A summer to remember for driver Kacey Korsmo

CEDAR RAPIDS — Kacey Korsmo is having one heck of a summer.

As things stand, Korsmo leads the Legends division at Hawkeye Downs Speedway by seven points over Danny Lehmkuhl.

He also trails Bryce Miller for tops in Late Models by just three.

It’s been a challenge for Korsmo, competing in two different race classes most Friday nights, but he’s adapted well.

“It's (summer) going by fast,” Korsmo said. “The biggest thing is keeping my calm between the races. I've had to learn to adjust, too, because you kind of have to forget about the other car and then jump in the other one and change your focus.”

Perhaps Korsmo’s biggest summertime win came off the track — a May engagement.

He attributes his tranquil mindset while competing to his fiancee, Maia.

“Maia’s come to every race since we started dating in 2020,” Korsmo said. “She keeps me calm.”

In addition to helping him keep his cool, she’s also been his four-leaf clover this summer.

“Since we got engaged in May, I've won twice — I hadn't had a two-win season before, so yeah, we'll consider that ring maybe a good-luck charm,” he said with a chuckle.

While there’s certainly an element of “luck” involved in any competition, for Korsmo to have the success he’s had in two very different cars this year, it’s taken a lot more than good fortune.

“Hydration is key and having a lot of help in the pits,” Korsmo said. “Good health in the pits makes the nights go smooth.”

He credits much of his success to his crew.

“My dad (Kevin), my crew guy Bill (Carnahan), and my cousin (Colton Utley), they do a nice job of preparing before we get to the track because there is a limited amount of time (between races),” Korsmo said. “We start later, so it's bang-bang. We get almost no downtime in between Legend and Late Model racing.”

Due to the short transition time, he quickly adjusts his strategy between races.

“The tires don't really wear in the Legend car; you just kind of get out there and go as hard as you can every lap for 20 laps,” Korsmo said. “So, the focus has mainly been keeping my Legend close to the front.

“In the Late Model, the tires wear and it’s a little bit different style of racing. In a Legend car, you can't really rub doors like you can in a Late Model. Both of them have been a blast.”

This season is Korsmo’s sixth racing at Hawkeye Downs.

While close (Legends third-place finisher in 2022), he’s never been an HD track champion. Now, he has a shot at doing it twice in one season.

“The Legend car championship would be huge just because it takes so much to win,” Korsmo said. “It's so hard to win those races every week because of how quick everyone is.

“We didn't really have any expectations for Late Model going into the year, just to have fun and contribute to the car count at the track. To be able to win it in two divisions would be crazy.”

Regardless of how it finishes, summer 2023 has been one to remember for Korsmo.

“It’s been a fun summer, a busy summer,” Korsmo said. “Winning a track championship would probably make it the best year … well, we’re getting married next year, so that’ll be the best.

“I'm just soaking it all in. But now that we're here with a couple of races left, we’ll put everything we can into it.”