Siblings race toward a bright future

*This story was featured in the June 29 edition of the Hastings Tribune. 

For siblings Dylan and Emma Steinkruger, racing is just a stepping-stone for grander plans.

Dylan, 20, and Emma, 12, have 17 years of racing experience between them and an impressive resume of victories at KAM Raceway, but have aspirations that extend far from the racing world.

While they both love racing, they also enjoy a hobby that many might deem a bit more obscure: storm chasing.

 “The first time we ever went…I started crying,” Emma Steinkruger said. “It was one of the really big storms where one of the tornados touched down and we were really close to it.”Storm chasing — the act of traveling towards a storm and attempting to get as close as possible towards the eye of a storm — is often deemed a perilous act.

But for Dylan,that danger and adrenaline, much like in racing, is part of the allure.

“It probably has something to do with the adrenaline rush. More so, I think they are just related by the fact they are two things that I’ve been passionate about since I was young, and have been lucky enough to be able to pursue,” he said.

While both are now known around KAM Raceway for their driving prowess, it didn’t always start out that way.

Dylan and Emma’s father, Jim Steinkruger, recalled how after his son’s first attempt on the track, he wondered if he would ever go back.

“The first night that Dylan and I went to the races, he went out there and it didn’t go very well. He said, ‘I don’t know if I want to go back out there and do this’,” Jim recalled.

Cooler heads prevailed and Dylan stuck to his racing plans. For Emma, it was her first wreck that left a lasting mark.

“I spun out, then the first car hit me and another car hit me,” she said. “I was kind of scared, because it hurt and I flew against the side of the seat.”

Both overcame those initial obstacles and never looked back. Emma races in the Jr. Karts class and has two straight second place points finishes under her belt. Dylan is the defending champion from the Wingless 600’s class and after three first place finishes already this year, is eyeing a second title.

Their success on the track means different things for both of them. For Emma, it’s about taking pride in being one of the few girls competing on any given night at KAM. For Dylan, it’s about applying what he’s learned on the racetrack and applying it to the classroom, and vice versa.

“There have been a lot of things I have been able to apply. I think I’ve learned a lot about having expectations, dealing with failure, dealing with success — you name it,” he said.

Applying what he’s learned in the classroom — specifically his physics courses via his course load at UNL — has equipped him with a different perspective on how to approach Friday night races.

“It’s given me some guidance in terms of making adjustments I’m making on the car…I think racing makes the classes I take less tedious when I can find a way to apply a theoretical concept, like Newton’s 2nd Law, to the physical affect that 15-20 pounds has on the acceleration of a racecar,” he said.

That non-traditional perspective hs certainly paid off in the form racing results.

“He’s an excellent driver,” said Kim Hermann, Secretary/Treasurer of KAM Raceway. “He’s one of those guys who can get to the front and not have confrontations with anybody.”

As far as those grander plans go, Emma plans on attending college in hopes of becoming a veterinarian. By her own admission, she already has some practice taking care of animals.

“I love animals,” she said. “I’ll take in any animal. We have tons of cats we take in and feed every morning.”

Dylan has his eyes set on becoming a meteorologist and plans on chasing storms for sometime to come. For him, it’s the rush that keeps him turning left on the track and driving towards the eye of the storm.

“Each of them provide unforgettable moments that keep me coming back,” he said. “Just like there is no better feeling than winning a race on a Friday night, the feeling of the wind behind your back getting sucked up into a developing super cell is indescribable.”

KAM Raceway official, family share need for speed

*This story was featured in the Hastings Tribune on June 25, 2016. 

Secretary. Accountant. Marketer. Treasurer. Farmer. These are just a few of the hats Kim Hermann wears on a day-to-day basis.

Kim, 53, holds the job title of Secretary/Treasurer at KAM Raceway, but is more of a jack-of-all-trades, as compared to an ordinary secretary or treasurer.

“I do the secretarial stuff, so I count the money and get that deposited every week, I pay the bills, I do a lot,” Kim said. “The guys who usually end up president and vice president usually have jobs, and I can’t say that I don’t have a job because I help out a lot at the farm, too, but I have this free time to give back, and I think KAM is worth it.”

KAM Raceway, the only weekly mini sprint track in Nebraska, opened 37 years ago thanks to Charlie Reece and Dick Stelzer.

It has been a mainstay of the Hastings community ever since.

Highlights at the track have included the biggest race in its history in 1983 in the form of the Modified Midget Nationals. Now, it’s known for its Friday night races from the end of April through the end of August, including a roster of racers ranging 7 to nearly 60 years old.

Although KAM has experienced changes over the years, a few constants have remained.

“In high school, we would go out to KAM … us girls would go out there if some of the guys were racing,” Kim said. “KAM has been around, and it has gone through some changes, but some of those people who were there in the beginning are still around.”

Kim was introduced to racing during her adolescence, thanks to a babysitter who liked taking her to the racetrack near Doniphan.

Then, after spending her own Friday nights at KAM during her teenage years, she was a racing fan for life.

After getting married and starting a family, she made a point to keep racing in her life. Her family followed suit.

“To begin with, I think you have to like racing, and I grew up liking racing. Then, my husband liked it, too, so that was a common thing (for us),” Kim said. “We’ve taken family trips to NASCAR races and already had friends at KAM. Then from (son) Jeff deciding he wanted to race and actually going out there and doing it.”

While Kim is someone “everyone knows” at KAM, she isn’t the only Hermann who is a constant at the racetrack.

In fact, everyone in her family plays a role in the day-to-day tasks at the historic raceway.

