Tommy Kendall
By Gregg Leary

DOB 10-17-66 (41)
Hometown: La Canada, CA
Host of SPEED’s “Test Drive” and “Setup”
Danica Patrick led TK on leash after beating him in Long Beach Pro/Celebrity race 2002
Four Trans Am Championships (1990, 1995-97)…Tied with Paul Gentilozzi(1998, 99, 2001, 2004) Paul won a fifth title in the abbreviated 2006 season
3 in a row 1995-97 (Only TA driver to do so)
Comparable to Cale Yarborough’s 3 Cup Titles 1976-78
His 11 Wins in a Row in 1997 is amazing (Comparable to Richard Petty’s 10 NASCAR wins in a row in 1967)
He also had 11 Poles in 1997
Ran #11 with Roush Racing
28 Trans Am wins…Third all time to Mark Donohue and Paul Gentilozzi
Ran 14 NASCAR Cup races between 1987-1998 with 1 Top 10 (8th at Watkins Glen in 1990) Road Course Specialist…Riverside, W. Glen, Sonoma…Finished 26th in oval race…Rockingham in 1990
Drove for Rick Hendrick, Marc Reno, Felix Sabates, Junior Johnson, Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki’s #7 Family Channel car after Alan’s death
Ran 1 Busch Race…1990 New Hampshire…Finished 15th
Ran the #11 Jaguar XKR in 2004 for long-time Trans Am rival, Paul Gentilozzi
2 Wins, 6 Poles, 5 Podiums
Won Pole for first race of season…Long Beach…and won the last race of the season…Laguna Seca
They tied in Series Points with 222 (Gentillozi had 5 wins to Kendall’s 2)
Kendall and Gentilozzi both now have 4 Trans-Am Titles
#11 was his Dad’s number when he played football at UCLA
Kendall has never won Long Beach…his “Home Track” but has attended writing services races there since 1980
Long time analyst for the Champ Car World Series
Greatest influences: Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt, Alain Prost, Rick Mears
Hobbies: Yoga and cycling
Graduated from UCLA with BA in economics
“I’m getting paid handsomely to do the best job on earth.”
Started Career in 1985: Mazda Pro Series, SCCA Playboy Endurance Series
1986: Youngest IMSA Champ in History (19) when he won GTU and Firestone Firehawk Series
1986-88: 3 straight IMSA GTU Titles
1993: Won Rolex 24 at Daytona
1995: Won Rolex 24 with Paul Newman in “Nobody’s Fool” Mustang