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The Why, When,Where and How:
The KIRL indoor kart league has been organized by Dr. Tooth a short track racer who is also a dentist. The goal has been to gather his fellow racers, their families, friends and crew members at a place with some entertainment appealing to everyone. Chicago Indoor Racing's karting facility has proven to be very popular. The staff has been extremely accomodating to the KIRL participants and has helped hone the KIRL RACING FORMAT into what is probably the most organized and fair rental kart racing in the country.
All events have been scheduled at Chicago Indoor Racing's Karting facility in Buffalo Grove, Illinois on the first Sunday of the month from November 2009 until April 2010. Sign and weigh in no later than 4:15pm, first race at 5pm. |
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| For the 2009-10 winter season WEIGHT CLASSES will again be used in an attempt to eliminate any perceived inequality between participants with significant weight differences. |
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Five weight divisions were formed at the 2006 Event #1 among 73 racers...each of the groups had no more than 16 racers...each group of 16 raced in 2 qualifying races and one feature... the new format was well received.
At the end of each race the karts were returned to the exact positions in which they started the race.
After all Weight Class qualifiers and features were completed a Super Pro-KIRL Final race was run with the top 3 or 4 from each weight class.
In the 2008-09 season the non-points Super-Final will have the slower drivers using the faster karts and the lighter, faster drivers in the slower karts. The Super Final winner from the previous event will start dead last in the 18 kart field in the fastest kart in the house! |
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KIRL NEWS RELEASE:
--EVENT 5 Super Final was won by TOMMY JONES following a RED FLAG on lap 9 caused by Josh Nelms...more details to follow!
Casual KIRL was won by Jim Thorndike over David Gronke and Jeff Capek.
--KIRL regular Daniel Ivaska scores big in ILLINOIS HIGHSCHOOL AUTOMOTIVE TROUBLESHOOTING COMPETITION! Full Story
--The latest points are available by clicking the link below! Here is a little preview of what you will find out-- BLAKE BROWN is the current KIRL Point Leader!
Click this for the full summary of KIRL EVENTS!
Click this for the current POINT STANDINGS.
Tommy Jones wins Event 5 Super Final!
Luke Blazek 2nd, Tommy Jones 1st, Blake Brown 3rd
Jim Thorndike wins Event 5 Casual KIRL over David Gronke and Jeff Capek.
SUPER BOWL SUPER FINAL RESULTS: AARON KATZENBERG is scored as the winner after Andy Jones' controversial late race pass involving contact is not scored by CIR officials! Click this for the FULL STORY!
AFTER THE MOST EXCITING FINISH IN KIRL SUPER FINAL HISTORY THE TOP THREE STOOD ON THE PODIUM FOR THE POST RACE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY!
L-R Andy Jones 2nd, Aaron Katzenberg 1st, Josh Nelms 3rd
oops...Jones turned into a Swan!
ANDY JONES DOES IT AGAIN IN THE PRO-KIRL SUPERFINAL! He has won 3 of the last 4 Super Finals! "Something has to be done" said Josh Nelms. "I am getting real tired of this" said Tommy Jones. "The Kid is wicked fast" said Nick Petska. "I've got an idea" said James Swan.
ANDY JONES IS UN-STOPABLE
January 3, 2010 To the victor go the spoils! Andy Jones would not be denied at KIRL's first visit to CIR Addison in 2010. The Super Final is the ultimate go kart race. The best racers after sixteen qualifying races fill up the grid. Some provisionals get added after some qualifiers relinquish their spots. For instance at KIRL 3 Tom Jones Sr. gave his spot to Ross Kenseth who made his KIRL debut and finished just out a Super Final transfer spot. The fastest of the best start in the rear of the grid in the slowest karts and the slowest of the best start in the front in faster karts and the winner of the previous Super Final starts dead last in a fast kart.
December Super Final winner Andy Jones started dead last in the KIRL 3 Super and had only 30 laps to work and weave through the stellar field of racers. Nick Petska who usually starts toward the rear of all Super Finals must have been having an off night since he was the 2nd slowest in the grid. Nick used his great starting spot to immediately jump out in front of polesitter Anthony Danta. Petska opened up a huge lead with Dana Czach doing his best to keep within the same zip code as Nick. Back twenty karts young Andy had his hands full with all the KIRL superstars dicing for position. Andy kept his cool and methodically picked off every single racer by lap 25 but he was still a couple seconds back with only 5 laps remaining and a lot of lapped traffic between him and race leader Petska. Young Andy Jones dug in and started knocking off some killer lap times. It looked like Petska would have just enough distance to keep ahead of Andy for his first Super Final win but Andy showing the killer instincts of a shark smelling blood buried his kart hard to the outside of Petska on the final left hander and that set him up perfect for an inside pass on the final right hander just 10 yards before the checkered. Andy Jones wins over Petska by inches after 30 amazing laps of KIRL racing!
