RACECAR Illustrated contributor Cameron Hageman of Pure Pixel Visuals was on scene at the recent KKM West Showdown held at Plaza Park Raceway in Visalia California. Cameron is an incredibly talented photographer and filmmaker looking to add journalism and writing to his resumé and Ri is very grateful for his efforts. This is Cameron's recap of the event experience.
Fans packed the stands, clay flew, and four drivers were given the title of KKM (Keith Kunz Motorsports) West Showdown Champion. Over the course of three days in Visalia, CA, there was excitement, heartbreak and even fisticuffs in turn one. Over one hundred drivers tossed their hat in the ring for a chance to claim a title and, for the Non-Wing Outlaw competitors a cool $10,000 payday. While Steven Snyder Jr displayed his dominance and consistency by taking home the Non-Wing Outlaw class victory, the likes of Niko Panella and Jake Smith made sure he earned his success at Plaza Park Raceway.
I asked Driven Chassis and Plaza Park Raceway owner Jake Hagopian about his thoughts on this year's event and how it compared to previous years.
JH- “In comparison to the 2024 event, I was surprised we had a great out of state contingent. I was concerned with the 2025 event not being a points paying race for the KKM Challenge Series, that we may not get the traveling teams. Even though we were missing teams like CB Industries and KKM, we had an army of Hyper’s from the East Coast.”
I also asked Jake about the attendance of last year's KKM race and what his thoughts were on meeting or exceeding that number.
JH- “As far as fan attendance, it was going to be tough to beat the 2024 finale evening of the KKM. At the time we had just got the Plaza Park Raceway venue in our hands and there was a huge buzz in the air. But this year's event saw consistent, strong crowds each night. Overall, we were happy with the car counts and fan attendance; it really solidified for us that this event will have a great future at Plaza.”
The KKM West Showdown started on Thursday with only A-Class, Outlaw, and Restricted classes running. The track crew and drivers alike had to face the challenge of recent weather in the area with mother nature releasing lots of rain all the way up to the week of the race. The rain severely softened the track surface as well as what was underneath, leading to two large divots in the track. These imperfections were the bane of many cars’ existence, ending several drivers' nights and probably giving a few others a migraine. While photographing hot laps I witnessed several cars leave the ground entirely while navigating these obstacles.
Jake also stated that the weather was indeed a challenge.
JH- “This year, weather was our largest challenge. We received a great deal of rain a couple days prior, and it took an army of equipment and people to make the event successful. From ground prep in the pits and trailer parking areas, to the track prep, being able to deliver a great experience for teams on and off track is a tall task.”
Thursday night started rough with one or two cars going the wrong way up at the fault of the divots. It continued through the night and delayed several races with the final checkered flag flying at about thirty minutes after midnight. The winners included Cole Bezio in the Restricted class, Ashton Torgerson in the Non-Wing A-class, and Jake Andreotti in the Outlaw Non-wing main event. While the track imperfections were not ideal and prematurely finished off several drivers, the racing was still top notch. Ashton Torgerson and Jett Barnes chased Andreotti all the way to the finish and gave the chilly crowd a taste of what the Saturday finale would be like.
Even with this unexpected development in the track surface, Hagopian and his team immediately went to work on the track, ensuring Fridays event would include an ideal surface to race on. Even before I got back to my bag to pack up my gear, the machines were running, and the equipment was rolling. Smoothing, scraping, digging, and dragging, the track crew went to work. They even went as far as laser levelling the surface of the track the next morning, resulting in near perfection for night two.
Friday's races were among the best I have ever seen at Plaza Park in my time at the facility. There were always two lanes for the drivers to choose and the crew ensured that both lanes were equal, neither of them being the preferred line. There were plenty of sliders and wrist breaking cushion rides all night between the two non-wing classes. At no point was I ever sure who would come out on top and nearly every corner exit was a nail-biting moment.
Fridays classes included both A-Class and Outlaw Non-Wing cars, with Junior Sprints replacing the Restricted cars for the night two program. This combination, along with the track re-work, resulted in a much smoother event that ended around 10.30 pm. The victors were Junior Sprint rookie Huxcen Roush who claimed victory in his first ever race; Jake Andreotti and Steven Snyder Jr prevailed in A-Class and Outlaw respectively. Snyder Jr’s win on night two was surely a confidence boost and let everyone know he was here and ready to retain the KKM crown.
Night three consisted of all four classes, adding both Junior and Restricted to the mix. One driver, Arizona native Jayden Ferneau, chose to run both classes during the event. This made for an interesting challenge for the driver and the team. I talked to Jayden about this challenge and asked how he adapted between the two very different cars.
