Kemenah aims for 1200 pound title
By Bill W:
Running with the All Stars amongst family and friends is just fine with Chad Kemenah. Many drivers insist that they want to move “up the ladder.” Though Kemenah would look at such opportunities, the Findlay, OH native is content where he is. I caught up with him in Wichita earlier this year and he stated, “I really enjoy being out here running with my brother and nephew. That means a lot to me. I get to make a living doing something I love.” His brother, Brian Kemenah, and nephew, A.J. are big reasons why he is content where he is. Jimmy Havens also provides help pitside for the Jim Harble #15K. It’s easier to be content when you are running well, and Kemenah is definitely having a good summer. As of this writing, he had only one All Star feature victory to his credit (at Eldora on June 29), but his consistency in the Kistler powered Eagle has him sitting atop the highly competitive All Star Circuit of Champions points race ahead of four-time champ Kenny Jacobs. Add to his credits this year’s Ohio Speedweek Championship, and you can see he is on a roll heading into the 1200 pound nationals.
Last year’s inaugural event had a strange ending indeed, but when the dust settled, Kemenah had surged from his 19th starting spot to finish seventh. “We’d like to win the thing this year, of course. But the format is so tough.” The format he speaks of is unpredictable, in that the invert for Saturday’s championship is drawn by pill. Sometimes, having the most points after Friday, is not to your advantage in this type of situation, but no one can back off with over 100 competitors in attendance. With the Knoxville local cars, the All Stars, the NCRA, and the IRA all sanctioning the event, there is no room for error.
“Eldora (his favorite track) and Knoxville are name facilities. Everyone wants to win there, because of that,” says the 30 year old. Kemenah first hit the famous half-mile in Knoxville in 1996 in the Chuck Steinbrick #92 in a May All Star show. “It was a good learning experience,” he says, “It took a lot of laps before I started feeling comfortable.” Despite his lack of laps here in central Iowa, he has impressed on more than one occasion, qualifying for last year’s Amoco National Championship event in only his third attempt. The previous two years were not awful. He qualified for the B in both events. “I love the atmosphere surrounding the Nationals. We’d like to run in the top ten in that race this year,” says Chad.
Chad’s career can be traced back to when he was a sixteen year old piloting a street stock in northwestern Ohio. His first round in a sprint came four years later, and in 1993 and 1994 he drove several different cars including the Burmeister #16. He jumped into the Steinbrick #92 machine in the middle of the 1994 season and took the track championship at Buckeye Speedway in both 1995 and 1996, a year he won fourteen times. His transition to the UUI (Underground Utilities, Inc.)/Harble Motorsports team occurred in 1997, and what started out as a one night deal, has turned into a lasting partnership. In 1998, Chad was named the winningest 410 driver in the state of Ohio, a year that saw eight victories.
His first All Star win would come in 1999, at the Hoosier Fall Classic in Lawrenceburg, IN. Nine total trips to victory lane were recorded, as well. The year 2000, saw a Western PA Speedweek title, a second place showing in the Ohio Speedweek, and a third place run with the All Stars. Last year, Kemenah raced over sixty times, and while only scoring three wins, he finished in the top ten 37 times. After the 1200 pound nationals, he held a 37 point lead on Kenny Jacobs in a nip and tuck point race. Misfortune at Eldora and a cancellation at East Bay ended Kemenah’s championship hopes, but still netted him the runner-up spot to Jacobs. “It was real disappointing, because the circumstances were out of our hands,” says Chad. This year could be a lot different.
Kemenah’s love of the All Star Circuit of Champions stems from the competitiveness, the geography of the schedule, and the many different drivers who have a chance to win on a given night. Though he is a proponent of the weight rule, it’s not for financial reasons. “It’s not saving any expense on the engines, and that’s where the money is. I like the weight because no matter where you put it on the car, when the race is over, everyone is weighing the same.” A driver who lists fellow Ohio drivers, Fred Linder, Jack Hewitt, and Jacobs amongst his heroes, also has a deep respect for the World of Outlaws. “They don’t make mistakes. When you’re running with them, you can’t slip up or they’re by you in a hurry. It makes you a better driver in that situation.”
In addition to racing in the Midwest, the winter of 1999-2000 saw Chad team with Jim Knight in Australia to drive a few shows. The result was a victory on the preliminary night of the Warnambool Classic, and four other finishes in the top five. His trips “Down Under” have continued since, with his crowning achievement being a victory in the President’s Cup at Nyorah. Twice he has run second to Danny Lasoski in the Grand Annual Classic in our “off” season.
The Harble team is sponsored by UUI, Hyundai, American Auger’s, Kear’s Speed Shop, and Hoosier. With almost 60 feature wins, Kemenah is definitely one to account for this weekend, and also in August. To keep up with the team, log on to http://www.chadkemenah.com/ where his wife, Tracy, has done a great job with the website.
