Kirchner Racing

There’s no place we’d rather spend our Fridays than at Kankakee County Speedway. This track, this racing family, the fans in the stands, and the kids in the pits covered in dirt — it’s home to us and always will be. We love this sport with everything we have, and we are beyond grateful for every sponsor, supporter, friend, family member, and fan who stands behind Kirchner Racing week after week.

But with that love also comes honesty. Week after week, we watch racers lose their passion little by little because classes were combined in a way that never should have been. Two completely different classes competing against each other, where heart and determination simply cannot make up for a 400-horsepower difference.

Week after week, racers debate whether it’s even worth it anymore — being lapped in cars that should easily be running in the top five, simply because they do not have the horsepower to compete. Watching drivers, crews, and families slowly lose hope in something they once loved so deeply is heartbreaking.

Behind the scenes are countless late nights in the shop, family events put on hold, and endless amounts of blood, sweat, tears, money, fuel, tires, and equipment sacrificed chasing a dream. It’s disheartening knowing the excitement fades a little more each week when the chance to win feels nearly impossible against teams with bigger budgets, bigger motors, and more resources.

But racers don’t quit easily.

So week after week, we continue to show up. We continue fighting the uphill battle. We continue loading the trailer, turning wrenches late into the night, and giving everything we have because this sport means too much to walk away from. We keep hoping things will change. Hoping the excitement comes back. Hoping passion stays stronger than the defeated feelings. Hoping one day the chance to truly compete — and win — becomes possible again. With that being said, our team may take a few opportunities to run our class at other tracks. We will keep all of our sponsors and fans updated on our schedule and where we are headed when not in Kankakee.

At the end of the day, Kirchner Racing has never just been about trophies. It’s about family, friendships, grit, loyalty, and proving that passion still matters. We may not have the biggest motor on the track, but we’ve got one hell of a racing family behind us, and for that we are forever thankful.

🏁 We all look forward to the 2026 season and absolutely could not do it without our crew and sponsors! 🏁

KRK Plumbing, Heating and AC
Meineke of Bourbonnais
Outback Septic
TDZ Design
The UPS Store
Tousignant Fence
Fastenal
JR’s Chicken
Eddie’s Bar & Grill
Grosso Trucking
Black Market Race Cars
General Oil & Equipment
MHR Racing
Dominator Race Products
Travis Kern Racing Engines
Von Nethenhaus Rottweilers
Nethenhaus K9 Dog Training & Behavior
High Performance Lubricants
Locally Hated Companies
Podium Motorsports
Multi Fire - High Performance Spark Plug Wires

Special Thanks 🧡💙Heather, Kayla, Dawn & Phil, MCJJ Race Fans & LJDCL ScanFam

Pit Crew — Kevin, Jeremy, Deegan, Bird & Mikey

(Here is also a photo dump from this season thus far 😉)

It’s FRIDAY and you already know what that means… 🏁🔥

Sending a special shout out to Brayden on his debut night!!! 🧡

Come hang out tonight at the Kankakee County Speedway. Here is Bill Yohnka’s how to guide for new fans.

How to make the most of a night at the races:

1 - Gather a fun crew and make sure they dress for the weather. 🥶

2 - Get to the track early. (Get there by 7:00)

3 - Scout out your seats and grab something to eat and drink.

4 - Take a moment to enjoy the singing of our national anthem followed by the rumble of racing engines.

5 - There will be short heat races for each car type (or division of race car). Some of the cars are very high tech specialty built machines for dirt racing that can cost well over $50,000. Other cars are old Dodge Neons or Chevy Cavilers with the windows knocked out and modifications made for racing and safety. No matter the division or the car’s cost our racing culture respects them all and the skill and daring it takes to drive them and the show they put on.

6 - As each heat race comes on track have each member of your group quickly call out what car they pick to win. Cheer on your car and driver. Rotate who gets first pick. Talk some trash. Winners should boast. Losers should be ready to buy beer or popcorn.

(Pro tip: don’t shy away from picking cars with a little body damage… it could mean that they aren’t afraid to mix it up.)

7 - These races aren’t like the marathon races in NASCAR or Indy Cars on TV. These are short races full of all out intensity and drama with a new cast of characters and new winners constantly.

8 - After the heat races drivers and teams will get cars ready for the feature races. These are the longer races that pay. These races will be between 15 and 30 laps long and up to 22 cars will start each race. This is a lot of cars on the track. Imagine a 1/4 mile high school track around a football field… with 22 cars on it. It is wild!

9 - Pick your winners for each feature race. Keep in mind the dirt track changes as the night goes on so cars will be searching for the fastest way around. Some drivers may run the shortest way around the track right on the bottom while other drivers seem to always prefer the high side, scraping the rear fender against the wall sending sparks into the sky. Still others might keep it smooth around the middle groove.

Don’t get discouraged if your car gets in a accident and has to restart at the back. These are longer races with plenty of opportunity to make up ground.

10 - Winning a feature is a big deal. Appreciate seeing drivers, families and crews so genuinely happy.

11 - After the races all the fans are welcomed in the pits. This is a fun opportunity for both kids and grownups to to see the cars up close and to talk to the drivers. Get autographs. If something crazy or exciting happened on the track ask the driver about it. This is a fun part of racing that other sports just don’t have.

12 - Embrace the noise, the rumble, the intensity of the action. Watch cars battle as they are throw into the corners sideways lap after lap.

13 - Don’t worry about work or life responsibilities for a few hours. 🙌🏻