Kai König travels with the Dirt Rich TV American All-Star Series Presented by PPM Racing Products. He tours with them not as a driver, but as an intern. The German-born WVU Tech student volunteered for the organization to learn more the business of the racing, as the freshman studies sports management at the school.
How does a teen in Germany, though, find a West Virginia-based dirt late model racing series? Google, of course.
“I searched for local sports,” Kai says. “[The American All-Stars] page popped up. I didn’t really know what it was, so I messaged them.”
There’s nothing like dirt late models in the continental Europe, and most ovals are confined to the U.K. Racing in Europe consists primarily of road racing, such as Formula 1 and Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) with production-based cars. The only dirt surfaces encountered in motorsport in continental Europe is limited to stage rally, like with the World Rally Championship.
American All-Stars Series promoter Joseph Rush introduced Kai to the sport through videos of old races. It intrigued Kai, and Joseph took him on as an intern.
“I wanted to see it,” Kai says. “I’m really glad I did, because I not only get my education and experience, but I get to see lots of different places because we travel around.”
America is big. The length of Germany, from Denmark in the north to Switzerland in the South is roughly 10 hours. That’d fit within the state of Texas, to put things in perspective.
It’s been a bit of a cultural adjustment for Kai, but he has fit in seamlessly with the American All-Star Series community. On race day, he helps manage tire sales for the series and round up racers to line them up for on-track time. Away from the track, Kai helps with the series’ marketing efforts.
Upon graduation, Kai König says he’d like to find a management role with a professional race team. In the meantime, he hopes his friends and family in Germany appreciate how exciting racing is America.
“The unpredictability,” Kai says of what he likes about dirt late model racing. “I’ve seen people be almost a lap ahead of everybody and end up not winning. A caution could make you lose a race. If you go into Formula 1, there’s, at max, three drivers that could win. [Dirt racing is] not the classic road racing, but it still can be great, because, in some cases, it produces a better experience of watching.”
Kai will travel with the Dirt Rich TV American All-Star Series Presented by PPM Racing Products to the season finale at Natural Bridge Speedway on Saturday, November 15. There, you can be rest assured, Kai, along with many others, will enjoy the unpredictability of dirt racing.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