Kemenah aims for 1200 pound title
By Bill W:
Running with the All Stars amongst family and friends is just fine with Chad Kemenah. Many drivers insist that they want to move “up the ladder.” Though Kemenah would look at such opportunities, the Findlay, OH native is content where he is. I caught up with him in Wichita earlier this year and he stated, “I really enjoy being out here running with my brother and nephew. That means a lot to me. I get to make a living doing something I love.” His brother, Brian Kemenah, and nephew, A.J. are big reasons why he is content where he is. Jimmy Havens also provides help pitside for the Jim Harble #15K. It’s easier to be content when you are running well, and Kemenah is definitely having a good summer. As of this writing, he had only one All Star feature victory to his credit (at Eldora on June 29), but his consistency in the Kistler powered Eagle has him sitting atop the highly competitive All Star Circuit of Champions points race ahead of four-time champ Kenny Jacobs. Add to his credits this year’s Ohio Speedweek Championship, and you can see he is on a roll heading into the 1200 pound nationals.
Last year’s inaugural event had a strange ending indeed, but when the dust settled, Kemenah had surged from his 19th starting spot to finish seventh. “We’d like to win the thing this year, of course. But the format is so tough.” The format he speaks of is unpredictable, in that the invert for Saturday’s championship is drawn by pill. Sometimes, having the most points after Friday, is not to your advantage in this type of situation, but no one can back off with over 100 competitors in attendance. With the Knoxville local cars, the All Stars, the NCRA, and the IRA all sanctioning the event, there is no room for error.
“Eldora (his favorite track) and Knoxville are name facilities. Everyone wants to win there, because of that,” says the 30 year old. Kemenah first hit the famous half-mile in Knoxville in 1996 in the Chuck Steinbrick #92 in a May All Star show. “It was a good learning experience,” he says, “It took a lot of laps before I started feeling comfortable.” Despite his lack of laps here in central Iowa, he has impressed on more than one occasion, qualifying for last year’s Amoco National Championship event in only his third attempt. The previous two years were not awful. He qualified for the B in both events. “I love the atmosphere surrounding the Nationals. We’d like to run in the top ten in that race this year,” says Chad.
Chad’s career can be traced back to when he was a sixteen year old piloting a street stock in northwestern Ohio. His first round in a sprint came four years later, and in 1993 and 1994 he drove several different cars including the Burmeister #16. He jumped into the Steinbrick #92 machine in the middle of the 1994 season and took the track championship at Buckeye Speedway in both 1995 and 1996, a year he won fourteen times. His transition to the UUI (Underground Utilities, Inc.)/Harble Motorsports team occurred in 1997, and what started out as a one night deal, has turned into a lasting partnership. In 1998, Chad was named the winningest 410 driver in the state of Ohio, a year that saw eight victories.
His first All Star win would come in 1999, at the Hoosier Fall Classic in Lawrenceburg, IN. Nine total trips to victory lane were recorded, as well. The year 2000, saw a Western PA Speedweek title, a second place showing in the Ohio Speedweek, and a third place run with the All Stars. Last year, Kemenah raced over sixty times, and while only scoring three wins, he finished in the top ten 37 times. After the 1200 pound nationals, he held a 37 point lead on Kenny Jacobs in a nip and tuck point race. Misfortune at Eldora and a cancellation at East Bay ended Kemenah’s championship hopes, but still netted him the runner-up spot to Jacobs. “It was real disappointing, because the circumstances were out of our hands,” says Chad. This year could be a lot different.
Kemenah’s love of the All Star Circuit of Champions stems from the competitiveness, the geography of the schedule, and the many different drivers who have a chance to win on a given night. Though he is a proponent of the weight rule, it’s not for financial reasons. “It’s not saving any expense on the engines, and that’s where the money is. I like the weight because no matter where you put it on the car, when the race is over, everyone is weighing the same.” A driver who lists fellow Ohio drivers, Fred Linder, Jack Hewitt, and Jacobs amongst his heroes, also has a deep respect for the World of Outlaws. “They don’t make mistakes. When you’re running with them, you can’t slip up or they’re by you in a hurry. It makes you a better driver in that situation.”
In addition to racing in the Midwest, the winter of 1999-2000 saw Chad team with Jim Knight in Australia to drive a few shows. The result was a victory on the preliminary night of the Warnambool Classic, and four other finishes in the top five. His trips “Down Under” have continued since, with his crowning achievement being a victory in the President’s Cup at Nyorah. Twice he has run second to Danny Lasoski in the Grand Annual Classic in our “off” season.
The Harble team is sponsored by UUI, Hyundai, American Auger’s, Kear’s Speed Shop, and Hoosier. With almost 60 feature wins, Kemenah is definitely one to account for this weekend, and also in August. To keep up with the team, log on to http://www.chadkemenah.com/ where his wife, Tracy, has done a great job with the website.