It is also the reason why the American is only now, at 31, making his Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic debut.

The son of driving legend Steve has bypassed Australia’s version of the Knoxville Nationals in recent years to be at home with his son Kash on his birthday.

Kinser is hoping a decision to contest the Classic for the first time will prove worthwhile.

He wants to put in a strong performance for Kash, who turns eight on Sunday.

“He gave me a little grief (about coming over),” Kinser joked.

“He just wanted a didgeridoo, so I got that.”

Kinser, who arrived in Australia on Christmas Day and will fly home on Tuesday, was encouraged to race the Classic by former winner Trevor Green.

His partner Michaela Dumesny, herself a sprintcar racer and daughter of Warrnambool favourite son Max, was also keen to see him test himself on Australia’s biggest speedway stage.

“I am trying to take Trevor’s advice on everything and hopefully have some good runs here,” Kinser said.

“It’s been tough (so far in Australia).

“We’ve had to start at the back in about everything, so we haven’t quite had the qualifying we’ve needed but we’ll get it tuned up for this weekend.”

Kinser, whose past trips to Australia have centred around races in Sydney, said he was excited to race against Australia’s best.

“We go to stuff back home where we go to certain areas, like Pennsylvania, where they bill the rivalry up but I don’t really feel that rivalry, to be honest,” he said.

“Some guys take it pretty seriously but I am pretty relaxed. 

“I like making friends out there after the races, so I don’t get into all that.

“I am just happy to be here.”

Kinser is no stranger to pressure situations – he won the famed Knoxville Nationals title in 2005 – and races on the World of Outlaws circuit in the United States.

“That will be a tough one to beat, to be honest,” he said of his Knoxville triumph.

Kinser grew up in Indiana following his father Steve to race tracks around the country before jumping in the driver’s seat at 16.

His father is a 20-time World of Outlaws champion and 12-time Knoxiville Nationals winner who is considered one of the sport’s best.

“About the only things we’ve got in Indiana is corn and a big race track,” Kinser said. 

“My dad didn’t really push us into it but we grew up around it travelling all the time.

“All of our summers were spent travelling, so it was pretty hard not to fall in love with it.”