KIRL 3 SUPER FINAL FINISHING ORDER: Andy Jones, Nick Petska, Dana Czach, Blake Brown, Aaron Katzenberg, Michael Bilderback, Luke Blazek, Bob Walczak, Vern Fagerberg, Tony Velez, Tommy Jones, Dave Edwards, Dwayne Williford, James Thondike, Scott Koerner, Josh Nelms, Ross Kenseth, Andy Gross, Matt Noyce, Anthony Danta (retired due to fatigue)
Hightest finishing rookie: Dana Czach
Hard Chargers: Andy Jones and Michael Bilderback
Fastest Counter Clockwise Lap: Michael Bilderback
Fastest Clockwise Lap: Josh Nelms
Fastest Average Lap: Andy Jones
Most Conspicuous By His Abscence: James Swan
Naughty Driver Award: Alex Papini
The Solution: Since Andy Jones has three KIRL Super Final wins and one second in the last four. There has been talk of a bounty. I have been in conversation with a prestigous short track racer (James Swan) and we have come up with something even better! As the Super Final winner from the previous month Andy will start at the tail end of the field in February's Super Final, however, he will be the first to take the green! In other words, Andy will be the KIRL Lucky Dog before the Super Final even starts! Good Luck to the Zero Hero's #2 son!
Tommy, Tom Sr. and Andy Jones
 Michael Bilderback, Ross Kenseth and Blake Brown waiting for their KIRL race to be called.
CLICK THIS FOR CURRENT POINT STANDINGSKIRL CALENDAR:
February 7, 2010 BuffaloGrove
March 7, 2010 Addison
April 4, 2010 Buffalo Grove
Please RSVP for our next event ASAP CLICK THIS
The 7th season of KIRL is underway at full throttle!
The Pro-KIRL opener went off without a single glitch. The CIR staff was more than prepared for the field of 68 participcants! Hats off to Tony Stewart, Reed Bartusak, Shawn Hansen and the rest of the crew for another job well done!
As usual all KIRL participants left with a smile on their face!
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At KIRL Event #1 the 68 racers were split into 5 separate weight groups. The heaviest recorded weight for all competitors was Tom Jones Sr! Since his ASA racing days he hasn't missed any meals apparently but you'd never know it by looking at him. He claims muscle is very heavy. Somehow he weighed 400 pounds so he ended up racing with the super-heavyweights! The "Zero Hero" pulled out his first podium finish in the super-heavyweight final and elected to graciously offer his starting spot in the superfinal to ASA young gun Blake Brown who missed the transfer in his own weight class final.
Other notable provisionals in the super final included KIRL stars James Swan (the inaugural KIRL champion from 2003), Tony Velez fresh off his trip to Ron Sutton's gong show for developmental drivers in California and the still growing Steve Brooks! Andy Jones started at the tail end of the 22 kart field. On lap 29 of 30 he finally closed the deal on last year's KIRL runnerup Aaron Katzenberg after a heated 5 lap back and forth exchange. Unfortunately, young Jones did not have enough time to run down former CIR employee Chris Lupo who was driving a real hot rod. Lupo established a new track record for Track 3 in the clockwise direction. Josh Nelms and Blake Brown rounded out the top five.
Speaking of Blake Brown, he carried a video camera on his helmet for all 102 laps. If you click on the links below you can view Blakes march to the front in the 30 lap Pro-KIRL Super Final in Event #1 on November 1, 2009.
click this to watch part 1 of Blake Brown's Super Final ideo from Blake Brown's helmet cam.
click this to watch part 2 of Blake Brown's SuperFinal video
SuperFinal Results: chris lupo,andy jones.aaron katzenberg,josh nelms,blake brown,vern fagerberg,joseph lamarca,steven brooks,tommy jones,tony velez,luke blazek,scott koerner,michael bilderback,bobby walczak,james swan,bill wirth,jim thorndike,andy gross,nick petska,jerry giuliano
click this for results of 30 lap super-lightweight final
click this for results of 30 lap lightweight final
click this for results of 30 lap middleweight final
click this for results of 30 lap heavyweight final
click this for results of 30 lap super-heavyweight final
About KIRL: If you want to race rental gokarts indoors against some serious competitors on a monthly basis over the winter then Pro-KIRL is for you! Show up the first Sunday of the month in Buffalo Grove at Chicago Indoor Racing and weigh and pay to be included in the 6 race series. The fee is $85 per night however if you pay for all 6 your price will be $65 per night. Bring a friend who is new to CIR and if they race Pro-KIRL you will receive an additional $10 credit (up to $20 per night). To be added to the roster just email dr tooth at drtwoth@comcast.net or phone 773.719.9559.
