Refocused and rejuvenated, Kyle Keller looks to finish strong in his West Series return at Colorado National

Through four ARCA Menards Series West events in 2026, one driver who has been noticeably absent is last year’s runner-up finisher in the points standings: Kyle Keller.

Driving for Jan’s Racing, Keller’s breakout West Series campaign last year saw him earn his first victory at Tri-City Raceway to go along with six top fives and a pole. If not for two finishes outside the top 10 to close out 2025, Keller believes he could have mounted a genuine challenge against Trevor Huddleston for the title.

The only objective for Keller on Saturday evening is to win the Legendary Billy Green 150 at Colorado National Speedway (8 p.m. MT/10 p.m. ET on FloRacing). Finishing second to Jake Bollman in his first trip to Colorado last year has Keller confident he can finish one position better this weekend despite the time he has spent away from the platform.

“I’ve been taking the year off doing late model racing and all the smaller stuff,” Keller said. “I worked out a deal with Nascimento Motorsports, and I’m super excited to attack Colorado again. We did really good last year, and we had a shot at the win last year, but the rain killed us.

“Having another chance to go after it, I think this is a good track to start at.”

The decision not to contest the 2026 West Series championship was not entirely a financial one for Keller. He felt a physical and mental reset was necessary following a year that featured numerous emotions on and off the track.

Keller chose to regroup in the Pro Late Model discipline, teaming up with Charlie Wilson Motorsports for a full slate of events. With Wilson being a seasoned team owner who also assists Rackley W.A.R.’s program, Keller knew he would have a great chance to be competitive in Wilson’s equipment.

That optimism proved to be grounded in reality.

In four races with Wilson, Keller has not finished outside the top 10, with those results including a victory at Stockton 99 Speedway in April. Keller’s consistency with Wilson has him atop the CARS Tour Southwest Pro Late Model standings by 12 points over Keelan Harvick.

Outside of the Stockton victory, the established chemistry Keller possesses with Wilson has made his 2026 particularly enjoyable. Keller admitted Wilson is always easy to speak with, which helps him better explain the adjustments his car needs and simultaneously comprehend the advice Wilson passes along in return.

The quality of the competition Keller faces in Pro Late Models has also helped keep him sharp and focused behind the wheel. Keller knew he would need to be ready in every regard for whenever he decided to make another West Series start, especially since the division has seen four different winners to open 2026.

For his return to the West Series this weekend, Keller is making his first appearance in Nascimento Motorsports’ No. 4 Chevrolet. The cohesion Keller has already built with the Nascimento family through Pro Late Models is why he believes it will not take long for him to get up to speed with their West Series operation.

“Nascimento Motorsports and us have been teaming up and helping each other lately,” Keller said. “Nascimento Motorsports has their own late model program which Brexton Busch races for. My little brother goes there and helps them out. We have the two brothers [Eric and Ethan] come and help us with our late model team sometimes.

“We’ve been getting a bond together, and we’ve both been talking about making a return to the West Series with me as a driver. Colorado was just the first opportunity to jump on board.”

There will be plenty of notes for both Keller and the Nascimentos to take during Saturday’s Legendary Billy Green 150. Nascimento Motorsports did not make the trip to Colorado last year, while Keller only got 60 laps of racing in before persistent rainfall brought the event to a premature end.

From the time he spent at Colorado last year, Keller developed an affinity for the complex. Not only does Keller feel Colorado is a challenging track from a driver’s perspective, but he said the layout requires diligence when it comes to preparing the setup.

Like he does with Wilson, Keller intends to work closely with his crew chief Mike Nascimento to ensure his car has everything necessary to qualify and stay up front.

“I like how unique of a race track [Colorado] is,” Keller said. “It’s a fast, but very flat racetrack, and it’s super bumpy. It’s all about making sure the crew chief does the best job he can with the way the shocks respond to the bumps. You have to have good throttle control and be very precise on your line. One little slip up, and you could lose a couple tenths.”

Even though Keller has not turned a competitive lap in the West Series since the 2025 finale at Phoenix Raceway, he is entering Colorado with no apprehension clouding his mind.

A full West Series season with Jan’s Racing convinced Keller he could hold his own with the best drivers in the division. Huddleston was the gold standard Keller chased throughout 2025, only missing out on usurping him for the championship by 40 points.

Through all the changes that have enveloped Keller’s life and the West Series, a constant is Huddleston once again establishing himself as the title favorite. If he wishes to defeat Huddleston and the rest of his West Series field Saturday, Keller said he and Nascimento Motorsports will need to unload fast, which he knows they can do.

Keller has worked closely with the Nascimentos all week in preparation for Colorado. He wants nothing more than to see the grit and determination of the organization culminate into their maiden West Series triumph.

“[The Nascimentos] are a small team just like [the one I have],” Keller said. “Getting a victory like that is humongous for your team [because of] the exposure. If I can pull off the first victory for them, [I’ll be] super stoked for all of us. It’ll be one to remember for sure.”

At the very least, Keller wants his first weekend with Nascimento Motorsports to be calm and trouble-free. Any kind of momentum from Colorado is something Keller knows will be beneficial ahead of his two other planned starts with the Nascimentos at Portland International Raceway and The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

There may not be a West Series championship to chase for Keller this time around, but three pivotal opportunities lie ahead for him to remind the full-time competitors as to why he finished second in the points standings last year.