By Bryan Gapinski
Sycamore, IL, Aug.8 -Tyler Baran won the 25-lap Badger Midget Series feature, Saturday Night at Sycamore Speedway. Chase McDermand was chasing one of the longest standing records in Badger Midget history. A victory Saturday would have tied McDermand with six consecutive victories.
Jeff Zelinski took the lead at the start, Tyler Baran moved into second place one lap later. McDermand moved into the top five on the fifth lap, after starting eleventh. Two caution flags displayed on Laps 8 and 9 kept the field bunched up. McDermand moved into fourth place on Lap 10.
The leaders began lapping the tail of field on Lap16, one lap later Tyler Baran passed Zelinski for the lead exiting Turn 2 for the lead. McDermand passed Nick Baran for third place with five laps remaining. One lap remining McDermand’s engine began misfiring. McDermand pulled on the track with two laps remaining.
Tyler Baran,driving the BBoyz Racing/Horizon Carpentry-Pry Bar-Terminal Supply/Ripper-Honda No. 11 finished four-car lengths ahead of Zelinski, Nick Baran, Kevin Olson and Jordan Mattson completed the top five. “I lost the brakes at the start of the race, I tip-toed through lapped traffic at the end, I got a run on Jeff for the lead exiting Turn 2 for the lead. All three of us Jeff (Zelinski) and my brother work together as a team so it is really a 1-2-3 finish as a team.
“It was a tough night going for the sixth win we got chopped by a car a few times in the heat, suffering a broken front end. I had to run the high groove to make some passes happen we got to third when an engine started to misfire. McDermand holds a 38-point lead over Nick Baran heading into Aug. 22 event at Sycamore Speedway.
SUMMARY
25-lap Feature: 1. Tyler Baran; 2. Jeff Zelinski; 3. Nick Baran; 4. Kevin Olson; 5. Joran Mattson; 6. Mike Stroik; 7. Zach Boden; 8. Derek Doerr; 9. Kevin Douglas; 10. Brad Greenup; 11. Kurt Mayhew; 12. Ken Hansen; 13. Ryan Zielski; 14. Jeremy Douglas; 15. Tristan Koenings; 16. Lamont Crichett; 17. R.J. Corson; 18. John Smith; 19. Kyle Koch; 20. Chase McDermand; 21. Kyle Brinkman; 22. Harrison Kleven.
10-lap Saldana Race Products Semi Feature Winner: Crichett.
8-lap Simpson Race Products Heat Race Winner: Shay Sassano.
8-lap Engler Machine Heat Race Winner: Zelinski.
8-lap Madison Fire Extinguisher Heat Race Winner: Boden.
Schoenfeld Headers Fast Time: McDermand, 15.250 seconds.
Cars Present: 27 Feature Lap Leaders: Zelinski 1-17, T. Baran 18-25.
Badger Midget Series Points: 1. Chase McDermand 348; 2. Nick Baran 310; 3. Tyler Baran 257; 4. Kevin Douglas 243; 5. Jeff Zelinski 236; 6. Kevin Olson 212; 7. Kurt Mayhew 205; 8. Derek Doerr 181; 9. Ryan Zielski 177; 10. Jeremy Douglas & Jordan Mattson 171 each.
RACE NOTES
—The feature victory for Tyler Baran was his third career at the track with previous wins on Sept. 10, 2016, and Aug. 4, 2018.
—Jake Doerner made his midget auto racing debut at the event.
—Zach Boden and Harris Kleven won the Howard Law Cash Draws, a bonus for a randomly selected feature finishing positions.
—Kevin Douglass claimed the Advance Race Suspensions Hard Charger Award improving ten positions.