When the green flag drops on the season opener at Williams Grove Speedway in about 11 weeks, there will be a noticeable change in the stables of the Kreitz Racing team.

 

The familiar blue and orange car will still be in the pit area but a much younger face will look through the cockpit of a No. 69 (less the “K”) sprint car and his name is Ryan Smith.

 

But that doesn’t exactly mean that Don Kreitz, Jr. is retiring from 410 sprint car racing either.

He really doesn’t have a set plan but he knows one thing, he’s not ready to hang up the helmet just yet.

 

Kreitz, Smith and friend and sponsor Todd Lieto of Lieto Brothers Motorsports have formed this new team that will see Smith pilot the car during most or all events at Williams Grove Speedway in 2012. Kreitz will run a handful of shows, some at the Grove and a few other tracks and Kreitz’s daughter Kassidy will be getting a first hand lesson from Kreitz’s new driver as she will strap into the seat of a Slingshot for racing later this year at Kutztown Speedway.

 

“I’m definitely not retiring and I really don’t know if I will ever actually retire,” said Kreitz, a four-time Williams Grove track champion and the winningest local driver against the World of Outlaws at the speedway. “I’m not putting together a schedule or anything but I will always have my car ready to go should there be a night when I just want to race. It may be six, 10 or 12 races, we really don‘t know.”

 

Kreitz is looking forward to having Smith pilot the Kreitz Racing sprint car this season.

 

“He’s a good driver, a really good kid and I see a lot of myself in the way he races,” Kreitz said of the 23-year-old from Kunkletown, PA. “Todd Lieto put the whole deal together and we’ll show up at the track and see how things go. We will maintain Ryan’s car at my shop with my crew and Davey Brown will continue to be the crew chief. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Ryan can do with a 410.”

 

Smith needs no introduction to the racing community as he has raced just about anything with four wheels since the age of 12. And it’s no secret that Smith is more than excited about the new opportunity this season.

 

“It’s the perfect deal with Donnie and Davey Brown,” said Smith, who will be heading to the Chili Bowl in Oklahoma next week. “It’s not a big money team and we will be on a week to week budget but it’s going to be a real fun deal. Donnie said to me “I see you in myself 20 years ago” and that’s pretty cool because we know what all he’s done in a sprint car. It’s a low pressure deal and we’re gonna go out there and feel things out, hope they go smooth and hopefully we can run for points at the Grove. It won’t get any better than that.”

 

Smith actually piloted a 410 Sprint car for Heffner Racing when that team first got its start several years ago but that deal didn’t work out for both parties.

 

Smith, who is a National Champion in Slingshots and in the Ford Focus Series, has tons of feature wins in all of the divisions he’s competed in, hopes to add a 410 sprint car win to his impressive resume in 2012.

 

While he will concentrate his driving on the 410 sprint car along with midget racing this season, Smith will use his technical skills to help develop and teach Kassidy Kreitz the ropes of Slingshot racing.

 

Lieto, a New York businessman and race car owner has been a long time supporter and friend of Kreitz.

 

When he knew the veteran driver was looking to scale back his racing schedule, Lieto knew of the perfect fit for the team so he went to work.

 

“I knew Donnie wanted to cut back and I told him that Ryan would be the perfect guy to drive his car,” he said. “Donnie said there’s no better guy I’d put in my car. Ryan drives a lot like Donnie and he’s very smart and has a demeanor a lot like Donnie does. We both saw that in him. It’s the perfect deal for Ryan to get his start. I mean he has Donnie Kreitz who is going to be in the Hall of Fame and Davey Brown who already is in the Hall of Fame on his side. What more could anyone ask for? I think Donnie picked the right guy for sure.”

 

Lieto will be a major sponsor on all three race cars along with Kreitz’s familiar group of sponsors-Henry R. Sharman Builders, RV Workshop.com, Leroy Schannauer Heating and Plumbing and Rico Motorsports.

 

This is a win-win for all parties involved in the Kreitz Racing stables this season.

 

Upstart driver Ryan Smith gets the chance of a lifetime, veteran Don Kreitz, Jr. can remain active as a driver and field a car whenever he wants and his daughter Kassidy begins her racing career with a Hall of Fame father and a kid that has proven he can win in just about anything by her side.

 

And on a personal note, thanks to Kreitz for keeping the familiar colors of the No. 69 on the track at Williams Grove even if he isn‘t the driver. It’s definitely one of the cars that will forever remain in the great history of Williams Grove Speedway.