09/22/2026
🏁👟 SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE SUPER SHOE NATIONALS? 👟🏁
If you're new to Kalamazoo Speedway, you might hear everyone talking about Super Shoe ###IX this week and wonder...
What exactly is the Super Shoe?
Well, it's a pretty big deal around the Zoo. 😎🏁
The Super Shoe Nationals began in 1987, replacing the former Dealer's Choice as Kalamazoo Speedway's big season-ending special.
And the very first driver to put his name in the history books?
🏆 SCOTT HANTZ — 1987 SUPER SHOE CHAMPION. 🏆
The idea behind Super Shoe was simple: give the little guys a chance.
The local racer. The weekend warrior. The driver who works all week, builds their own car and gets one opportunity to race in a HUGE season-ending special.
And 39 years later, that philosophy is still at the heart of Super Shoe.
🏆 A LOT OF HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE
Over nearly four decades, some of Michigan's biggest short-track names have added their names to the Super Shoe record book.
Gail Cobb won three straight Super Shoe Nationals in 1988, 1989 and 1990.
Andy Bozell won the Super Shoe in 1994 and competed in the first 17 Super Shoe Nationals, helping establish one of the event's great traditions.
And then there is another name that represents what Super Shoe is all about:
🔥 RICH HARDY — THE SUPER SHOE IRONMAN. 🔥
Rich holds the record for the most consecutive starts in the Super Shoe Nationals.
That's not just a racing record. That's years and years of showing up, preparing a car and being part of this tradition.
🚗 SUPER SHOE HAS GROWN
The original concept may have been about giving the little guy a chance at a huge season-ending special, but the event has continued to grow and evolve.
While we still have the traditional V8 Super Shoe Open Class, we've broken the event down into classes so more racers can have their own opportunity to compete for a Super Shoe victory.
Today, you'll see:
🏁 Crown Vics
🏁 Street Stocks
🏁 Late Models
🏁 ABC FWD
🏁 Traditional V8 Super Shoe Open Class
And this isn't a one-night show.
Super Shoe ###IX will bring more than 200 race cars through Kalamazoo Speedway over three days.
More than 200 cars.
Three days.
Decades of history.
And one giant tradition.
Some drivers are chasing another Super Shoe championship. Some are trying to add their name to the record book for the first time. And some are simply chasing the chance to say:
"I raced in the Super Shoe Nationals."
That's what makes this event different.
It's not just about the big teams.
It's about the little guy getting his shot.
It's about families who have been coming for generations.
It's about drivers who have made Super Shoe an annual tradition.
It's about the stories, the cars, the rivalries, the wins, the heartbreaks and the memories created at the Zoo.
And somewhere in the field this weekend is the next chapter of that history.
From Scott Hantz winning the very first Super Shoe in 1987... to Gail Cobb's three straight championships... to Andy Bozell and Rich Hardy's incredible Super Shoe careers...
39 years later, the shoe is still on. 👟🏁
Welcome to SUPER SHOE ###IX!
Let's make some more history at Kalamazoo Speedway.
