Kenton Koch at Watkins Glen. [Photo by Jack Webster]
by Jack Webster & Eddie LePine
As readers of our stories on RacingNation.com know, we have been following Kenton Koch’s career closely since the beginning. From championships in the Mazda Miata series and a dominating performance in the IMSA Lites series, Kenton has been on a roll. Oh, by the way, he won the LMPC class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2016 in his very first drive in the JDC-Miller MotorSports Oreca. It was also his debut race at the Rolex 24.
That Rolex looks good on his wrist.
Fast forward to 2017 and Kenton has a full time ride with P1 Motorsports in the IMSA Prototype Challenge series, driving their Ligier JS P3.
P1 Motorsports Ligier JS P3 in the wet at the Glen. [Photo by Jack Webster]
The deal didn’t come together until after Sebring, where two races were held, but since then, Kenton has been rapidly putting his mark on the series, with three wins and two second place finishes in six races for the team so far. At Watkins Glen in the rain, he had the misfortune of starting the race on slicks and had to pit for rain tires, but Kenton put on quite the show in limited green flag running in that race, working his way back up to an 18th place finish. What was impressive was how fast he was in the wet once he got those rain tires, as he unlapped himself from the leader and proceeded to drive away.
Kenton has some outstanding stats in the 4 years he has been driving in various IMSA series. In 65 total races run, he has won 47 times, an astounding 72% winning percentage.
Currently second in the IMSA Prototype Challenge series points, despite missing the first two races at Sebring, Kenton is going to be one to watch in the second half of the season. With six races remaining, he has plenty of time to challenge for the series championship.
Winning races and championships is something that comes natural to Kenton Koch.
We will keep following his career as he continues to move up the ladder, with success following success. It seems that no matter what type of car or situation he finds himself in, he manages to win, and win consistently. That is no fluke – this young man has incredible natural talent. We have been around racing for quite a long time, and you see a talent like Kenton come along perhaps once in a generation.
It seems to us that it is just a matter of time before the team principal of a top tier IMSA team takes a close look at Kenton’s success and gives him a shot at a factory drive in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar series.
He certainly deserves that chance.
Jack Webster has been shooting motorsports since the early 1970’s, covering Formula One, CanAm, F5000, TransAm, GrandAm and American Le Mans races, among others. In addition to his photography, he has also worked on racing teams, both in IMSA and IndyCar, so has a complete knowledge of the inner workings of motorsport. Both his photography and writing can be seen here on racingnation.com. Eddie LePine has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years as photographer, columnist, and driver. Eddie also is now a retired racer (well, retired unless a good ride pops up). You can usually find Eddie in the paddock area, deep in conversation with a driver.
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