It’s been six years since Kevin Thomas Jr. graduated from Good Hope High and took off for Indiana two days later to chase his racing dream.

Over that time, he hasn’t lost his love for the sport — and he certainly hasn’t lost his edge.

In fact, it may be sharper than ever.

“I’m really excited just to be where I’m at, to be honest,” Thomas told The Times in a phone interview Tuesday. “My career has treated me well up to this point, and things are kind of looking up this year. We’ve got eight wins so far, so it’s been a good year.

“I can’t really complain about a whole lot.”

His competition might disagree.

Thomas currently sits atop the United States Auto Club (USAC) National Midget Dirt standings and is in striking distance in sixth on the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car circuit. Six of his victories this season have come on the sprint car side, including the 28th annual Putnamville Clash this past Saturday night at Lincoln Park Speedway in Indiana. The triumph came with a $4,000 check.

Thomas was in Beloit, Kan., Tuesday for his first midget race with the points lead. The 2014 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year will hit the track at Solomon Valley Speedway with a 21-point cushion on the rest of the field.

For Thomas, the key to maintaining his No. 1 spot is staying mindful of “those little bitty points.” Points are obviously awarded from feature races, but there are also bonus points up for grabs from qualifying and heat races.

Let your guard down for even a second, and other drivers will happily swoop in to add to their point totals instead.

“As soon as you practice, from then on, you’ve just got to pay attention,” Thomas said. “You’ve got to be on your game. You’ve got to stay out of trouble. All those things kind of play in to winning a championship.”

Thomas’ title hunt in his Michael Dutcher Motorsports non-wing sprint car — he races for Keith Kunz Motorsports in the midgets — will require some catch-up. The 24-year-old is only 54 points back of fourth place but just more than 200 shy of the leader.

Thomas helped his case by finishing second in points in the high-stakes Indiana Sprint Week earlier this month. His realistic goal is to creep back into the top three.

“Making up 200 points, things just have to go your way,” Thomas said. “You have to be on your game every night and also be lucky, because unfortunately, things are going to have to happen to other people. Other people are going to have to either wreck or have motor troubles in order for us to make that many points up.”

Thomas still has ample time to mount a comeback considering the nearly 10-month season won’t end until Thanksgiving Day with the Turkey Night Grand Prix in Perris, Calif. Soon after, he’ll pack up and take his talents to New Zealand and Australia for his first “trip across the pond.”

“So, I guess technically the season never really ends,” Thomas said.

Thomas has long clamored for a coveted opportunity to compete at the NASCAR level. With a mentor like Lorin Ranier, the spotter for Jamie McMurray, and a strong personal and business relationship with NASCAR Xfinity driver and three-time Champ Car winner Max Papis, Thomas feels his chance will eventually come.

In the last week alone, Thomas has received shoutouts on Twitter from Papis and Sprint Cup driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Papis’ post was extremely complimentary, reading, “Hey @NASCAR friends this kid @kevinthomasjr is the REAL DEAL u need to take a look at him he is dominating DIRT tracks right left …”

“Having those two people right there (Lanier and Papis) on my side is definitely not hurting,” Thomas said. “If I keep doing my job, I think possibly NASCAR would be closer than what you think.”

Kyle Larson is one such success story of a racer who turned a productive USAC career into a NASCAR ride. The 22-year-old was the Rookie of the Year in the Nationwide (2013) and Sprint Cup (2014) series and has taken the wheel for 59 Sprint Cup races in three short years.

Thomas would ultimately like to take a similar path.

Just not too similar.

“He’s from California. I’m from Alabama. I’m a little more redneck than he is,” Thomas said. “It’s just a good experience. Hopefully it all ends up like we want it, but if it don’t, we’re still going to keep digging.”