TWO FINAL ROUNDS PUT KISH’S TITLE BID ON TRACK
Kalamazoo’s Alex Kish has a reputation for being as cool as the other side of the pillow. A standout athlete who played varsity soccer as a freshman, the talented teenager also is a skilled race car driver who this year is trying to complete a Jr. Dragster hat trick at US 131 Motorsports Park.
The track champion in Beginner Jr. Dragster in 2015, he moved up to win the Advanced Jr. Dragster title the following year while also winning US 131’s PDRA race. Significantly, with his performance in last week’s IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular, he has put himself in position to win the Masters title that just eluded him last year when he finished second.
As the Saturday winner and Sunday runner-up and with a weekend resume that included nine round wins and a perfect .000 reaction time (in round three), Alex is Gary Hunt’s US 131 Racer of the Week.
A straight-A student, Alex is the son of Ann and Tim Kish. Prototype Materials Manager for Eaton Corporation during the week, Tim assumes the role of crew chief on most weekends, not just for Alex, but also for his sister Lydia who, racing in the Advanced class, joined her brother as a runner-up on Sunday.
Congratulations, Alex, from Gary Hunt, Aeroquip and everyone at US 131 Motorsports Park.
ABOUT GARY HUNT
Gary Hunt is in his eleventh season as the track announcer at US 131 Motorsports Park, a track on which he used to race in the brackets and Stock Eliminator. His experience as a race car driver (he won seven points championships) has served him well behind the mike and while he often misses the thrill of competition, his “desk job” is not without its benefits. “It’s given me the best seat in the house, which is always climate controlled,” he said. “I never break any parts, don’t have to wait in line and I leave with a little bit of money every week.”
