Driver Bio
Kevin
Gambacorta knew from a very young age that he wanted to become a racecar
driver. He grew up spending his weekends at the area racetracks watching
his father compete in the enduro divisions. His father was the leader of
the Ellington Enduro team; a team of six drivers in identically painted
cars numbered in sequential order from ten to fifteen. The team was a big
hit with a pretty big fan base. They traveled to Riverside Park Speedway,
Stafford Motor Speedway, and even Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire. That's
where Kevin got his first ride in a two seater racecar at six years old.
Kevin learned from his father that if he wanted something he had to work hard for it. Things weren't going to just be handed to him. So at the age of fourteen, Kevin started working a steady job, saving money and working towards his goal of owning a racecar. Throughout high school, Kevin worked a part time job five days a week after school. He missed out on a lot of activities, but he knew what he was working towards would be a greater reward.
During his junior year of high school, Kevin became closer than ever towards his goal when he joined the pit crew of a pro stock team that competed at the Stafford Motor Speedway. Rather than go out with his friends on Friday nights, he spent them at the racetrack. He met many knowledgeable people that taught him all kinds of things about racecars and racing.
Finally
in 2001, at the age of 19, Kevin purchased his first racecar and competed
in Stafford Motor Speedway's DARE stock division. His first two years came
with some respectable results, highlighted by a couple of heat wins and
numerous top ten feature finishes.
Major
changes occurred to Kevin's team in 2003. Jose Rodriquez, who holds the
record for most feature wins in the DARE stock division, was impressed by
Kevin's driving style and work ethic. He joined the team as Kevin's crew
chief and immediately, the two became a force to be reckoned with. Together
they dominated the division in 2003, with Kevin collecting two feature victories,
thirteen top ten finishes, and seven top five finishes.
In
2004, Kevin made history at Stafford Motor Speedway. For the first time
ever in the DARE stock division, the track instituted a points system and
crowned a track champion at the end of the season. With Jose as crew chief,
and his family in the pits to support him, Kevin won the first ever DARE
stock track championship. He won one feature event, had eight top five finishes,
and sixteen top ten finishes in nineteen races.
2005
was a year of change for Kevin and his team. Having proved everything he
needed to in the DARE stocks, Kevin moved up to the new limited late model
division. Not having the funds needed to start the year, Kevin sat out on
the sidelines for the first half of 2005. With approximately 12 races to
go in the season, he finally completed his car and began racing in the new
division. It took a few races to get the handle of the new car, but by seasons
end, he finished out the season with six consecutive top four finishes,
including two second and three third place finishes.