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NEXT RACE -  Iowa Speedway, Sat - May 19th - 7:00 pm, K&N Pro Series.  View the  Weekend Schedule!    This race will  air on Speed Channel (tape delayed) on May 31st. 3:00 pm

Jesse and 2012 K&N Pro Series Car

 
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                  The Latest Racing News!
Little Returns to NASCAR K&N Pro Series for this weekend's event at Iowa Speedway

Sherrills Ford, NC (May 17th, 2012)- This weekend's event marks Little's second opportunity to race with some of the sport's best young talent and having a strong run at Richmond should bode well heading to Iowa, according to Little.  As was the case with the Richmond weekend, qualifying into the field is required for Little to be racing come Saturday evening.  Practice sessions are condensed with the team needing to balance setting up for qualifying while also working to prepare a race set-up, Little explained.  "I want to learn the track and feel as confident as I can, but with the short practices, I have to get all I can in those runs to provide the feedback (to crew chief) Travis (Sharpe) that will help make our car the best it can be for our two laps of qualifying."  Once qualifying is concluded and the No. 97 Hurst Motorsports Chevrolet has made the field, Little has solid goals for the rest of the event, he added.  "I'd like to be running near if not in the top ten at the halfway break no matter where the starting position is after qualifying. Once there I think we can work our way up to the top five and be competitive."   Read Entire Press Release...

On April 26th, Jesse made NASCAR history as the youngest driver to ever start a NASCAR sanctioned event at Richmond International, finishing 11th in his K&N Pro Series debut.   Check out our exclusive race photos on Facebook!

Little's historic start continues family legacy

SHERRILLS FORD, NC, (May 11, 2012)-Making NASCAR history as the youngest driver to start a top-tier NASCAR event is a wonderful accomplishment for Jesse Little, but, following in his father's footsteps as a talent in one of the world's toughest sports is a larger then life experience for a 15-year old. Little started 15th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway on April 26th to set the historic mark.

Now his attention turns to making the most of his opportunities to continue moving up the racing ladder.


"My number one goal would be to have the ability to compete in the (NASCAR Sprint) Cup and (NASCAR) Nationwide Series' and be competitive," Little said. "As a second goal I would like to surpass my Dad (Chad Little, who drove the No. 97 John Deere Ford for Roush Racing in the late 90s) and the accomplishments he set. We are competitive in everything we do and I know he would be proud of me if I were able to beat him at those levels."


As a father Chad Little strives for his son to enjoy the sport of auto racing but understands that a working knowledge of a race car and a stellar education will carry his high school freshman son far in the racing world.


"I want Jesse to learn how the cars work mechanically and the importance of keeping a sponsor. This is the foundation for a longer career in NASCAR. A college education will help him succeed in life and make him more attractive to the corporate world. The important thing is Jesse has to want this. I can help shape the opportunity but he has to want it more than anything else," according to the elder Little.


The Little family is well-known in motor racing circles in their native Pacific Northwest where Chad's father, Chuck Little, was a racing pioneer and race track operator. To follow in those footsteps is awe-inspiring, according to rising star Jesse Little.


"I feel a lot of weight on my shoulders carrying the Little name, but I know that if the right opportunity came along under the right circumstances I would try to do nothing more but to add to the last name," he said.


To guide Jesse towards his goal of racing in NASCAR's top series his father started him at the age of five in quarter-midget racing which led to Legend cars and USAC Midgets. The ability to feel what the car is doing and relate that to a crew has been a big key to the success of a younger generation that is climbing the NASCAR ranks, according to Chad Little.


"The younger generation does not judge how the car used to feel...no ill conceived perceptions on prior set ups. Over the past decade cars set ups have changed both aero and mechanically. It's all about a lower center of gravity and sealing off the front ends."


Still, the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time with supportive parents can be an additional key to a young driver's growth, he added.


"There are more racing opportunities today, more interested dads and families having the ability to start their drivers in Quarter Midget or Go Karts at a very young age and manage him or her through the different ranks. When they are 15 or 16 they have the ability to be competitive at upper levels of racing."


Jesse Little understands much of this growing up in a racing family and becoming its third-generation NASCAR driver. At some point the day will come where racing under the bright lights with thousands on hand to watch will happen, he acknowledged.


"I believe that the potential to run in the higher ranks of NASCAR could be only few years away. I still have a lot to learn and I'm soaking in as much as I can. But I feel confident that I could run with the best in business in the right equipment."


A dedication that few can understand will guide him to that goal, his father added.


"A personal commitment is key. Racing is very competitive and without a 100% commitment you will not succeed. He has to minimize distractions and mistakes. The fewer mistakes made at any given race will produce better results." 

 


Little to Compete in 6  NASCAR K&N Pro Series races
in 2012

 

SHERRILLS FORD, N.C. (Feb. 2, 2012) – Team Little Racing has announced that third generation driver Jesse Little will compete in selected NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2012.


Currently a 14-year-old high school freshman, Little will advance his NASCAR racing career to the level where his father won a championship. Chad Little, a former Sprint Cup Series driver, competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West from 1985-88 and earned the title in 1987. 

 

Team Little Racing is owned and managed by Chad’s brother and Jesse’s uncle, Jason Little

"The K&N Pro Series is one of NASCAR’s most competitive touring series in the U.S., and it’s a natural progression for our team and for Jesse,” Jason said. “It’s the next step for a driver aspiring to someday compete at NASCAR’s top level. 


The team has been preparing to race in the K&N Pro Series for past couple years, running several late model touring series and USAC Ford Focus Midgets. In 2011 Little participated in NASCAR  Whelen All-American Series and UARA Late Model events.


"I like racing different tracks each week,” Jesse said. “It’s a challenge to get the car set up in a short period of time.


Little has had strong runs at tracks Motor Mile, Hickory, Concord and Rockingham in his young career. Most recently, on Oct. 8, he became the first 14-year-old to participate in the famed Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway, where he finished 17th.
“We race against some of the toughest late model competitors in the country,” Jesse said. “It’s helped me learn how to race, and more importantly, when to race.  To Date, Little have over 40 feature wins in his racing career.


Running cars similar in chassis design to the K&N Pro Series is an added benefit of the experience the team has gained in recent seasons.


"The NASCAR late model cars are a close cousin to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series,” Jesse said. “The weight and horsepower ratio is similar, as are some tracks. It will be a learning curve for sure, especially at the intermediate tracks, and I look forward to that." 

Little will make his NASCAR K&N Pro Serie
s debut after he turns 15 on April 15, 2012 as the age limit for the K&N Series is 15 years old The team plans to compete part-time in the K&N Pro Series East and continue to compete in the NASCAR Late Model Series.

Team Little Racing is located in Sherrills Ford, N.C., and has strong alliances with established programs and veteran crew members like RCR’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series crew chief, Harold Holly. Holly was Chad Little’s crew chief during his NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series years, and continues to be a close friend and mentor for Jesse.


“We bought our cars from RCR, and Harold has provided direction as we prepare for the step up to K&N Pro Series competition,” Jason said.  

 

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series is a developmental series within NASCAR, concentrating on developing driver’s skills at a variety of tracks. Drivers have the opportunity to compete at some of the toughest short tracks in the nation as well as events at intermediate facilities like Dover International Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Richmond International Raceway along with road courses such as Infineon Raceway.


VIDEO GALLERY
 Martinsville Speedway, Oct 2011
  5th place finish
 Ace Speedway - last 4 laps
2nd place finish

 Jesse first Late Model race
June 19th, 2010