Jacob Denney was like many aspiring dirt Midget drivers, dreaming that legendary car owner Keith Kunz would one day call with an offer to drive for his team.
The difference is that his phone rang.
Five months since answering, the Ohioan has already found his pace with the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports (KKM) team after capturing his first career Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota Feature win at the season-opening World of Outlaws Illini 100.
“I was super pumped in the moment, and it was a dream come true, really,” Denney said. “I’m really happy to be where I’m at in this stage with them. Kaleb (Wyrick) has been giving me a great car every night, so everyone helping around me has really been a blessing. I can’t thank Keith (Kunz), Pete (Willoughby), Toyota, and JBL enough for really taking a chance with me and allowing me to drive their car.”
Denney built his name on the national Midget stage with Malloy Motorsports in 2023 and 2024, picking up six combined Feature wins between USAC and POWRi. Denney finished seventh and fifth in the USAC National standings both years.
He made his first start for KKM at the 2024 Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series finale at Jacksonville Speedway in a No. 68 LynK Chassis, finishing seventh the first night and 11th in the finale. Then, he made three additional starts for KKM at the POWRi finale, picking up his first win with the team, before he was officially announced to take over the JBL Toyota from Ryan Timms.
“The first night of Creek County for the POWRi opener, I was so comfortable,” Denney said. “I wasn’t really phased; I just went in and found my limit. But from the first lap, I’ve been super comfortable. It takes a lot to be fast, so finding it comfortable really helps. (At Farmer City) it helps in times where it’s treacherous but finding that trust in yourself and running up to the wall makes it rewarding.” Most tracks on the 2025 Xtreme Outlaw Midgets schedule are facilities the Galloway, OH driver has never visited. The upcoming swing of races in Oklahoma and Kansas will see his first visits to Humboldt Speedway (Friday, May 9) and 81 Speedway (Saturday, May 10), respectively.
Denney is not worried by the lack of experience, as the Illini 100 win at Farmer City marked the first time he raced at the 1/4-mile bullring.
“I mean, you have to feel prepared, or can’t be confident when something new is next,” Denney said. “I mean, it was my first night at (Farmer City) and we did just fine, so you just gotta dive into it. (The tracks) are all kind of the same, they all have their little tricks and things that make you faster at every place, so as long as there is confidence going into it and we do our normal thing, we can keep things going.”
As he chases his first national Midget title with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets in 2025, Denney is blocking out any unneeded thoughts that might distract him from competing in the best racing opportunity he’s earned.
“I don’t think there’s been so much pressure,” Denney said. “You just gotta go in and do your job. You don’t know what’s gonna happen, so thinking about it or adding pressure when nothing’s happened doesn’t help you at all. Racing’s all about confidence, so you gotta be confident in yourself, your car, trust yourself, and things will all work out.”
Denney sits one point behind Karter Sarff in the championship standings as the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota heads to Creek County Speedway on Thursday, May 8, Humboldt Speedway on Friday, May 9, and 81 Speedway on Saturday, May 10.