Our first featured driver as we get to know the competitors behind the wheel better is Kerek Ball, the 21 year old driver of the #11K in the Warrior division at The Painesville Speedway.
How did you get involved in racing?
I’ve been involved in some sort of racing or motorsport almost my whole life, as a kid my family and I did ATV Barrel Racing, my uncle did some racing at Lake Erie Speedway in the street stock division but I was never directly involved with it. I’d been to what was at the time Lake County Speedway some as a kid and loved it every time I went. I’d always wanted to race there as a kid but never had the funds, as I got older I got into Sim Racing and learned to really race on iRacing. I got a good paying job and one day I decided to heck with it and asked online how to get into racing at the Speedway, Jimmy McKinley and Melvin Martin were the most helpful in getting me what I needed, Melvin found me a car and I bought my safety gear and finished the car pulling an all-nighter the day before my first ever race! It all happened within the course of 2 days and it scared my mother to death
How long have you been racing? Why did you choose the number you race?
I have been racing for about a year and a half now. This past year was my first full year. I’m honestly not sure how I ended up with 11 I changed my preferred number a bunch as a kid but ended up with 11 and decided on 11K to be a little different.
We see your brother (Logan) and you at the track almost always together, how does that dynamic work being brothers and you racing the car while he wrenches on it?
Sometimes it is hard cause we’re siblings and butt heads but most of the time it works great! He is much more mechanically inclined then I am and I tell him what the car needs and what we need to change and he gets to it. He also comes up with ideas to find speed in the car that I don’t always think about, he likes to try different things, but when I say don’t touch it it’s perfect, he respects that. I try to help when I can but he does most of the mechanic work.
What’s you favorite race track you’ve raced on.
I’ve taken this car to all of the main 5 NE Ohio tracks and Norton Raceway park is probably my favorite to drive so far cause you really have to drive the car to make speed there.
What kind of hobbies outside of the racecar do you have?
I really don’t have many but I try and play iRacing when I can with my 2 Teams Golden Guardian Autosport and Maximum Effort Motorsports, we mainly participate in the Endurance events on iRacing, our best finish is 2nd in the LMDh class at the Daytona 24hrs. I also race RC Cars dirt off-road and oval, that keeps me busy during the winter, I mainly race at Big Dog RC in Pennsylvania.
Do you have a workout plan that you follow to keep yourself in top shape for race day?
I have a small weekly one to keep me in some shape but nothing intense.
Did you have any racing heroes growing up?
I’ve always been a fan of Kyle Bush, his old Kelloggs #5 Chevy always caught my eye as a kid and I loved his gotta make it happen aditude as a kid. My car this year is actually based off that car.
How do you feel about the alliance between Lorain Raceway Park and Sandusky Speedway and how will that affect your racing plans for 2025?
I feel as if any combination of tracks coming together on scheduling or rules benefits all, if we could get all the NE Ohio tracks to have a general agreement on the basic rules packages I think it would greatly benefit the racing community. I think we will do the same as we did last year and travel to other tracks over the course of the year.
Your favorite racing memory.
I have 2, winning the weekend that my cousin Kasey passed away 8 years ago was very special. It was a double header weekend and we would get it done the actual anniversary day and Logan was very upset but I was determined to get it done the next day and we did. I almost cried in victory lane that day. My 2nd would have to be the night I swept the Pole, Heat, and Feature win with almost my entire family there season championship night in my first year. It was so cool to see them all out there to support me and my dream of racing.
What are your long term goals in racing?
Long term goals would probably have to be win a championship in any division, and it would be really cool to get to race a street stock or late model but with the current prices in racing that would be very difficult without being a driver for another team.
What are your plans for 2025?
We were going to field a 2nd car for Logan to race but he decided he liked wrenching more and we probably couldn’t financially afford a 2 car team. Right now we don’t know what our main track we’ll be racing is, but we will definitely be visiting whatever tracks we can and one of our main goals is to get redemption at the Trident Stock Car Nationals this coming year.
Anyone you want to thank for getting you here?
I have to thank first of all Logan my brother for following me every step of this crazy journey, no way I could have done any of this without him. Gotta thank all my Family for encouraging me when I’m down to keep going and all my sponsors, Wheelcraft, American Auto Recycling, United Cycle and Sled, Storm Guard. Gotta again thank Jimmy McKinley and Melvin Martin for getting me into the scene. And finally all the strangers that message me or come up to me and say good race or want an autograph, especially the kids. If it weren’t for them none of us would be racing.
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