KALAMAZOO, MI — After rumors swirled around the pit area at the end of the 2025 season, and picked up momentum during the 2026 season, it is official as of Friday, November 6th — the Kalamazoo Speedway has been sold.
Don Perkins, a local business owner in Northwest Indiana, took ownership of the Kalamazoo Speedway after being a fan of dirt track racing for years. The Indiana native often visited Shadyhill Speedway in Northwest Indiana, but a trip to the Kalamazoo Speedway Klash is what helped Perkins fall in love with the facility. Now, he has the opportunity to take Kalamazoo Speedway into its next chapter and will do so with a local legend as the promoter.
After retirement from full time race competition at Kalamazoo’s 2025 Championship Night, Kenny Head will return to the big track as the track’s daily operations guru. Head’s promotion to help lead the Kalamazoo Management team does not change his commitment and leadership as President of the Family Fun Mini Wedges. In fact, Head views this opportunity as a way to bring synergy to the entire facility from a robust offering in youth racing development to a great product on the big track every event. Head believes in strong relationships with staff, drivers, crews, and fans — as well as the many stakeholders in and around the racing industry — and will look to hit the ground running on several fronts.
The 2027 schedule as well as future updates and announcements will come throughout the winter off-season through their social media channels. The management team is ready to get to work on the 77th season at Kalamazoo, and fans, drivers, and crews will have a chance to meet the team on the November 9th Monday Night Rewind which airs live on Top Row Racing Media’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel. Both Don Perkins and Kenny Head plan to be apart of the action packed episode of the Monday Night Rewind where it is a Kalamazoo Takeover which will include an introduction of both Perkins and Head as well as allow for fans to ask questions. Not every question will be able to be answered Monday night, but the team will take the questions and address ones they cannot answer in a future announcement through social media.
The ownership change comes after Kalamazoo was led by Randy Ritchey and his family for several years. After longtime owner Gary Howe sold to Ritchey shortly before COVID-19, Ritchey invested into the facility with various upgrades and improvements which included a repaved infield, updated bathrooms, a new sound system, an elevator, and general upkeep. The facility remained as a premier destination trip for race fans from all over the nation, and the new team looks to make its mark on short track racing and elevate Kalamazoo to new heights.
