Kile Fulfills racing family's dream...

The Kile name has been involved with racing at West Liberty Raceway for decades.

Bud Kile started working in the pits in 1964 and currently sponsors the Stock Car class at the track.

Son Kurt, 32, started racing at the track at 15. Younger brother Kevin, 27, races with him in the Late Model class. Sister Katie, 25, has announced races at the track.

Even with all of that experience, Kurt's title in the top division at West Liberty last year carried a unique distinction.

Kurt's title was the family's first at the track.

"That was kind of a dream come true," said Bud, who owns the cars that his sons race. "I didn't think it would ever happen. If you can win at West Liberty, you can win anywhere. If you can get a top-5 at West Liberty, that would be a win anywhere else. We hadn't won a track title ever before, even in the stock car class."

Kurt, who will compete in today's World Dirt Racing League event at West Liberty Raceway, doesn't believe winning the title last fall has sunk in yet.

"It means a lot to me," he said. "Words can't even describe it."

Kurt used to run at Columbus Junction, where Kevin has won a couple championships. The two tracks run different nights for the weekly shows.

"I gave up doing it full time (at Columbus Junction)," Kurt said. "Until the last couple of years I didn't have much help. It would be hard to do Columbus Junction Friday, and then turn around for Saturday at West Liberty. West Liberty was more important to me.

"It's more important because I'm a hometown kid, and also because I think you have the toughest competition here on a local night," Kurt said about West Liberty.

The championship trophy was something Kurt's been waiting to see nearly his entire life.

"I've been going (to the track) ever since I was a little kid," Kurt said. "My mom used to bring me in the baby carriage. I bet I was just a month old when I went to my first race."

Racing was part of the culture for Bud's sons at an early age.

"When the boys were little, they would get a cardboard box," the father said. "They would make a race track out of it and race their Matchbox cars around the track. Then they would take bigger cars, and race them on the patio. When they grew up, they had their bicycles. They were going around in circles racing each other.

"Everything we did was a race," Bud said. "I figured they had seen enough, they wanted to do it."

When Kurt was 12, he had his first experience in a real race car owned by his father.

"Dad let me pack the track at Columbus Junction one night," Kurt said. "It felt good. I kind of had an idea then I wanted to do it."

Kurt had to wait three years before his first race, the Liberty 100 at West Liberty.

"Those were the longest three years," Kurt said with a laugh. "I learned a lot, though. I went into the pits. My dad's always had hired drivers. I learned from them. It helped a lot. They'll give you lots of hints."

Bud admits Kurt was racing a bit before he was of legal age.

"He was supposed to be 16," Bud said. "We lied a little. I was a bit nervous. I was actually more scared of him messing up and wrecking someone who was running good. I wasn't really nervous about him getting hurt because the cars are safe. I almost feel he's safer in the car than standing around."

Though he's been racing for 17 years, Kurt said there's been a turnaround in the last couple of years for him.

"A couple of years ago we would have tried the same thing with the car everywhere we go," he said. "Then two years ago I got a new crew. They have picked me up a bunch. We need to do every practice we can. We have two cars, and we probably have a half-dozen setups for each car. My brother also has two cars. We feed information back and forth to help each other out."

While Kurt and Kevin help each other out as much as possible, on the track, the sibling rivalry sneaks up.

"I sometimes catch myself racing my brother harder than other people, because we are so competitive," Kurt said.

Dad isn't too keen about seeing his sons going against each other.

"I never like to see them in the same heat race or feature," Bud said. "It seems like they get to be side by side. If something's going to happen, it will take out both cars."

Kurt is looking to race at various tracks this year with the emphasis on his home track.

"I think we're going to go and try to do the points thing again at West Liberty," Kurt said. "We might get a couple of other shows in at Farley and Dubuque. If we start out kind of rough, I'm sure we'll stay at West Liberty full time. At the end of the year, we'll follow the WDRL to Kansas and stuff."

First up, though, is today's World Dirt Racing League event at West Liberty.

"I would like to win a WDRL race at West Liberty," Kurt said. "That would mean a lot to me."

As printed in the Iowa City Press-Citizen, 04/21/2007.