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GURNEE'S ANDY JONES WINS FINAL KIRL EVENT of 2008-09!
The youngest JONES brother, ANDY, picked up where older brother TOMMY left off in March-- that is on top of the leader board at the end of the star-studded 30 lap KIRL Super Final! When you look up patience in the dictionary you will find a picture of rising Legends Racing ace ANDY JONES. Dad TOM JONES of ASA RACING fame has been proud of both sons all KIRL season as both Tommy and Andy have been very successful adapting to the indoor road courses.  Andy was plagued with a broken arm after the first event and was forced to the sidelines for 2 months. Tommy improved monthly and by Event 4 let everyone know that he inherited his dad's racing skills! It took Andy a little time to get back in the groove but he quickly showed the KIRL racers that he too had received his dad's racing genes! Andy clicked off fast time of night for the 2 months leading up to his win on Championship night!
CLICK THIS!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE FINAL STANDINGS FROM PRO-KIRL 08-09
NEW FEATURE:
KIRL CALENDAR-CLICK THIS
KIRL SEASON SEVEN
2009-2010
Event 1
At Buffalo Grove will include a Casual-KIRL
Casual KIRL sign in at or before 3pm. Casual KIRL is the no pressure racing for those interested in trying out the exciting sport of indoor gokarting without the stress of worrying about messing up. All of the other drivers in Casual-KIRL races are new to karting or are advised and have agreed to be tolerant of the first timers. Some Pro-KIRL racers will at times choose to race the Casual-KIRL as a warm-up for the later event or to race with friends or family. The rookies are advised to learn from the experts, try to see how they manuever around the track, where they choose to be when they approach or leave a corner. You may think they have a faster kart than yours but they do not, they just know how to make the kart they have turn a faster lap time by using the best line around the track.
OLD NEWS from the 2008-09 season:
PRO-KIRL Top 20 up for grabs! KATZ and MB have a shot!
On Sunday April 5th, the final points race for the 6th season of Ken's Indoor Racing League will take place. This year over a hundred different racer's have taken the green in KIRL races at either Chicago Indoor Racing's Buffalo Grove or Addison tracks.
In the 5 previous seasons there have only been 3 champions and 2 of them were co-champions in the inaugural season (SONNY SCHOFFEN and JAMES SWAN). The only other champion, BILL HARTWIG, has dominated the top of the point standings every year since. He is currently on top of the points again and normally would be a sure bet to successfully defend his title except he has no "throw-aways" this year!
In KIRL, the season is comprised of 6 point nights and for the final point standings everyone is allowed to throw away their 2 lowest point scores. The KIRL point leader and 5 time KIRL CHAMPION did not race in 2 events this year, he therefore must count whatever point score he earns on April 5th in his final points tally!
Unfortunately for BILL, this is the first year that anyone is close enough to dethrone him. BILL is a unique Karting Champion because he is over 225 pounds and 60 some years old. There isn't a KIRL racer who won't admit that BILL is an awesome wheelman. Even at his weight and age he can give any kart racer a challenge that most cannot overcome.
For this final race night there is one or maybe two KIRL racers with a chance to knock off BILL from his championship perch! The two KIRL racers with the potential both already have karting championships on their resumes and having a KIRL championship to add would be huge with BILL HARTWIG having been top KIRL gun for so long!
Amazingly the two stalkers are both in high school and both currently campaign latemodels.
Two KIRL seasons ago a mentoring effort was suggested by JOSH NELMS and implemented so that a veteran racer would be paired up with a young racer. The point was to have the veteran impart some knowledge, advice, tips etc. to the youngster. The first "student" BILL was given is now possibly the only KIRL racer to have ever had a shot at dethroning him! The kid with all the pressure on April 5th will be AARON KATZENBERG, son of FIVESTAR RACECAR BODIES'S chief of engineering JIM KATZENBERG.
In the 2008-09 season, AARON has proven to be as cool as ice, he's been knocked around and lost spots, suffered with some slow karts but he is like a little Eveready Bunny just plugging away and now he sits in a position that no KIRL racer has ever been in...with a chance to win a KIRL championship that BILL HARTWIG is defending.
