CAMERON, WI - In a lot of sports, it’s all about percentages. If you’re hitting .300 in baseball, you’re pretty good with the bat. Complete 60 percent of your passes in football, you’re starting behind center somewhere. Hit 90 percent of your free throws on the hardwood and they don’t want to foul you.

In racing it’s more about how many wins, top fives and top 10s you can accumulate over a season. Percentages have never really applied.

Until now …

In 2008 every time Kevin “Buzzy” Adams pulled onto the track, there was a 50 percent chance he was going home with the winner’s share that evening. In the 52 races he started, Adams ended up in victory lane an impressive 28 times or 53 percent of the time. All in all, he garnered 44 top fives and 49 top 10s.

Those percentages helped Adams capture two track championships at Rice Lake (Wis.) Speedway and Eagle Valley Speedway in Jim Falls, Wis., en route to winning the WISSOTA Modified National Championship.

The 2006 WISSOTA Modified National Rookie of the Year had an impressive beginning in his rookie campaign with seven feature wins. He followed that up with nine victories in his sophomore year. But to almost triple that total in 2008?

“I was a little more focused as a driver than years before,” Adams mentioned. “I studied a lot over the winter on different ways to improve my chassis and the overall set-up on the car.”

While in Florida last winter for Speedweeks, Kevin also picked a few brains of other drivers, while he was there and picked up some well-needed pointers that he applied to his own car when he got back home. “I took in as much as they were telling me down there. As soon as we got home, we made some more changes to the car in early spring and it just took off from there.”

When May rolled around, Adams did indeed take off. He scored his first victory at Central Wisconsin Raceway on May 9 and never looked back. He won 10 of 11 features at Kopellah Speedway in St. Croix Falls and on six different weekends throughout the season he scored two wins at the three tracks he competed at on a weekly basis. “It was just amazing all season,” Adams commented.

What was even more important than winning for Adams was finishing what he started. “Probably the most important part of the whole season for me was eliminating the DNFs. In previous years it seemed that I would have 10 to 15 of them (DNF) in 50 to 60 nights of racing. This year I think I can count on one hand how many we had. That’s what I’m most proud of, even more than the wins,” Adams said. “We’ve always had good maintenance programs, but the team really stepped it up a notch this season. Those streaks don’t happen without it.”

Even with the staggering totals that he produced, Adams didn’t clinch the national title until the last week of the season. He took the crown over Blake Jegtvig of Hawley, Minn., by a scant 14 points. “Blake is a good friend of mine,” Kevin added. “He’s always been in the same boat as me, we’ve always had great cars and good equipment. It always seemed when we had gremlins and bad luck, so did he.

“It just so happens that the one year he has a blow-out season was the same year we did, otherwise he would’ve been national champ this year.”

Like most racers, Adams got his start in go-karts as a teenager and jumped into a Street Stock in 1997. Four years and 100 plus wins later, Adams won the Wisconsin State Championship in 2001.

From there Adams stepped up to the WISSOTA Super Stock division, captured two more state titles in addition to copping national honors in 2003.

In 2005 Kevin moved up the ladder once again, this time to the Midwest Modified division and again success went with him. In both seasons, he captured Wisconsin State titles and rang up 50 wins.

It was in 2006 that Adams moved behind the wheel of a Modified where prosperity and good fortune have stayed with him.

Over the last 11 seasons, Kevin has amassed 260 plus wins racing in four divisions, 17 track championships, six state titles and two national championships. In addition to those impressive totals, he’s won the “WISSOTA 100” on four different occasions.

“We’ve been extremely fortunate, we’ve always had good equipment and quality people surrounding me. My dad has always built awesome motors,” a humble Adams said. “Everything has always clicked for us. I’ve never taken any of that good fortune for granted."

Adams mentioned that he will continue in the Modified division and sees no reason to go anywhere else. “I have no intentions of leaving the Modified division,” he stated. “I like Late Models, but I don’t fore see myself racing them. I love racing Modifieds, the competition in this division is the best around and I plan on staying here for a long time.”

After the year Adams had in 2008, the big question everyone asks is how can you follow that up? For a follow up?” he said laughing. “I don’t think I would ever shoot my goals as high just because I never thought I would do what I did last season.”

“Be consistent, have fun, get some wins and go from there,” Kevin replied. “That was pretty much my goals going into last season.

He’s never set his goals that high in the past. “My only goals for the last six or seven years was to make the top 10 in national points, hang out with everybody at the races and going to the national banquet at the end of the year.”

On top of all of his racing accomplishments, Kevin became a father for the first time with is wife, Megan. Blake Timothy Adams was born January 16, 2009.

“This year has been just a dream come true for me.”

Kevin’s race team consists of his Derek Grilley, Jamey Fisher, Ben Ebner, Jason Haugen, Kyle Hansen, Joe Grilley, Rory Grilley, Simon Wahlstrom and Keith Haugen.

Kevin also mentioned without the support of his mom and dad, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

Adams’ sponsors include Adams Automotive Racing Engines, Buzz Signs & Graphics, Lou Fegers Racing, Larry Shaw Race Cars, Coors Light/Giertz Racing, Todd’s Crankshaft Grinding, Brunette Custom Powder Coating, G-force Racing Gear, Champ Pans by JR Manufacturing, Forehands Crossroads Café & Handi Mart, Diamond Pistons, World Products, Bassett Racing Wheel, Mahle Pistons, Joe Provo Custom Racing Apparel, Howard Cams, Northwoods Liquor, Thompson-Nelson Insurance Agency, Colwell Bankers, Unca Danny, Elite Shock Service and Quality Cleaners.