8/19/2024
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
Two in a Row for Robinson in Badger with Angell Park Cornfest Win
The phrase, “Chamber of Commerce weather,” takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, the annual Sweet Corn Festival and the Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association. For once, the temperatures were about perfect for the season and there was actually a “0%” chance of rain for Sunday’s show that also included the Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Cars at Angell Park Speedway. The “Cornfest” is actually put on by the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber and everyone involved with the final day of the Fest, were awarded with one of the biggest crowds of the season.
PRELIMINARY EVENTS
After a rainout the night prior at Sycamore Speedway, the sixth of the season for Badger, teams were ready to hit the track. A field of 29 cars took a time with Parker Jones leading the way followed by Derek Doerr, Luke Wackerlin, Kyle Stark and Brandon Waelti.
The Auto Meter Heat-1 launch saw pole sitter Dave Collins Jr. take the lead very briefly before Wackerlin blew by him from the eighth starting spot. Wackerlin, a rookie, led by a half of a straightaway by the time he completed the first lap. While he was waxing the field an entertaining battle ensued for the transfer position. Four cars were in that hunt. With a couple of laps to go, Harrison Kleven found something on the upper groove and powered on for the last transfer spot. Wackerlin almost dumped it, catching a rut coming through the last curve to the checkers. He gathered it up and took the win without a challenge. Another Badger rookie, Brok Clifcorn had a solid run finishing third behind Daniel Robinson.
Aaron Muhle paced the first seven laps, while Doerr patiently picked off cars from his eighth starting spot in Simpson Race Products Heat-2. Muhle was never challenged until Doerr got next to him as they crossed the line on the white flag lap. By the time they got to turn-three Doerr cleared Muhle and went on to win by several lengths.
Behling Racing Products Heat-3 saw the top-five in the tight Badger point race all in the event. None of this mattered to Charles Rufi, an infrequent competitor this season. Rufi took off from his first starting position and never gave up the lead. It wasn’t easy as Stark was on his bumper with three laps to go. Then Jones caught Stark and it was a three-car battle. Stark did all he could to win, but also did his best to hold off Jones. As they came to the checkers they finished Rufi, Stark then Jones. Kluever took the last transfer over Rechek who was relegated to the High Performance Lubricants B-Main.
In his post-race interview with Zack Krueger, Rufi indicated he knew very well the situation behind him as he took the green and said he’d have just been happy to make a transfer spot. He thanked his Zach Boden team for giving him a chance to race one of the #51 cars.
HIGH PERFORMANCE LUBRICANTS B-MAIN
Eleven cars answered the bell for the High Performance Lubricants B-Main, in search of a top-seven finish and a ticket to the Lyco Manufacturing Inc. main event. Rechek powered from the pole position at the drop of the green to take the lead over Eric Blumer by the second corner. Behind him the battle for the transfer spot was heating up with Jim Fuerst, Mike Unger and Kevin Douglas all battling. With just a couple of laps left, Blumer’s car came to a rest in turn-three bringing out the caution. On the restart the battle was again for the last transfer spot with Fuerst holding it. The Richfield, Wisconsin, pilot held the spot by several lengths over Kevin Douglas but as they worked the final lap, Fuerst bobbled and Douglas was close enough to take advantage, diving under Fuerst as the duo completed the last corner. Douglas beat Fuerst, giving the latter his second “first alternate” spot in as many weeks. Rechek took the win, but would have to start sixteenth in the feature.
LYCO MANUFACTURING A-MAIN
Last week’s winner Robinson was on the pole and fast qualifier Jones, thanks to the Schoenfeld Invert Draw of six, started on the outside of the third row for the Lyco Manufacturing Inc. A-Main.
When the green flag flew Robinson got the jump on row mate Waelti going into the first turn. For the next four laps they ran one-two with Robinson low and Waelti high. The yellow flag came out five laps in when two point contenders came to a stop in the fourth turn. Here, Kluever lost power due to his third broken throttle cable of the season. Stark, with nowhere to go, caught the wall and broke components of his right front to the point and the “Red Duce” had to be brought in on the Schmidt’s Auto tow truck.
On the restart it was Robinson ahead of Waelti, Wackerlin (who had passed Waelti but lost the spot due to the caution) and Jones. Robinson took off and in short order behind him, Wackerlin the rookie and Jones in his second season, went high and low around the veteran Waelti. The pair then battled side by side for several circuits. Wackerlin broke away and started to challenge Robinson for the lead. Wackerlin could go high or low and could get next to Robinson, but never got around him. Robinson got a couple of lengths on Wackerlin and with 16 laps to go, Jones was back in the battle for second. The two youngsters continued to entertain the crowd switching lines and often side by side, all the while keeping the veteran Robinson within striking distance.
