Kyle Merkel to Pilot KAM Fueled Racing Modified for 2021 Campaign

KAM Fueled Racing is returning to modified racing for the 2021 season with Kyle Merkel driving their #291 Lombardo powered Bicknell small block modified.  Merkel returns to driving after a two year retirement while KAM fueled racing also returns to modified racing after a three year absence from the modified division. 

For the first time since 2017 KAM fueled racing will be in competition in both modified and limited late model division. Kyle Merkel at the wheel of the # 291 modified and Danny Snyder entering his 4th year driving the 44 limited late model.  KAM Fueled Racing started in 2015 with father and son ownership of Steve & Alex Bartorillo and Don Ervin as PR Director and crew member .  Alex “The King” Bartorillo has been active as a car owner and team manager since the age of 7 and may be the youngest owner in the sport.  KAM Fueled Racing is truly a family activity as represented in the name which came from the names of all three Bartorillo siblings Kylie, Alex and Matthew for KAM.   The team has also has a history of success along the way winning several big race wins including Grandview’s 38er and the 2018 Grandview Points Championship with Danny Snyder in the 44 Limited Late Model.  

Kyle Merkel brings a long family history of racing to the KAM Fueled Racing team with his grandfather Carl Mertz racing at Grandview back in the 70’s and his Uncle Buddy Mertz also racing at Grandview for many years.  The Merkel racing tradition continues in a big way with all three of the Merkel racing in both modified and late models at Grandview and Big Diamond as far back as 2003.  In 2018 Sean, Cory and Kyle all competed in the Limited Late Model division at Grandview with Kyle finishing the highest of the three brothers with a 4^th place points finish on the season.

Kyle’s racing started at five years old in ¼ midgets at Phoenixville.  Kyle took a break from racing in his early high school years as he was heavily involved in travel ice hockey but in 2006 he came back to racing in the late model division at Grandview and finished his rookie season 16^th in points.  In 2007 Kyle got his first win at Grandview and finished 8^th in points and in the successive years of 2008 and 2009 improved in the points standing to a 6^th and 4^th respectively in the Grandview limited late model division.

In 2010 & 2011 Kyle took to the road with the Steel Block Bandits Late Model Series racing in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.  Kyle stated “ I believe the switch to traveling weekly vastly improved my racing ability as I was forced to learn new tracks, surfaces and make changes you wouldn’t make when you race the same track every week.  In my time with the Bandits I got wins at Grandview, Natural Bridge and Thunder Valley.  We consistently finished top 5 and top 10 weekly and were able to finish 2^nd in points in 2010 and 4^th in 2011 Steel Block Bandit series points.”

“After 2012 I started racing part time about twice a month picking and choosing races around the Northeast and Mid- Atlantic and started to make a transition to modified.  I made about 25 modified starts from 2012 to 2016 and although I didn’t get any wins I was able to qualify for every modified race I entered.  For 2017 & 18 I got a chance to come back to Grandview and race Limited Late Models on a weekly basis thanks to “Crazy” Dave Yost.  Again we were consistently up front but only picked up one win in the two years and finished 4^th in the Limited Late Model points in 2018” noted Kyle.

Kyle continued “racing for ‘Crazy’ Dave was a blessing as it was noted by Steve and Alex Bartorillo of KAM Fueled Racing and the reason that I am now their driver for the 2021 season.  I’ve been retired since the 2018 season but thanks to Steve and Alex I am back into it for 2021 and looking forward to my first opportunity to race a modified on a weekly basis and hoping to build on my foundation from all my previous driving experience and see where it takes us this year.”

Kyle commented “Our plans with the 291 are to run Big Diamond weekly and run all the local specials at New Egypt and Bridgeport as well as the entire Thunder on the Hill series at Grandview.  Our goals are to stay consistent in the top 10 each week and win a race while finishing in the top 10 in points.”

KAM Fueled Racing is on the verge of being very busy during the 2021 season with the # 44 late model running an outlaw schedule throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland while the # 291 Modified will be running a weekly schedule at Big Diamond with over 20 points races in addition to specials.  Despite the modified and late model teams going in different directions almost every week during the season; the foundation and history is clear that with Danny Snyder in the late model and Kyle Merkel in the modified both teams will meet back up at the end of two successful seasons.