Reinbold Set For Xtreme Outlaw Midget Title Chase

Hayden Reinbold will pursue the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series championship this season. (Jacy Norgaard photo)

CONCORD, N.C. – After a strong ending to his first season on the national midget scene, Hayden Reinbold is ready to take the next step in his career.

The 19-year-old driver from Chandler, Ariz., will return to the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota this year to chase the points title, riding a wave of confidence after breaking through for his first career Series victory in the season finale last October.

“We just want to try and win the championship,” Reinbold said. “I’m super excited to come back and I’m ready to battle for the championship.”

His win last fall was more than just a new face in victory lane. It was concrete evidence of the progress Reinbold made behind the wheel throughout the season.

“Last year, I struggled to make features,” Reinbold said. “I wasn’t even worried about the points; I was just trying to get races under my belt. Now that I have some good finishes and have been running pretty good as of late, I’m super excited to go back out. My confidence is a lot higher than it was a year ago.”

Reinbold clinched a seventh-place finish in the championship standings last year on the strength of one win, four top-five, and 12 top-10 finishes.

Each of his top fives came in the second half of the season, contributing to an average finish of 7.6 – a massive turnaround from Reinbold’s average finish of 14.6 through the first half of the season.

“This time last year we were struggling to make features, let alone win a race or [run] top 10,” Reinbold said. “Now, we have a bunch of top 10s, top fives, and even a win.”

Reinbold will also take his next step up outside the midget world this year, as his father and team co-owner Andy will put Hayden at the controls of a winged sprint car, with plans to run a variety of events throughout the Midwest.

“My whole racing career was just midgets. I never raced anything else,” tipped Hayden. “I’m super excited to get into another type of racecar. Winged cars look super fascinating to me.”

Though he’s breaking new ground with a potential career in sprint cars, Reinbold is not letting that create any pressure. He’s just going to enjoy every lap he gets.

“I don’t feel any pressure or anything, I’m just super excited to go out and race midgets more,” Reinbold said.

Reinbold and the Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports team begin their chase for the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota championship March 15-16, during the season opener inside the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, Ill.

Tickets will be on sale at the gate on race day, but for those unable to attend in person, every lap of the event will be streamed live on DIRTVision.