Kyle DeSouza left the comfortable confines of Seekonk Speedway in 2011 to tackle one of the country’s toughest super late model series, the Pro All Stars .When the final checkered flag flew at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway, the young man from Fairhaven Massachusetts raced home seventh in the season long PASS North point standings and was named the PASS North Co-Rookie of the Year, an award he shared with New Brunswick Canada’s Lonnie Sommerville.
Like most rookie campaigns, DeSouza’s year had its ups and downs. The team concentrated on learning the new tracks and new race cars and the new drivers racing around him. DeSouza’s used to winning; he won in every division he tackled at Seekonk and earned rookie of the year accolades every time he moved up a class.
But Kyle and his father Eric knew that their definition of success would be to take on the best at their own game, and to do that they would have to hit the road. They choose the Pro All Stars super late models as the next rung on their racing ladder. According to DeSouza, “ I was encouraged by many to go out and run PASS and see how I stacked up against the stiff competition in that series. From a driver’s standpoint the new tracks and longer races every week would help me better my driving skills.”
DeSouza competed in all fourteen 2011 PASS North events. Season highlights included top ten runs at Canaan (NH) Fair Speedway, Lee (NH) USA Speedway, and Thompson (CT) International Speedway.
The team approached the season with realistic goals with hopes for a top ten finish in the PASS North standings, no easy feat in a series that saw 87 drivers attempt one or more starts in 2011.
After the season DeSouza reflected on his year.
“We definitely surpassed our goals, says DeSouza. “ Racers with my level of experience aren’t going to come in and win right away, but we had some great runs, and got as high as sixth in the point standings. The Co-Rookie Award was a bonus and I’m proud of that achievement. Every week we had a car capable of running in the top ten, and we hope to improve upon that in 2012.”
Their 2012 campaign is already underway. They plan to upgrade their equipment, add additional personnel to meet the rigorous demands of touring, and tackle a PASS South race or two prior to the start of the 2012 PASS North season.
The future looks bright for Kyle DeSouza. Look for the Maverick Investment Technologies/Jeff Allaire Realtor Chevrolet to be at the front of the PASS North super late model field in 2012.
Visit DeSouza Motorsports on the web at www.kdesouzamotorsports.com .