regional Midget Car Series.
Photo courtesy of Trains and Racing.com
December 28, 2001 - Rumble in the Expo @ Fort Wayne - Mel wins the "B" Main (above).
February 19, 2002 - Florida Winternationals @ Orlando Speedworld - Mel qualified 24th fastest which started him in 2nd of the 5th heat race. He finished 5th which forced him to try to make the main event by way of the semi. In the semi main Mel started 9th and finished 6th, not good enough to transfer to the Main.
February 20, 2002 - Florida Winternationals @ Orlando Speedworld - Mel started on the pole of heat #1 and finished 2nd which transferred him directly to the Main event where he started in the 9th position but ended up 18th.
February 21, 2002 - Florida Winternationals @ Orlando Speedworld - Mel started on the pole of heat #3 and finished 4th. In the main event Mel started in 13th and finished 12th overall.
Photo courtesy of Trains and Racing.com
May 23, 2002 - NAMARS 500 @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel qualified for the event 22nd fastest. In the main event Mel started 21st and finished 27th. (above)
May 30, 2002 - Detroit Diesel 100 @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel qualified 9th fastest. Mel started heat #3 in fourth position but crossed the line in 1st. In the main Mel started 9th and finished 10th.
June 6, 2002 - American Dream 100 @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel qualified 11th fastest. Mel started heat #2 in fourth and won the heat. Mel started the main event in 11th and finished 9th.
June 13, 2002 - Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel started and finished in 5th in the first heat race and in the main Mel started 14th and finished 14th.
June 20, 2002 - Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel started 6th and finished 5th in heat #1. In the main Mel started 9th but finished 13th.
June 22, 2002 - Hooters Pro Cup Kroger 250 @ Indianapolis Raceway Park - Mel qualified 10th fastest and started and finished the main event in the 9th position.
June 28, 2002 - Camden, Indiana Mel Kenyon won his 380th career feature victory this evening in the Series that bears his namesake. The sixty-nine year old Midget Car master lead all thirty laps of the NAMARS Kenyon Midget Car Series event at Camden Raceway, covering a tight field filled with the best young guns the Series has to offer. Mel started on the pole by virtue of the pill draw performed by fast qualifier, track record holder, and Series point leader Rookie Bryan Clauson. Mel off challenge after challenge, lap after lap. Patience and experience prevailed as none of the young, hard chargers was able to stick a pass high or low. Mel Kenyon was able to deliver many lessons to the field of young & hard chargers during the 24-minute event. Several cautions gave the field plenty of chances to combat for the lead, but Kenyon's car and skill got better and better as the track slicked off by race end. At the line it was Kenyon by a nose over Jamie Williams, Mario Marietta, Bryan Clauson, and Series veteran, Scott Thoman.
June 30, 2002 - Kokomo Speedway - Mel finished 6th in heat #3 and finished 8th in the semi failing to make the main event.
July 4, 2002 - Cold Fire Independence Nationals @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel was 11th fastest qualifier and started heat #2 in 3rd and finished 4th. Mel finished 17th overall in the main event.
July 11, 2002 - Thursday Night Thunder presented by American Dream Mortgage @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel started heat #2 in 1st and finished 2nd. In the main event Mel started first and finished 5th.
July 13, 2002 - Lawrenceburg Speedway - Mel finished 4th in heat #4 and in the main event Mel started 16th and finished 14th on the dirt oval.
Photo courtesy of Tom Eidemiller
Mel at the Speedrome in 2002
July 18, 2002 - COMCAST 100 / Pavement Triple Crown @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel was 13th fastest qualifier and started heat #1 in 4th and finished in 2nd. In the main event Mel started 11th and finished in 9th.
July 19, 2002 - RPM Safety Gear/Pavement Triple Crown @ Shady Bowl Speedway - Mel was 18th fastest qualifier and started heat #2 in 4th and finished 6th. Mel easily transferred into the main event by finishing 2nd in the semi after starting 4th. Then the rains came and the main event was postponed until Saturday, 10/5/02.
July 20, 2002 - Pavement Triple Crown @ Columbus Motor Speedway - Mel was 24th fastest and started heat #4 in 4th and finished 3rd. In the main event Mel started and finished in the 19th position.
July 25, 2002 - Thursday Night Thunder @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel was 6th fastest on time and in heat #3 Mel started 4th and finished 1st! In the main event Mel started third and finished 3rd.
