New walls, fencing, paving and return roads along with LED lights and huge electronic scoreboards are among the improvements since the Kuhnle Brothers took over. The layout has even been flipped which allows more parking and plans for resurfacing the track are now being worked on.
Adding to the racer-friendly environment are programs like the IHRA Summit SuperSeries, the most prestigious national championship in bracket racing, and the track participating in the IHRA Summit Team Finals which builds great camaraderie.
“I’ve raced for a long time and the IHRA provides the ground-floor bracket racer what they’re looking for,” Kuhnle Motorsports Park President Tony Trianfante said. “They want to race as economically as they can and that’s what they get with the IHRA. They love running for points and it works so well.”
Track champions in 2022 were: James Riddle (Top), Jerry Pataki (Mod), Tony Despenes (Motorcycle), Andrew Wyant (Junior 12-18) and Ryan Goodman (Junior). This season’s track champions are: Richard Bertleff (Top), Robert Painter (Mod), Michael Thompson (Motorcycle), Ryan Goodman (Junior 12-18) and Asher Cueni (Junior 7-11).
There’s a rich history with IHRA as two drivers who represented the Ohio track went on to become IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Champions. They were 2014 Top champion Cody Bayus and 2016 Mod champion Vic Ellinger.
Beyond the bracket racing, Kuhnle Motorsports Park hosts a number of spectator-favorite events like the All Harley Drags, the Nitro Extreme Circus and a variety of Big Rig racing. The semis have proven to be popular in the area with several racers even coming from Canada to compete.
The Gasser Nationals scheduled for Sept. 9 is another major event which includes Jet Dragsters, Funny Cars and the Supercharged AA Gassers.
Stay tuned for more exciting IHRA news at Kuhnle Motorsports Park in the coming months. Click here to check out the Facebook page for new Kuhnle Motorsports Park.
