By David Odenthal

We lost one of the good guys!

Keith Odenthal passed away on August 28th, surrounded by his loving family in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Keith had a love for motorsports that began in high school when he bought his first go-kart in 1959. It was a Caper Kart built by Ben Hunt Manufacturing with a Power Products Engine. The package proved to be unreliable, but it was the beginning of what became a lifelong passion with karting and motorsports. In 1970, Keith got married, and shortly after, had his two sons: David and Joel (Joey), who would soon share the same passion.

Fast forward a few years to 1982: David was in eighth grade and Joey was a year behind in seventh, and they had traded their two dirt bikes for a Bug Wasp. The number on the kart was 34 and that number has been a family and brand staple ever since! Keith’s obsession with karting grew after watching his two sons race for the first time. Keith worked his fingers to the bone day-by-day to fuel his and his boys growing karting addiction. He was spending every penny to get the latest and best equipment on the market. He worked countless hours at night on both David and Joey’s karts, getting everything perfect for the next race. It was because of his dedication and perseverance that David and Joey had their first breakout wins at the California State Championships in Santa Maria. They won Reed Light and Super 100.

From there, with Keith wrenching, Joel won the first of the five IKF Grand National Championships at the 1991 IKF Grand Nationals in Marshalltown, IA. He went on to wrench Joel to one more Duffy at 1992 IKF Grand Nationals in Riverside, CA, again with David at the 1993 IKF Grand Nationals in Batavia, NY, and two more for Joel at the 1995 IKF Pat’s Acres Grand Nationals in Canby, OR.

Keith was involved in many businesses throughout his career and started his final and best entrepreneurial endeavor with his sons David and Joel in 1992. That’s when Odenthal Mfg., Inc. and Odenthal Racing Products (ORP) was born. This family business fueled his passion until 1997 when Keith retired and met the love of his life, Aurelina. He spent quite a few years in Costa Rica and Dominican Republic before moving back to his hometown of Coeur d’Alene, ID to be with his family. Although his wrenching and karting days were at an end, his passion for Formula 1 continued until his passing. He got to fulfill a lifelong dream of his by attending the Formula 1 Austin Grand Prix at the Circuit of Americas Race in Austin, TX with David, Joey and grandson Alex in 2022.

His passion and love of racing will always be remembered, and his accomplishments will stand out in the karting community for many years to follow. Many people will remember the arguments followed by laughter in the pits. We love you very much Keith and thank you for dedicating yourself to this sport!

A Celebration of Life is scheduled for Friday, October 4 at 2:00 pm PT at Capone’s at Ponderosa Golf Course in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

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