By Mike Babicz
(Wilmot, Wis., Saturday, August 2, 2025)–Zach Raidart of Gurnee, IL captured his second 20-lap AutoMeter powered by Gandrud Performance Wisconsin WingLESS Sprints feature of the season at Wilmot Raceway Saturday, August 2, 2025.
“The cushion in turn two was tricky, and I had to watch it,” admitted Raidart, the 2024 Series Champion following his second win of the year with the first coming May 30 at Wilmot. “I had no idea how close anyone was, so I kept having to run as hard as I could. It worked out.”
“I have to thank my parents, all of our partners, the great fans, everyone,” Raidart said, joined by many of them in victory lane. “It’s been a rough season for us, but with a second last week(Saturday, July 26 at Plymouth Dirt Track), we seem to be heading in the right direction. I am looking forward to the Kenosha County Fair races which are next for us(Saturday, August 16 at Wilmot).”
Raidart jumped out in front from his outside front row starting spot, eventually leading every circuit but not without some challenges. With nine laps remaining, Raidart went hard into the second turn jumping the berm and nearly spinning out while holding an advantage of nearly four seconds. The large lead, plus Raidart’s quick reaction and gathering the out of control machine into control, shot him back in front with a tight battle for second closing in on him.
A spin in turn four brought out a caution allowing Raidart to gather himself, resulting in the larger lead being completely erased.
Powering back in front of the field, Raidart began pulling away with a three and sometimes four way battle for second raging on behind him.
Veteran and two-time series champion Tim Cox of Park City, IL and current series pointleader Adam Taylor of Wheatfield, IN traded slide jobs several times just prior to the caution and continued with the confrontation as the laps were winding down. Bristol’s Chris Klemko, 2-time and defending Wilmot track champion, made it a three-way battle following the restart.
Taylor, who had gotten into second, nearly spun out in turn two, saving it but losing several spots. Heading hard into turn three, Taylor looped it bringing out the final caution four laps from the finish relegating him to the rear on the restart resulting in a 14th place finish.
Up to the challenge, Raidart pulled away to the win by over two seconds at the checkered. Klemko, coming on strong in the closing laps, ended up second by half a second over third finishing Dennis Spitz of Lewisburg, KY who earlier in the week celebrated his 75th birthday. Klemko and Spitz both improved the same number of positions in the Behling Race Equipment hard charger competition, with Klemko technically taking the honor moving from 9th to 2nd while Spitz went from 10th to 3rd.
Cox, who came into the night holding onto the Wilmot track championship point lead, came across fourth edging out fifth finishing Allen Hafford of Beach Park, IL by less than 2 tenths of a second. Klemko through Hafford came across separated by less than a second.
Kenosha’s Bryce Andrews posted Boby Craft of Antioch fast time honors with a clocking of :14.783 seconds in qualifying following it up with a win in the Fox Lake Harbor presents All Star Performance 1st Heat.
Taylor scored the win in the Game Day Men’s Health presents Behling Race Equipment 2nd Heat.
Klemko chalked up the victory in the BR Motorsports presents King Race Products 3rd Heat.
Other feature winners were C.J. Malueg of Johnsburg, IL Winged 604 Sprints, Josh Gehrig of Pleasant Prarie Street Stocks and Racine’s Kevin Chasin Bandit 4-Cylinder Stock Cars.
Following a two week break, the Wisconsin WingLESS return to their original home track of Wilmot for the Roger Illes Tribute highlighting the Saturday, August 16 main grandstand attraction for the Kenosha County Fair.
All three Interstate Racing Association classes come back home to the track where they originated as the Bumper to Bumper IRA 410 Winged Sprints and the 11-75 Sports Complex & Eatery IRA Lightning Sprints complete the card.
The weekend completes for the Bumper to Bumper IRA Sprint Cars when they join the Badger Midgets when they head to Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie for the traditional Corn Fest.
The fair opens on Wednesday, August 13 with a reunion of sorts for the 75th Anniversary Season of Wilmot Raceway. The daughters of the late Chuck Bostick, who competed at Wilmot in various types of cars including late models and sportsman, have put together a welcome home for anyone who raced anything over the years at Wilmot to come, see the races and share race stories with each other and the fans. Special trophies will be presented to the feature winners and some of the drivers may receive various “surprises” from the ladies who are returning to the track their father and others competed at over the years.