Kyle Prochazka: Chasing Titles and Chasing Dreams at CMS

Kyle Prochazka’s ties to Crystal Motor Speedway run deep.

The St. Johns, Michigan native is a second generation competitor at the speedway and in 2014 he will be trying to repeat history by picking up a CMS Street-Stock Track Championship, just as his father did in the early 80’s.

Larry Prochazka was a fierce competitor at Crystal Motor Speedway in the early 80’s behind the wheel of the no.06 machine, and although he hung up his helmet in 1984 after the birth of his twin sons; Kyle and James, Larry passed his passion for the sport along to his boys.

As Kyle recalled with a  grin, “Athough dad quit when we were born; we grew up at the racetrack watching Eric Chant (Late Model no.96) race and listening to Mark Cowan announce at Crystal”

Racing was definitely in Kyle & James’ blood, and in 2009 their good family friend Mark Cowan gave them the opportunity of a lifetime.  That opportunity came in the form of a no.96 Street-Stock.  With a car, a place to wrench on it, and a track to race it at; the stage was set for the Prochazka boys to shine.

The twins alternated driving duties, racing the car primarily at Crystal Motor Speedway, with occasional runs at Tri-City Motor Speedway, Mt. Pleasant Speedway, and Mid-Michigan Raceway Park.

Soon it was evident that both brothers had an incredible amount of talent and a second car was added to the team.  In honor of their father Larry, the no.06 machine made its debut with Kyle as the full-time pilot.

With nearly a dozen feature wins to his credit, there is no doubt that Kyle is a contender in the Street-Stock division, and for the first time the Prochazka’s are operating a single driver team focusing their efforts on dominating the division.

James has stepped out from behind the wheel and found a new role under the hood, “It was fun racing against James, and it would be nice to do it again.  But he has such a handle on this car and knows exactly what he is doing with this chassis that I take his word for it!” Exclaimed Kyle, “Although we have never run for a championship before, everything seems to be clicking and we are going to try for it.  We have had some good runs and honestly anything less than a championship would be disappointing.”

The Tom Benson Re/Max no.06 team is certainly off to a good start for this 2014 season.  Kyle currently sits second to Jasen Wiley (no.73) in the standings, trailing the station wagon by a mere 2-points and although he has yet to capture a victory, the season is still very young.

Despite being focused on his future goals, Kyle has also not forgotten his past and the highlight of his career remains his first ever feature win.  Although Kyle has visited victory lane on numerous occasions, and has had a blast picking up back-to-back wins at Crystal during Holiday two-show weekends, that first win will always hold a special place, not only for him but the entire team.  “It was really nice to get Mark [Cowan] down to victory lane.  He has done so much for us, it was nice to give him something to be proud of!” Exclaimed Kyle.

There is no doubt that Kyle has a deep appreciation for those who have helped him make racing a reality.  Ben’s Tech Supply, Tom Benson Re/Max, Becks Trailer Store, the Hitching Post Restaurant, Mark Cowan Auctions, Devereaux Saw Mill, the Country Store & Garden Shop, Quiet Time Farm, and Schmitz Service & Pantry Store keep the no.06 on track.

When Kyle is not at work at Devereaux Saw Mill in Pewamo, or enjoying a little time in the woods you will usually find him hanging in the garage turning wrenches alongside his dedicated crew members: Mark Cowan, James Prochazka, Luke Sickles, and Chad Lange.

With eighteen events left in the 2014 season, Kyle Prochazka and the no.06 team definitely have plenty of time to solidify themselves in the Crystal Motor Speedway history books and it will surely be fun to watch them in their quest to reach the top.