FORT WAYNE, Ind. — At 6’8”, Trey Osborne has never been hard to notice in the pit area, but when it came to being on track behind the wheel of a race car, the 20-year-old quarter midget graduate had been relatively unnoticed.
That all changed during the 2023 racing season and “Tall Trey” is hoping to transition that momentum to this year’s Rumble in Fort Wayne presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales Dec. 29-30.
Osborne will again be behind the wheel of a Kenyon Midget owned and prepared by the legendary Kenyon brothers Me and Don.
“When I was 12, we were doing some shop tours and while visiting the Kenyon’s, something just clicked. The two of them seemed to be very interested in me. A strong friendship developed, and soon thereafter, I was driving their Kenyon Midget,” stated Osborne.
While running on a low budget, Osborne single-handedly embarked on a sprint car campaign this season. He would arrive at the track in a pick-up that one wouldn’t think could travel another mile, and the car sat on an open trailer. There were no sponsors on the car and no fancy graphics.
“I just put the money where it was needed – in the race car,” quipped the lanky red head.
He was able to parlay his commitment and enthusiasm into a trio of feature wins throughout the Hoosier state. He caught the eye of multiple team owners and has since picked up some notable rides for 2024. He will be gunning for a pair of USAC (United States Auto Club) Rookie of the Year titles (Sprint and Silver Crown).
“Now I just want to make my presence known at the Rumble,” Osborne stated determinedly. “I’ve been with the Kenyon’s four years at Fort Wayne and in three of those years, I failed to make the feature either night. The 2021 race weekend was good, though. We finished sixth the first night and 4th the second. But I want to change that, I want to win, not suck.
“I had some good runs with the quarter midget at Fort Wayne, where I learned to be smooth and aggressive at the same time. I need to apply those moves to my midget.”
The Rumble in Fort Wayne will be broadcast by SPEED SPORT affiliate PitRow.tv.