Driver Spotlight: Kyle Maki, the #18 Modified, and the Power of Racing Community

Short track racing’s real magic happens beyond the track: it’s the community.

The garages at places like Birch Run Speedway, Owosso Speedway, and other short tracks around the nation are full of people who genuinely care about the sport. Drivers, crews, media members, fans, everyone plays a role in keeping local racing alive.

Kyle Maki is a great example of that community in action.

Kyle drives the #18 Modified, racing primarily at Birch Run Speedway and Owosso Speedway. Like many racers in Michigan, he's a hardworking local competitor who brings passion to the sport every time he rolls into the pits. He's the kind of driver who puts in the work each week and has earned a lot of respect from others in the garage.

Kyle also holds an important place in my own journey into motorsports photography.

He was the first driver to hire me under a photography contract, rather than simply purchasing photos after a race. That shift meant we could approach race coverage intentionally by documenting his race, his car, and the unique moments that define a race night.

That opportunity came through another example of the racing community's strength.

Motorsports videographer Don Bennett of Bennett Media had been working with Kyle and recommended me when Kyle was looking for a photographer. We met when I introduced myself at a local car show where Bennett Media was a vendor. That introduction led to my first contracted driver role in racing photography.

Since then, Kyle has been much more than a client.

He’s referred me to other drivers, made professional introductions within the racing community, and, along the way, has simply become a friend. Experiences like that remind me that motorsports is competitive on the track but built on relationships off it.

For photographers, drivers, teams, and fans alike, that sense of community is one of the things that keeps people coming back to the racetrack week after week.

Sharing these stories through photography is meaningful because it captures both the excitement of the sport and the deep sense of community that makes racing truly special.

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