Her son, Jeff, 26, is the president at KAM and has been racing for 11 years. Her husband, Gaylon, 54, volunteers and donates at the track, while also racing on Friday nights. Her youngest son, Walker, 19, is a consistent racer and spent much of his childhood at the track.

Jeff drives the No. 11 car in the winged 600cc sprint class. Gaylon drives the No. 23 car in the winged 600cc sprint class. Walker drives the No. 17 car in the non-wing 600cc sprint class.

With that being said, the Hermann name is certainly one spectators can’t go without hearing on any given Friday night.

“Anyone who comes out to watch a race night out at KAM would struggle to not hear the name Hermann at least three times,” Walker said. “KAM Raceway has become a piece of our family, as we’ve equally become part of the KAM Raceway family.”

Most families don’t have an activity that everyone enjoys, so racing is special to the Hermanns.

“It’s very nice and unique knowing that your family is going to be together on Friday nights,” Gaylon said. “And even though our sons are grown up, we still all enjoy doing this together.”

Aside from Kim’s immediate family, she also feels a sense of family from the racing community as a whole at KAM.

“KAM is definitely family,” she said. “A racing community is different than any other. KAM is very family-orientated, but when a group of guys is working on a car ready to race, it’s a group effort. If you win, you celebrate as a group.”

While she enjoys her time out at KAM week in and week out, the three-month season can take its toll. In fact, it can be a grind.

But for Hermann, she hasn’t let it get to that point yet.

“It hasn’t yet because it’s only my second year doing it,” she said. “But I suppose when the boys decide to quit I’ll quit, because we’re out there as a family.”

Even when Kim and her family decide to step away from the racetrack, she still thinks they won’t be able to stay away.

“It’s become very essential and important in our lives,” she said. “I know Walker is going to move on probably and I know Jeff is probably going to want to keep racing, but if we ever quit I’ll miss it and the people out there, and I could see us going out there and watching on Friday nights.”

Bob Johnson Memorial Race on Friday at KAM 

*This story was published in the July 9th edition of the Hastings Tribune. 

For the late Bob Johnson, the love for his family, auto- mobile racing and KAM Raceway was evident throughout his life.

“He loved racing. He was there when KAM Raceway was first started,” his wife, Kathy Johnson, said. “He stuck it out, enjoyed it, saw the number of cars grow and saw everyone grow as a family out there.”

Her husband, who died in 2002, is remembered as a man who cared about his family and worked tirelessly to improve and contribute at KAM Raceway.

“KAM Raceway was home to our dad. That was the home track and that’s where we raced every weekend,” his daughter, Dawn Cloyd, said. “He was there in the beginning and was often there at 2 a.m. helping get- ting the track ready for the next day. KAM just meant a lot to him.”

Johnson, a native of Hastings, was involved with cars and automobile racing for a large portion of his life. He owned B&R Body Shop and had more than 30 years of experience with automobile racing.He was also KAM Raceway’s track president for one year and a member of the Tri-City Street Rods.

While he was known for his skill at drag car racing, he was also involved with assisting other drivers with stock cars, late models, midgets, and go-carts. This assistance was something that didn’t go unnoticed.

“There were people who needed guidance, and Bob was always out there help- ing guide everyone,” Kathy said.

His dedication as both a family man and racing figure encouraged others to be involved with automobile racing.

Johnson’s family now has five generations of family members either involved with racing or watching races every Friday night at KAM.

That family spans from Bob’s mother, Dean Johnson, 86, to his great- grandchildren Elizabeth, 4, Zoey, 3, Trevor, 2, and Adyen, who is 4 months hold.

For twelve years KAM Raceway has honored Bob’s legacy with the Bob Johnson Memorial event. This Friday, July 10, marks the thirteenth time in the event’s history.Anticipation for the event is high, with numerous out-of-state competitors expected for the 50-lap 600 CC Outlaw Race. The event will also include a special lawn-mower race event. Following the races, a free prize drawing and barbeque will be provided.

This special event perfectly sums up what Bob Johnson embodied – family, automobile racing and KAM Raceway.

“Racing was in his blood,” Dawn said. “Racing was like family and it didn’t matter who you were. Everybody out there is just one big family. It’s our race family.”

A girl, a go-cart and a dream

*This feature story was featured in the July 31st edition of the Hastings Tribune.

At age 12, Jessica Francis continues to prove she belongs on the race track. For Francis, winning has been a regular occurrence atKAM Raceway. She has shown that she’s a force to be reckoned with at the track east of Hastings.

“I love winning,” Francis said. “It’s just fun to win a lot.”

Francis, who lives in Grand Island, started her inaugural season at KAM Raceway with four heat race victories and five features. Those finishes were good enough to seat her atop the point standings and crowned the 2014 Jr. 1 Karts division champion.

Her success on the track has been a source of controversy, according to her father, Jesse Francis.

“People just can’t believe that she can go that fast and win that often,” he said. “Her cart gets checked all thetime. She’s never failed an inspection and always races clean. She’s just really good.”

Her father was surprised as anybody that she even wanted to start racing in the first place. He recalls asking her, “Are you sure? I can buy a lot of Barbie dolls for what I’ll pay for that (go-cart).”

Her response was both direct and honest.

“I don’t like Barbie dolls,” she said. “I want to race.”

Her desire to race is what has propelled her up the point standings leaderboard and has led to her to contemplate her future in the sport.

“I want to drive a sprint car,” she said. “Someday, I want to be like Danica Patrick.”