“I decided to run both the Jr Sprint and Restricted class at the KKM race just to get more seat time. Last year was my first full season racing so I need as much practice as possible. Restricted is harder because its faster and bigger. I adjusted between the two by focusing and telling my crew chiefs what adjustments needed to be done after I finished one class.”
Jayden’s home track is Adobe Mountain Speedway in Arizona. He recently started running the Restricted class there in preparation for his transition away from Junior Sprints. This decision to make the 550-mile trip to compete in the KKM Showdown was to help Jayden with this transition. He would be exposed to more drivers and be put under much more pressure during the 3-day event. Jayden said this about the event.
“My goal was to win the Jr Sprint class and have a successful finish in the Restricted. We unfortunately failed to tighten the chain down after main adjustments to the Jr Sprint which caused a DNS for the main. I had to separate my feelings and move on the Restricted main. I started 12th and finished 9th out of 22 cars. I am happy I finished the race after avoiding a lot of wrecks and good drivers in the class. The biggest moment that stood out was not being able to start the main in the Jr Sprint class. But that is part of racing, you can’t win them all. I am just happy to race and hang out with my friends at the track.”
During the Outlaw Non-Wing main event there were some fireworks in turn one. While details are scarce, we all had front row tickets to the smackdown that Broedy Graham laid on Steven Snyder Jr. While I was sitting in the infield watching the race, a red flag came out. In the midst of looking around for the source of the stoppage I spotted what looked like a linebacker in a blue fire suit, sprinting across the infield. Quickly realizing he had his sights set on someone I brought my camera up and hit record. Graham body slammed Snyder Jr in his car and then decided to leave a few parting gifts courtesy of the bottom of his racing shoe. Now whether this was justified, I have no idea. But I must commend Graham on his commitment and form. Even after a very exciting 3 days, this was the highlight to us infield shutterbugs and that video will forever stay on my hard drive.
However, Steven Snyder Jr would get the last laugh by securing victory that night and taking home all ten thousand of those dollars. Snyder Jr, piloting a Hyper chassis, was only challenged by Jake Andreotti during the entirety of the main event. Andreotti experienced some truly terrible luck by losing an entire right front wheel going into turn 3. A defeated Andreotti got out of his car and slumped against the guardrail, overwhelmed with defeat. I really wish he had been able to continue that fight and give Snyder Jr a challenge for the win. But luck is often a fickle mistress.
Hagopian touched on this turn of events when I asked about the weekend.
CH- Any standout moments or performances that impressed you this weekend?
JH- “Jake Andreotti and the B & B team were on point. They had a great weekend that was ultimately a corner short. Of course, Steven Snyder Jr continues to prove he is one of the best to ever do it. Instead of being frustrated with it as a competitor you almost have to appreciate what he is capable of. For my team I’m excited about this season. Both of our cars were victim of Andreotti’s misfortune, so the stat sheet doesn’t show how good we were this weekend. For the record, Huxcen Roush in the Jr Sprint class was awesomely dominant for his first race at Plaza and being a new Jr Sprint racer.
CH- What do you think makes this track and its racing community special?
JH- “Plaza is special. That’s a fact. There really is nothing like it. I know Jason (Meyers, co-owner) and I both take great pride in its existence and success. The competition is fierce, something we’ve always known as someone dirt racings best talents hail from a long tenure at Plaza. I think our goal is to make the rest of the racing community aware of how special It is, not just to us but to dirt track racing as a whole.”
CH- What’s next for the track? Any big events or improvements coming?
JH- “We’ve got Midgets coming in April, we are really hoping it’s a successful showing as the goal is to have the National USAC series visit us during their West Coast swing later in the year. Flat-Track motorcycle racing is making a return to Plaza in May, the facility has a history in motorcycle racing before it was a micro sprint track. We are excited to see Amateur and Pro racers take to the clay and bring some new faces and names to Plaza!”
Overall, the KKM West Showdown was a success and proved that Hagopian and the track crew hadn't lost their edge from the previous year. Although if you've ever been to the Mark Hagopian Memorial, you'd know we weren't ever worried in the first place. This facility has come a long way in the time that Hagopian and the entire One-Four Promotions team have been in charge, and this is reflected in his genuine desire to improve not only the facility itself but the quality of competition and racing for drivers and fans alike. I will continue to cover the events at Plaza Park and look forward to the bright future this facility has under the guidance of Jake Hagopian and his team.