to the final race at the Texas Motorplex . When Martin suffered a rare first-round loss to Jim Howe , it opened the door for Kelley to potentially tie for the points lead if he were to win the event . However , Kelley soon suffered the same fate , falling to Howe in round two . The loss secured a championship three-peat for Martin .
While both drivers enjoyed a lot of success this past year , the key difference in winning a championship or falling just short can be summed up in their final-round appearances . Martin went to six finals , and came out on top in all six of them . Kelley appeared in more final rounds – seven – but managed only two event victories .
Despite Martin ’ s recent stranglehold on the NPK Invitational class , Kelley has vowed to come back
stronger than ever this year , while also hinting at a possible engine combination change for season 6 .
“ 2023 determination turned up to the max … I ’ m not looking to make friends , I ’ m not looking for free rounds ,” Kelley stated via social media . “ So with that being said , GET READY ! The old Kye you know will be back with a vengeance .”
– CRAIG COOK DI
ELITE MOTORSPORTS VS . KB RACING / TODD TUTTEROW VS . MELANIE SALEMI
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