MICHAEL BILDERBACK cannot be forgotten he sits just 10 points behind "Little Katz" and also has a legitimate shot at the OLD MAN's title! MICHAEL has no "thow aways," both he and AARON need April 5th to be as close as possible to clean sweep nights and BILL to have some bad luck or tough competition to score enough points to overtake BILL. Every KIRL night has a maximum of 192 points to be awarded to a racer who clean sweeps (wins all 4 point races--3 qualifiers and 1 feature). BILL has never scored less than 180 points in any night this season, AARON'S highest points night was 188 and MICHAEL'S was 184. BILL must have an uncharacteristically bad night for either of the young speedsters to make KIRL history!
BILL'S Super Heavyweight class has been getting tougher and tougher each event. There has been an increasing number of super talented "big" guys racing and we expect April 5th to bring out even more. Some of the expected Super Heavyweight challengers include: TIM SWEERS, ANTHONY DANTA, RYAN STARZYK, JACK RABEY, BILL WIRTH, TODD LEHR, REED BARTOSEK, SONNY SCHOFFEN, TOM JONES SR and KEN JOHNSON. To say BILL faces his toughest challenge to the title is an understatement! Come out April 5th to see if OLD MAN is going to CHOKE! 2th
PRO-KIRL Top 20
1. Bill Hartwig 558
2. Aaron Katzenberg 530
3. Michael Bilderback 520
4. Nick Petska 516
t. Tony Velez 516
t. James Swan 516
7. Mike Hartwig 512
8. Josh Nelms 502
9. Andy Jones 500
10. Tim Sweers 478
11. Blake Brown 476
12. Josh Bilicki 466
t. Dave Edwards 466
14. Steve Brooks 464
15. Jack Rabey 464
16. Bill Wirth 462
17. Ken Johnson 458
18. James Thorndike 444
t. Tommy Jones 444
20. Jim Horsch 436
It's now less than a week before the final event of the KIRL season! This Sunday April 5th at Chicago Indoor Racing in Buffalo Grove, Bill Hartwig will win his 5th consecutive KIRL championship...or not! If he doesn't win, possibly Aaron Katzenberg or Michael Bilderback will be the new KIRL champ. It's also not out of the realm of possibilities for any of the 3 superstars (Petska, Swan and Velez) tied for 4th to make a run at the championship either! One thing is for certain, anything can happen.
This will be the last opportunity for anyone to participate in either a Casual or Pro KIRL race until next November. Please RSVP your choice of participating in either or both races as soon as possible to drtwoth@comcast.net or 773.719.9559.
Casual KIRL race participants will sign up by 3pm and Pro KIRL by 4:15pm. Casual racers pay $55 and Pro pay $85 (unless using prepay discount and save up to $20).
Casual race will be 2 qualifiers (10 laps) and 1 final (20 laps). Pro race will be 3 qualifiers (14 laps), 1 final (30 laps) and a bonus super final (30 laps) for the top 16.
Event #5 NEWS
CURRENT POINTS: CLICK THIS
Tommy Jones tops 52 racers to bring home his second consecutive SUPER FINAL victory!
Top 3 in 3-1-09 KIRL SUPER FINAL: Tony Velez second, Sara Horsch, TJ first, and Jim Thorndike third! 
Becca Kasten lines up for her final
Michael Bilderback and Mike Noyce
Super Final lined up
21 daring participants raced in the Casual KIRL race, the beginners were given driving lessons by some veterans including Eddie Hoffman and Michael Bilderback!
Event #4 NEWS
48 racers, their friends and families came out to the 6th annual KIRL SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RACE!
Tommy Jones, son of ASA legend Tom Jones, parlayed his provisional start from deep in the field into his first PRO-KIRL SUPER FINAL win in his racing career. Dad was real proud of both his sons as younger brother Andy put on an awesome show with karting ace Josh Bilicki by winning the Lightweight Final, tied Aaron Katzenberger for Lightweight top qualifier and setting quick time of the night.
The trophy, however, went to big brother Tommy Jones who worked his way into the lead on lap 8 and never looked back. In fact, Tommy put on a clinic in kart racing for the rest of the field of 20. Second place Blake Brown had a mirror full of Tony Velez near the end of the race but they were nearly half a lap behind Tommy Jones.
Anthony Danta paced the field to the start and actually put on quite a lead for himself early on until Tommy broke free of the pack and mowed him down. The SUPER FINAL field was loaded with short track racing stars who chose to skip the Super Bowl and do what they love--race!
