KKM To Close, Kunz To Remain Active

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The winningest team in midget racing will be history when the USAC season comes to a close in November.

Keith Kunz Motorsports, the leader in midget racing over the past two decades and operated by Keith Kunz and Pete Willoughby will close at the end of the season.

The team’s 15,500-square-foot facility in Columbus, Ind., is for sale and Kunz is making preparations to end its long run of field cars for the likes of Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Logan Seavey and many others.

Kunz confirmed the news in an interview with DIRTVision.

“This has been coming for a long time. I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Keith Kunz told DirtVision. “Been very lucky to be successful and be able to make a living racing midgets all my life. The time has came. You look for an exit plan and the last couple years it’s been on our mind. Part way through this year we finally made the decision that we needed to probably stop at the end of the year.

“I’ve been slowing down the last couple years. Physically, I can’t keep up with these young kids no more. I’m not 20-30 years old. I’m not that old, 63, but to be hands on and do it like you need to do it, I can’t do that no more.”

Jacob Denney currently leads the USAC midget standings in the Kunz No. 67k machine and the team hopes to end its run with another title.

“We made the decision to finish out the USAC season and try to win this championship that we are leading and try to call it quits right there,” Kunz told DIRTVision. “I don’t want to call it retirement. I am still going be involved in racing, sprint car racing, micro racing, but I want to do it on my terms now.”

Much of Kunz’s success was the result of a longtime partnership with Toyota.

“They were more than, they were happy for us,” Kunz said. “They totally understood the success that we both had together and I am so thankful for them. We’ve been together since 2009 and they gave us everything we could ever ask for.”

Kunz plans to remain on the racing scene, and will in fact be competition director for Four Kings Racing next season.

“I am going to keep a couple of micros and just keep them at home,” he explained. “I have been running with Jefferey Newell here lately and really had a lot of fun with him and success. He’s kind of at the top of his game. Me and him have talked about running certain races whenever I want to and he wants to. I am probably going to keep a midget there just in case something comes up.

“I have also been approached by other teams. Four Kings Racing, Rex Turner and Kevin Thomas. I’ve been good friends with Kevin Thomas for a long time. Rex Turner, who owns Four Kings Racing, I have helped him since day one.”

In fact, he’ll be hands-on with the team next season.

“They have asked me to be a part of their deal here in the future. This happened after the fact, talking with KT and explaining where I was in life and what was going on,” Kunz said. “Rex reached out to me and asked me to come hang out with them as much as I want to and they’ll make me director of competition and you can kind of just be another set of eyes and ears and another voice to help their team grow. They work two cars very successfully this year with KT and Jakeb Boxell.

“They want to expand to a couple more cars next year. They asked me to be a part of it and I said yes.”

“I am intrigued. It is a relief getting out from under the business aspect of it and all of that pressure,” Kunz added. “I don’t want to disappear. I still want to be involved with it and they are just up the road from me and that’ll be a good opportunity to stay involved and have a hand in things.”

The post KKM To Close, Kunz To Remain Active appeared first on SPEED SPORT.