August 1, 2002 - NAMARS Regional Event @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel was 4th fastest qualifier and in heat #2 Mel started 5th and worked his way up to the front for the heat race victory. In the main event Mel started 7th and finished 6th.
August 8, 2002 - Thursday Night Thunder @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel started 6th and finished 5th in heat #1. In the main event Mel started and finished in the 2nd position.
August 9, 2002 - Hales Corners, WI - Mel finished 9th in heat #2 and had to race the semi where he failed to transfer into the main with an 11th place finish.
August 17, 2002 - Indiana Five Crown Nationals @ Lincoln Park Speedway - Mel started fifth and finished 8th in heat #3. In the semi, Mel started 15th and worked his way to 9th place, good enough to transfer to the main. In the main, Mel started 21st and finished in the 14th position.
August 18, 2002 - Indiana Five Crown Nationals @ Kokomo Speedway - Mel started and finished heat 3 in 5th position. In the main event Mel started 20th and wound up 14th.
August 22, 2002 - Thursday Night Thunder @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel was 13th fastest qualifier. Mel started 3rd and finished 1st in heat #1. In the main event, Mel started 13th and finished 9th.
August 24, 2002 - Indiana Five Crown Nationals @ Lawrenceburg Speedway - In a race originally scheduled for August 14th but postponed due to rain, Mel started 8th and finished 9th in heat #3. Mel started the semi in 15th and moved up eight positions to finish 7th which transferred him to the main event. In the main, Mel started 17th and finished 16th.
August 29, 2002 - "Thursday Night Lightning" Season Finale @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel was 10th fastest qualifier and finished 1st in heat #1 after starting 3rd. Mel started 1st in the main but fell to 13th by the checkers.
September 7, 2002 - Kokomo Speedway - Mel started heat #2 on the pole and finished 4th. In the main event Mel started 12th and finished 6th.
Photo courtesy of Tom Eidemiller
December 28, 2002 - Rumble in Fort Wayne - Mel wins the 12 lap heat race #2 and transfers to the 75 lap Main event where he finished 2nd to winner Michael Lang in the fifth annual Rumble in Fort Wayne.
Photo courtesy of Trains and Racing.com
Mel working the wheel in traffic at the RCA Dome.
Photo courtesy of www.fansview.com
This photo appears courtesy of www.SteveHardin.com
Mel's entry for the 2003 running of the "Rumble in the Dome" at the RCA Dome.
March 8, 2003 - Motor City Meltdown @ State Fair Coliseum in Detroit, MI. - Mel finishes 3rd in the 30 lap main event. Kenyon, who had to be brought back from the pit area, brought his car back on the track. "I didn't realize I had finished third tonight. The track was slippery, slippery, but it was getting better and faster as the race went on."
March 9, 2003 - Motor City Meltdown @ State Fair Coliseum in Detroit, MI. - Mel finishes 3rd in the main event sanctioned by the Wolverine Outlaw Winged Midget Series.
A 33 year friendship when this photo was taken in May of 2003.
May 23, 2003 - Thursday Night Lightning @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Indiana's AJ Felker proved his pavement skills in dramatic fashion by passing Mel Kenyon on lap 48 of the fifty lap A-Main in "Thursday Night Lightning" Series competition at the Indianapolis Speedrome. Kenyon led the first 48 laps from the pole until a minor slip entering turn four opened up a hole for Felker's nose. The two made contact exiting turn four with Felker coming out on top at the start/finish line.
June 12, 2003 - The State Theatre in Detroit, Michigan - Mel Kenyon is inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. The 15th annual inductions stage was adorned with vehicles representing the new inductees, including the 1988 #17 Tide NASCAR stock car, driven by Darrell Waltrip and inductee Mel Kenyon's current midget race car.
June 19, 2003 - NAMARS @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel wins the feature.
July 24, 2003 - NAMARS @ Indianapolis Speedrome - Mel wins the feature.
Courtesy of www.openwheelracing.com
To read an interesting article on the career of Mel's son Brice read this story by Jim Morrison at OpenWheelRacing.com.
This photo appears courtesy of Gregg "Grogg" Sauer
3-K's 2003 Ford Focus Midget line-up on June 1, 2003, at Lawrenceburg Speedway.
With God You're Always A Winner!
This site born on March 10, 2004
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