New ownership for Blackhawk Farms Raceway

August 31^st, 2007

Blackhawk Farms Raceway, a Stateline racing fixture for 30 years, changed ownership on August 31st, 2007. Paul Musschoot, owner of General Kinematics Corp. of Crystal Lake, Illinois, has purchased and will take over track operations from Raymond Irwin, current proprietor and facility operator.

Blackhawk Farms raceway was built in 1967 by Tito and Marcia Nappi on a 219 acre farm just west of South Beloit with the original track layout designed by local racing legend Jerry Dunbar. Since being built, Blackhawk has hosted events for sports cars, motorcycles, karts, and other racing venues. Although not a long track, Blackhawk is very challenging technically, and the “family” atmosphere of the facility is nationally known as one of its most endearing features. Since it was built, Blackhawk has challenged many of the most famous names in road racing: the Andrettis, Sterling Moss, Paul Newman, Walter Payton, Boris Said, and Alan Jones (F1 Champion) to name a few.

Mike and Raymond Irwin bought the facility from the Nappis in 1986 and made many improvements over the next 20 years, including renovating many of the buildings, and resurfacing the track itself several times. In 2005, Mike retired and Raymond assumed operations with the help of Paul Depirro and Cindy Robinson. Raymond Irwin also owns and operates Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kansas.

The new owner of Blackhawk Farms Raceway, Paul Musschoot, has been involved in the racing industry since the late 70’s. Starting as a technical inspector for the SCCA, Musschoot went on to campaign cars in SCCA GT-1 and Trans-Am racing into the early 80’s. Taking a break from racing, Musschoot helped build his current business into a global player in the materials handling industry, of which he is currently President and CEO. Returning to racing in the GT-1 class in the late 90’s, Musschoot has spent a significant amount of time at racing at Blackhawk Farms. He plans to continue the family friendly atmosphere the track provides, while taking a fresh look at facilities and the overall track experience.

For more information, log onto www.blackhawkfarms.com