Former IndyCar team owner and Champ Car boss Kevin Kalkhoven dies

Australia-born Kalkhoven recently stepped down from his position as director and chairman of the board at Cosworth, a company he bought from Ford along with Pi Research in 2004.

The KV Racing team he co-founded with Jacques Villenueve's manager Craig Pollock ran Tony Kanaan to victory in the 2013 Indianapolis 500, before being disbanded after the 2016 season.

Hal Reisiger, CEO and Chairman of Cosworth, said: “We were incredibly saddened to learn that Kevin passed away following his recent period of illness.

“Since his involvement with Cosworth in 2004, he had been a key source of inspiration for the business. His passion for motorsport is well documented, but he was also a visionary and pioneer of future technology.

“He was a leading force behind Cosworth’s evolution into a transportation technology business – and we honour his contribution, which will undoubtedly have a long-lasting beneficial legacy.

“On behalf of everyone at Cosworth, I send my sincere condolences to Kevin’s wife and family at this understandably difficult time.”

McLaren Formula 1 boss Zak Brown also paid tribute on Twitter, writing: “Deeply saddened at the loss of Kevin Kalkhoven.

“An Indy 500 winner, owner of ChampCar, Cosworth and the Long Beach Grand Prix, Kevin was a major force in motorsport but also a great colleague and friend, whose business success was mirrored by his generosity to great causes.”

Kalkhoven and George negotiated the merger between Champ Car and the IRL for 2008

Photo by: Dan Streck

Kalkhoven, a venture capitalist and co-founder of KPLJ Ventures, entered racing in the winter of 2002/2003 when he and long-time CART Indycar team owner Gerry Forsythe out-bid Indy Racing League founder Tony George for CART’s assets.

The rebranded Champ Car World Series struggled for grid numbers as its damaging split with the IRL continued, but Kalkhoven and Forsythe moved to safeguard its future by buying into its crown jewel race, the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Long Beach Grand Prix CEO Jim Michaelin said: “The entire Grand Prix Association of Long Beach family is saddened to hear of the passing of our co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven.

“He has provided strong support and visionary leadership over the past 16 years and his contributions to our company as well as to the racing community will be sorely missed.

“Our condolences go out to his wife Kimm and all of the Kalkhoven family in these difficult times. RIP, Kevin.”

They would also purchase Cosworth and Pi from Ford, which became the sole engine supplier to the championship for 2003 following Honda and Toyota's defection to the IRL.

Having struggled in its initial season with journeyman driver Patrick Lemarie in 2003, PK Racing became PKV Racing for 2004 with 1996 champion Jimmy Vasser becoming an owner driver, while Kalkhoven’s business partner Dan Pettit bought out Pollock.

The team won its first race in 2005, when Cristiano da Matta triumphed at Portland, and fittingly won the final Champ Car race at Long Beach in 2008 with Will Power - now in its KV Racing guise - after Kalkhoven and George negotiated the merger of the two U.S. open-wheel series for 2008.

Power told Autosport: “Hearing about Kevin this morning was sad and quite shocking.

Kalkhoven joins podium finishers Mario Dominguez, Power and Franck Montagny after the final Champ Car race in 2008

Photo by: Lesley Ann Miller, Motorsport Images

“I’d say he was important to my career in three ways. First, he played a massive part in keeping Champ Car alive, and obviously that series gave me and a lot of drivers an opportunity to break into the open-wheel scene here in America. We got to race fast powerful cars on road and street courses, and learned a lot, so we weren’t just thrown into oval racing in the IRL.

“Then obviously it was Kevin and Tony George that made the merger happen, which was definitely what was needed for the sake of open-wheel racing in this country.

“And of course, Kevin and Jimmy [Vasser] ran me at KV Racing for the first year after the merger. We won that final Champ Car race at Long Beach, but I’d also say that when we all had to switched to the IRL Dallara, KV was definitely one of the best of the ex-Champ Car teams at getting up to speed. That probably helped get me noticed by Roger [Penske] and Tim [Cindric, Team Penske president], so I’m really grateful to Kevin for what he did.”

It took a couple of seasons before the squad could score regular top-five finishes in the merged IndyCar Series, its improvement coinciding with Kanaan's arrival in 2011.

The team evolved into KVSH Racing with James Sullivan also investing, as Sebastien Bourdais scored four more victories before the team was wound up in early 2017.

Paying tribute to his former partner, Vasser said: “Kevin Kalkhoven lived life to the absolute fullest. He showed how life was to be lived.

“He was a great partner and dear friend. I will always miss his mischievous smile and uproarious laughter. Rest in peace dear friend.”

Kalkhoven however continued his involvement with Cosworth, which helped earn him an honorary doctorate at the University of Northampton in for developments in technology and motorsports.

Kalkhoven and George pictured after the Indy merger

Photo by: Sutton Images

During his time in charge of the company, Kalkhoven also set up Cosworth’s North American base in Michigan.

Legendary IndyCar team boss and current series owner Roger Penske added: “Motorsports has lost one of its true leaders. Kevin Kalkhoven had a great passion for open-wheel racing, and his vision and support helped guide the sport through some turbulent times.

“As a leader of the Champ Car World Series, Cosworth Engineering and the KV Racing Technology team, Kevin had an incredible impact on IndyCar. Our thoughts are with the Kalkhoven family and Kevin’s many friends and colleagues that are coping with his loss.”