a main FEATURE
LATE MODEL
LATE MODELS, LONGHORN AND LARSON: A CONVERSATION WITH KEVIN RUMLEY By Ashley Zimmerman
Photo: Heath Lawson
Empire felt it was time to pin down the WHILE COVID-19 TRIED many times mastermind behind Longhorn Chassis. to deter our ability to race, the dirt track While a man of few words, we were able racing community was able to witness to sit down with Kevin to talk about the Kyle Larson write his place in history. storied success, and the creation of the The sentiment of “it takes a village” 6 car, as well as… you guessed it, Kyle would best be applied to the plan that Larson. was developed to allow Kyle the ability to jump from different forms of dirt track DIRT EMPIRE (DE): Originally the racing – sometimes all in the same race team was started by your father weekend. Kevin Rumley of Longhorn Lee Roy. What compelled him to Chassis would find himself a citizen in want to have a late model? the late model village of Kyle Larson, KEVIN RUMLEY (KR): My father grew and the combination would enable the up in a moderate size family with three pair to find near brothers. While It was just a perfect instant success. he grew up a Kevin Rumley opportunity. Kyle called, high school isn’t a stranger to athlete and had we had about a five victory lane, and it chances to go to came as no surprise minute conversation and college, one of that the legendary he said, “Alright, I’ll get his brothers was 6 would give Larson in the service a seat up there and we’ll in Georgia and his first trip to late model victory lane. brought back a get a car together.” When Larson proved car. He watched again in January 2021 how deadly of his brothers try to repair the car or try a combination Rumley and he are, Dirt to do things with the car and could not 32
DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE | APRIL/MAY 2021
accomplish them. My father jumped in and made repairs to the car and fixed it for his brothers. He was hooked ever since. DE: Aside from growing up in a racing family, what was it that triggered you to decide to be a part of the racing industry? KR: Well, growing up I thought I was the coolest kid in town because my dad had raced and was successful. A lot of people came over to the shop when I was younger and it made me think I was a part of something special. I spent a lot of time in the shop and got very close to him. I paid attention and started to understand the mechanical aspects, how the car handled, and how it worked. Then it just fit naturally. My dad tried to get me into sports, but the first day of football practice I had my helmet on backwards - that pretty much ended that! He said “you better be smart!” DE: While we all have the recent success of Kyle Larson on our
