The Route 66 Sprint Series crossed over the halfway point of its 2025 season in mid-June when the program welcomed over 200 entries to the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex at Road America in Ekhart Lake, Wisconsin. This event followed a tremendously successful opener at K1 Circuit Whiteland in late April, and the focus now moves to the highly-anticipated event at the newly-repaved Norway Motorsports Park in Sheridan, Illinois on the upcoming July 18-20 weekend. With series momentum continuing to grow, EKN Editor-in-Chief Rob Howden caught up with promoter Chris Kardashian for a new edition of our ‘Fast Five’ interview.

EKN: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Chris. You’re coming off a fantastic event at Road America at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex. What are your biggest takeaways from that race weekend and how the numbers increased after the successful opener at K1 Circuit Whiteland?

Chris Kardashian:  The numbers at Road America were fantastic, but were also bolstered slightly by other events going on at the Motorplex complex. Great numbers at one event is wonderful to see, but when we can do it back-to-back or back-to-back-to-back, we believe the trendline is a representation of the strength of the program.  We welcome everyone to give us a try and I think we were able to put our best foot forward in front of a big audience at this past event. So many racers new to the series came up to me, Tim Koyen, or others on the staff to congratulate us and to tell us they had heard we were a fun series and now that they participated in our event, they would be back.

EKN: That’s exactly what any promoter wants to hear. Chris, since buying the Route 66 Sprint Series, you’ve been laser-focused on the type of series you wanted to deliver. You’ve told me many times that you want to make the weekends more fun. Tell us about that philosophy and focus, and what you’re doing to make sure your customers leave your races happy.

CK: Thanks for asking this question as it goes to the heart of what we want to be and I believe many people race with us because of our Family Fun Factor.  There are a few things that go into having a series that is ‘fun’.  As you know, we bring in inflatable jump houses and obstacle courses at every event for the weekend to give the kids who are not racing something to do, rather than sit in the camper playing video games all day.  On Saturday night, we have a cornhole (bags) tournament as well as our very awesome cookout.  By the way, special thanks to Brian and Michelle Zirves, who again did an awesome job with the cookout at Road America, feeding a few hundred people. And, at Whiteland, also once again, Andy O’Gara and Sarah Fisher hosted that cookout.  We are blessed to have so many wonderful partners and families to offer so much.

Family fun has been the focus for the Kardashians the moment they began karting and continues through the Route 66 Sprint Series (Photo: Route 66 Sprint Series)

The other part of having ‘fun’ is really about not going home mad.  From the time Alexander and I started racing, regardless of the series we raced, I saw a pattern, that when we went home without a smile on our face, it wasn’t because we did not win (Alexander and my late wife may disagree with me a bit on this), it was because of rough driving without calls being made. From our first Route 66 drivers meeting three years ago, all of us at Route 66 have preached ‘RESPECT’.  There is no single word we use more at Route than ‘Respect’.  Respect is about the drivers being respectful to their fellow competitors on track as well as in the scale line and in the pits. Neither Route 66 not any other series can completely change the culture overnight of bumping someone in the corner to get underneath them to make a pass or nerfing them in the corner to make a pass. We are calling as many penalties as the series has ever called, but penalties are not the answer. The answer has to come from within the drivers themselves. Are we there yet? Are the drivers giving each other enough room to race wheel to wheel? I believe we have made great progress, but there is still room for improvement. We will continue to emphasize in every interview, every driver’s meeting, and anywhere else we can, that drivers at Route 66 must be RESPECTFUL to their fellow competitors. We have already suspended several drivers for the season and have put others on probation for rough driving or shenanigans in the scale line. We certainly do not enjoy handing out harsh penalties, but the actions of the few can impact the experience of so many so we are not making exceptions.

A not so funny story, but worth sharing, goes to the heart of what we are trying to accomplish with respectful driving. It has to do with ‘Euro Swerves’ or even any reactionary movement by a lead kart trying to prevent another kart from passing. I think this is one of the most dangerous moves in motorsports. Whether in karting, F1, or IndyCars. We have zero tolerance for it and we have had to issue some harsh penalties to people I consider friends. Not something we enjoy doing. So to address the question about what we’re doing to have more fun and to ensure everyone goes home happy. We are about the family. We want the entire family to come for a fun-filled weekend, with a more relaxed atmosphere, but still to race against some of the best national racers and at some of the best tracks in the country.