At the halfway point of the race Wackerlin slowed and Jones got next to Robinson, perhaps taking the lead at the line. It was soon apparent that Wackerlin had no power to his #73 and he came to a rest on the track. His issue was a broken throttle cable too.
Now it was Robinson, Jones, Doerr, Waelti and Weisensel as they resumed racing. When they took off the top three were about an even five lengths apart. With eight to go it was a pretty even ten lengths between Robinson, Jones, Doerr and Waelti. The only real battle was between Waelti and Weisensel for fourth. For the next two laps the pair traded several slide jobs before Waelti came out on top and started to break away.
With five laps left, Robinson’s lead started to dwindle just a little as he was caught lapped traffic. With two laps to go his situation turned dire as two lappers battling for position and likely unaware the leader was upon them, gave no quarter until the nose of the #57 was in their periphery. By the time the lappers yielded, Jones was within four car-lengths and had momentum on his side. On the last lap Jones got his right front wheel to Robinson’s left rear three times, including at the finish line, but that’s as close as he came and for the second week Robinson was the victor.
In Bank of Sun Prairie Victory Lane, Robinson, always thankful, professed his love of Angell Park and thanked his car owner Bill Ecker, Ecker’s sponsors and the folks who made the sweetcorn for the event. Doerr was a distant third while Waelti continued the battle with Weisensel to come in fourth and fifth respectively.
AWARDS AND NOTES
The Madison Extinguisher Service Last Chance Qualifier and VMS Rod Ends Heat-4 were not run.
Last Place Bonus in Loving Memory of Addison Dahlke: Trey Weishoff
Spankins Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Brok Clifcorn
ASM Performance BobTattersall Hard Charger: Mike Unger
The Hammer’s Auto Service Shop; Midwest Engine Service Hard Luck Award recipient was not available at press time.
Between the IRA dash races, action was halted as EMT’s attended to flagman Todd Booker. Booked climbed down from the Madison Top Company flag stand, onto the track and checked in with the ambulance that had parked on the front stretch for him. It was learned that a rock hit one of his fingers causing a nasty cut. Checking in with Booker Monday morning he reports the finger is cut and bruised, but did not appear to be broken. He did jump back into the stand and finish the night.
Teams and fans were saddened to learn of the passing of longtime Badger Midget photographer Bob Cruse, as announced during Father Grubba’s invocation. We will pass on further details as they become available.
Veterans Jeremy Douglas and Bryon Walters attempted their first starts of the season this night. Douglas finished eighth in the B-Main while Walters had troubles and could not make the bell for any of his races.
Badger fans had some drivers to cheer for in the IRA event as Jake Neuman and former Badger champion Chase McDermand were both in sprint cars. McDermand, a rookie in the IRA, raced his way into the A-Main from the B. He looked good and was passing some cars in the A-Main, when a mechanical issues put him in the pits. Meanwhile, Newman led all but the last couple of laps and finished second to Joe B Miller.
Despite the dust, the track was smooth and offered a few grooves of racing thanks to reworkings during the event.
Thanks to Badger Midget Hall of Famer Clare Rhone who hauled it to the pits, teams were treated to a trailer full of freshly steamed corn, complete with butter, salt and clean-up supplies.
It was learned that Wackerlin will be in Bill Ecker’s #57 at Wilmot this week as Ecker is in the Badger owner’s point race and Robinson, a prolific Micro Sprint driver, has duties in those cars next weekend.
UP NEXT
The AFS makes their lone visit to Wilmot Raceway this Saturday, August 24, sharing the card with the Wisconsin wingLESS Sprints and other classes. We’ll update the timing later in the week.