To see a short video of the Pro-KIRL Super Final field go by on the parade lap CLICK THIS.
Josh Nelms put together an amazing night at the new track by winning several qualifiers and being the top racer in the heavyweight division going into his weight class 30 lap feature. The invert put him into a kart which started acting up early on and his finish did not qualify him for a start in the SUPER FINAL. A provisional start and good kart was all he needed to come from the middle of the field to a 4th place finish.
A blanket could have been put over Josh and the 3 racers behind him, Ryan Finley, Kyle Shear and Aaron Katzenberg. James Thorndike, Aaron Phillips and Andy Jones were next across the stripe well ahead of tenth place Nick Petska who started 19th and had his hands full racing from the rear.
The rest of the field was at one time or another involved in incidents which may or may not have worked out in their favor. For example, Mike Bilicki pulled off on lap 20 after a spin sent him into last place. Vern Fagerberg was in 11th behind Petska and ahead of the pack of Josh Bilicki, Michael Bilderback, Steven Brooks, James Swan, Bill Wirth. Tim Sweers and Anthony Danta.
Super Heavyweights were waiting for their feature to start.
Jim Bucher and Chris Johnson left the comfort of the dirt to try some pavement racing.
Bill Wirth an IRA SPRINT Car regular has found a home at the top of almost every KIRL race he runs.
Michael Bilderback and Matt Noyce were both wondering where the heck Becca Kasten was tonight?
Results of all the races are available by clicking any of the following links:
Pro-KIRL Super Final,
Superheavyweight Feature,
SHW qualifier 1,
SHW qualifier 2,
SHW qualifier 3,
Heavyweight Feature,
HW q 1,
HW q 2,
HW q 3,
Middleweight Feature,
MW q 1,
MW q 2,
MW q 3,
Lightweight Feature,
LW q 1,
LW q 2,
LW q 3.
Current Point Standings: CLICK THIS
Event #5 NEWSCURRENT POINTS: Tommy Jones tops 52 racers to bring home his second consecutive SUPER FINAL victory!Top 3 in 3-1-09 KIRL SUPER FINAL: Tony Velez second, Sara Horsch, TJ first, and Jim Thorndike third! Becca Kasten lines up for her finalMichael Bilderback and Mike NoyceSuper Final lined up 21 daring participants raced in the Casual KIRL race, the beginners were given driving lessons by some veterans including Eddie Hoffman and Michael Bilderback!Event #4 NEWS48 racers, their friends and families came out to the 6th annual KIRL SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RACE!
KIRL CALENDAR:GURNEE'S ANDY JONES WINS FINAL KIRL EVENT of 2008-09!NEW FEATURE:KIRL 2009-2010Event 1 At Buffalo Grove will include a Casual-KIRLEvent #5 NEWSCURRENT POINTS: Tommy Jones tops 52 racers to bring home his second consecutive SUPER FINAL victory!Top 3 in 3-1-09 KIRL SUPER FINAL: Tony Velez second, Sara Horsch, TJ first, and Jim Thorndike third! Becca Kasten lines up for her finalMichael Bilderback and Mike NoyceSuper Final lined up 21 daring participants raced in the Casual KIRL race, the beginners were given driving lessons by some veterans including Eddie Hoffman and Michael Bilderback!Event #4 NEWS48 racers, their friends and families came out to the 6th annual KIRL SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RACE! KIRL CALENDAR: NEWS48 racers, their friends and families came out to the 6th annual KIRL SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RACE!
KIRL CALENDAR: NEWS48 racers, their friends and families came out to the 6th annual KIRL SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RACE!
KIRL CALENDAR: NEWS48 racers, their friends and families came out to the 6th annual KIRL SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RACE!GURNEE'S ANDY JONES WINS FINAL KIRL EVENT of 2008-09!NEW FEATURE:KIRL 2009-2010Event 1 At Buffalo Grove will include a Casual-KIRLEvent #5 NEWSCURRENT POINTS: Tommy Jones tops 52 racers to bring home his second consecutive SUPER FINAL victory!Top 3 in 3-1-09 KIRL SUPER FINAL: Tony Velez second, Sara Horsch, TJ first, and Jim Thorndike third! Becca Kasten lines up for her finalMichael Bilderback and Mike NoyceSuper Final lined up 21 daring participants raced in the Casual KIRL race, the beginners were given driving lessons by some veterans including Eddie Hoffman and Michael Bilderback!Event #4 NEWS48 racers, their friends and families came out to the 6th annual KIRL SUPER BOWL SUNDAY RACE! |
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