Norway Motorsports Park is site of the third round for the 2025 Route 66 Sprint Series (Photo: Norway Motorsports Park)

EKN: That’s a fantastic approach, Chris, and I’m sure the parents appreciate the extra effort you’re making to clean up the racing. So, onward, the next Route 66 event will be held at Norway Motorsports Park on July 18-20. It’s an iconic track in American karting and held a ton of big races in the 1990s and 2000s. There’s new ownership and a fresh feeling of excitement and enthusiasm. That’s a great mix with the Route 66, coming off the big turnout at Road America. What motivated you to make Route 66 the first major program to come to Norway since the rebranding?

CK:  Awesome question. The answer is Mario DeMaria and Jeff Lohmar. Motorsports is a difficult business, whether you are a promotor, a kart shop, or a track owner, but I candidly believe, being a track owner is the most difficult. We have all witnessed the demise of many tracks because of the lack of continued investment. Everyone wants clean facilities, showers, on-site food vending, ample space to park our 40-foot rigs, and of course a smooth race track. If you look at the tracks we have raced at in 2023, 2024, and now 2025, we are racing at the tracks who are investing in the sport. Without their investment, we won’t have a safe or viable venue to race at.  Norway was a staple on the Route 66 schedule for many years, prior to my ownership, and it held some of the most competitive and exciting races of the times. I believe in Mario and Jeff because they are taking the steps to make it a great place to race at again.  What more could we ask for?

EKN: Chris, the Briggs four-cycle classes are certainly growing in the Route 66 Sprint Series line-up. With that fact, how do you see four-cycle positioning itself in the series?

CK: How about I ask you a question, Rob? (smile and laugh) What percentage of our entries do you believe are four-cycle versus two-cycle?  Pause…  Would you believe 47.5% of our entries in 2025 are four-cycle? That number was actually skewed down a bit by the Road America event because of the additional two-cycle entries from racers practicing and testing for the USPKS event. We have targeted to be 50% four-cycle and two-cycle.

Why is that so important?  Entry cost into the sport is obviously a component of the equation, but the fact is there are many racers loyal to four-cycle and many racers loyal to two-cycle.  And candidly, there are some families who enjoy both four- and two-cycle.  The Route 66 Sprint Series gives the racer a unique opportunity to race two classes each weekend, entering in both a four-cycle and two-cycle class. This is part of our Organic Growth Strategy.  Every racer wants more seat time to hone both their speed and race craft skills.  What better opportunity for a racer to affordably accomplish those objectives than racing with us at the Route 66 Sprint Series.

EKN: Let’s wrap up by looking forward. You and your crew have developed a strong foundation with the Route 66 Sprint Series. You’re getting great numbers. People are having fun at your races and leaving with smiles on their faces. What do you see in the future? What are your growth objectives for the program?

Nearly half the entries for 2025 are in Briggs 206 categories (Photo: Route 66 Sprint Series)

CK: Why don’t we do these sit-down interviews more often? I really enjoy this format, Rob.  I think most people would answer this question one way, but in their mind, they may be thinking something else. The complete truth is any growth we are looking for must be organic growth from within the region. There is no intention of growing by geographic expansion. We are a Regional Series focused on racers from MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, and MI. We get some pull from other states, but the states and tracks we will race at will continue to be in the Central Midwest. Do we want to grow? Of course, but that organic growth from within our defined community will happen with the right strategies, execution, and relationships we have developed with so many of our key partners. That is what we are focused on.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the importance and contributions all of our partners make to Route 66.  As a Regional Series, we pull from many of the clubs where the club racer, who has an eye on a career in motorsports, may not be accustomed to as much kart tuning, driver coaching, or even the importance of kart prep. Our partners, many of whom are race teams, are vital to the success of the program as they are there to support those racers in their driver development.

Hope to see everyone at Norway Motorsport Park, July 18-20.

EKN: As always, thanks for your time, Chris, and your commitment and dedication to the sport.

CK:  Thank you Rob. Always a pleasure.

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