Advanced Fastening Supply A - Feature (25 Laps): 1. 57A-Daniel Robinson[1]; 2. 41-Parker Jones[6]; 3. 20D-Derek Doerr[5]; 4. 3W-Brandon Waelti[2]; 5. 20-Cody Weisensel[9]; 6. 24M-Aaron Muhle[12]; 7. 51A-Charles Rufi[13]; 8. 7F-Aaron Fiscus[17]; 9. 51C-Brok Clifcorn[8]; 10. 17-Nick Kilian[10]; 11. 67U-Mike Unger[21]; 12. 8-Jake Goeglein[14]; 13. 29-Harrison Kleven[15]; 14. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[19]; 15. (DNF) 1W-Robby Wirth[20]; 16. (DNF) 5K-Kevin Douglas[22]; 17. (DNF) 44-Lamont Critchett[18]; 18. (DNF) 73W-Luke Wackerlin[4]; 19. (DNF) 38-Matt Rechek[16]; 20. (DNF) 55-Todd Kluever[7]; 21. (DNF) 2-Kyle Stark[3]; 22. (DNF) 45-Trey Weishoff[11]
High Performance Lubricants B - Feature (10 Laps): 1. 38-Matt Rechek[1]; 2. 7F-Aaron Fiscus[4]; 3. 44-Lamont Critchett[10]; 4. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[6]; 5. 1W-Robby Wirth[3]; 6. 67U-Mike Unger[7]; 7. 5K-Kevin Douglas[8]; 8. 28-Jim Fuerst[9]; 9. 6-Jeremy Douglas[5]; 10. 59-Kyle Koch[11]; 11. 68-Eric Blumer[2]; 12. (DNS) 5-Bryon Walters; 13. (DNS) 53M-Adam Taylor; 14. (DNS) 51-Zach Boden
Auto Meter Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[8]; 2. 57A-Daniel Robinson[7]; 3. 51C-Brok Clifcorn[6]; 4. 8-Jake Goeglein[1]; 5. 29-Harrison Kleven[9]; 6. 1W-Robby Wirth[3]; 7. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[4]; 8. (DNS) 51-Zach Boden; 9. (DNS) 53M-Adam Taylor
Madison Extinguisher Service Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 20D-Derek Doerr[8]; 2. 24M-Aaron Muhle[2]; 3. 3W-Brandon Waelti[7]; 4. 45-Trey Weishoff[4]; 5. 17-Nick Kilian[5]; 6. 68-Eric Blumer[3]; 7. 6-Jeremy Douglas[1]; 8. 5K-Kevin Douglas[9]; 9. (DNF) 44-Lamont Critchett[6]; 10. (DNS) 5-Bryon Walters
Behlings Race Products Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 51A-Charles Rufi[1]; 2. 2-Kyle Stark[7]; 3. 41-Parker Jones[8]; 4. 20-Cody Weisensel[5]; 5. 55-Todd Kluever[6]; 6. 38-Matt Rechek[3]; 7. 7F-Aaron Fiscus[2]; 8. 67U-Mike Unger[9]; 9. 28-Jim Fuerst[10]; 10. 59-Kyle Koch[4]
FiveOne Motorsports Fast Time Schoenfeld Qualifying (100 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones, 00:16.071[21]; 2. 20D-Derek Doerr, 00:16.209[3]; 3. 73W-Luke Wackerlin, 00:16.329[27]; 4. 2-Kyle Stark, 00:16.466[23]; 5. 3W-Brandon Waelti, 00:16.516[1]; 6. 57A-Daniel Robinson, 00:16.609[16]; 7. 55-Todd Kluever, 00:16.634[24]; 8. 44-Lamont Critchett, 00:16.661[7]; 9. 51C-Brok Clifcorn, 00:16.736[8]; 10. 20-Cody Weisensel, 00:16.743[17]; 11. 17-Nick Kilian, 00:16.749[15]; 12. 53M-Adam Taylor, 00:16.761[26]; 13. 59-Kyle Koch, 00:16.787[20]; 14. 45-Trey Weishoff, 00:16.891[13]; 15. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr, 00:16.908[19]; 16. 38-Matt Rechek, 00:16.940[5]; 17. 68-Eric Blumer, 00:16.975[2]; 18. 1W-Robby Wirth, 00:17.051[4]; 19. 7F-Aaron Fiscus, 00:17.061[10]; 20. 24M-Aaron Muhle, 00:17.087[9]; 21. 51-Zach Boden, 00:17.093[11]; 22. 51A-Charles Rufi, 00:17.115[14]; 23. 6-Jeremy Douglas, 00:17.118[18]; 24. 8-Jake Goeglein, 00:17.173[6]; 25. 67U-Mike Unger, 00:17.198[22]; 26. 5K-Kevin Douglas, 00:17.199[12]; 27. 29-Harrison Kleven, 00:17.425[25]; 28. 28-Jim Fuerst, 00:17.542[29]; 29. 5-Bryon Walters, 00:29.999[28]
Photo by: Roy Ophime Photography
Article by: Bill Blumer Jr.
Submitted By: William Blumer