By Bill Blumer Jr.
Brandon Waelti headlined a hometown podium as he scored his second Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association A-Main win of the season. Joining him in the historic Bank of Sun Prairie Victory Lane top-three photo were Cody Weisensel and Eric Blumer, all hailing from Sun Prairie. They were the only cars Waelti didn’t lap enroute to the convincing win. It is the first time the top-three drivers were from the city Angell Park Speedway calls home.
It was also the day Badger celebrated its 91 years of history with the third annual Badger Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame inductions in the famed Angell Park Pavilion.
PRELIMINARY ACTION
Mark Chisholm was the only qualifier of the 25 cars on hand who ran in the 14 second bracket during qualifying and earned Rod End Supply Fast Time honors with a lap of 14.865.
Harrison Kleven paced the first lap of Auto Meter Heat-One. It was a smooth, but dusty track at this point as the sun was baking every part of the track except segments of the backstretch. When they came to the line for lap-two Waelti powered around the Marshall, WI, driver only to have Kleven regain the lead as they excited turn-two. They were even at the line on lap-five of the eight lap event. From there Waelti powered on to the win with Kleven scoring a runner-up spot.
In his Bank of Sun Prairie Victory Lane interview announcer Eric Huenefeld reminded Waelti it had been two years since he scored a Lyco Manufacturing A-Main win at Angell Park.
It was an entertaining Hoosier Racing Tire Heat-Two as Jake Dohner led the first two laps with Luke Wackerlin and Cody Weisensel charging from the third row. On that second circuit Wackerlin made a miraculous recovery as he bicycled in turn-four. This allowed a three-wide battle at the line between Weisensel, Nick Kilian and Wackerlin for second.
From there Weisensel and Wackerlin got by Kilian and battled for second. With four to go Weisensel got by Wackerlin and was briefly inside Dohner’s car before Dohner shut the door. On the next lap Wackerlin got under Weisensel for second.
But Weisensel wasn’t done as he powered by both cars when they came to the line with two laps to go. The yellow flew slowing the field. Weisensel led them down for the last three laps. Weisensel couldn’t hold the lead after their next lap as Wackerlin got around him by inches on the outside. Wackerlin went on to a four-length win. It was a hot day and during his interview the teenager sounded winded after the spirited battle.
There was some confusion causing extra pace laps before the start of Behling Racing Equipment Heat-Three. Four cars were docked starting positions due to being late for staging and lost their original starting spots. Being on time has been a point of emphasis this season.
Once they got going, Chris Adrien slowly led the field to the green and they quick darted into turn-one and promptly went three-wide with Mike Stroik on the outside, Adrien in the middle and Derek Doerr low. Meanwhile RJ Corson was powering around way wide and was next to Stroik as they completed the first lap and battled for the lead.
The pair were side by side for most of the next lap before Corson got the advantage. Just when it seemed Corson had the race won he slowed coming out of turn-two and pulled into the pits allowing Doerr, who had gotten by Stroik, to take the heat win in his first outing of the season.
LYCO MANUFACTURING A-MAIN
Mike Unger paced the first laps of the Lyco Manufacturing A-Main from his pole position starting spot tailed by Brian Peterson, Trey Weishoff and Waelti who started tenth. It was nearly a short night for Waelti who got up on only his right-side wheels in turn-four as he prepared to make it three wide with Peterson and Weishoff. Waelti gathered the 3W and split the pair taking second. On the next lap in a battle for about sixth through tenth, three cars flipped coming out of turn-four, with other cars also appearing to be involved. The red flew. Doerr and Jace Sparks had flipped along with Zach Boden whose car was on its side. All drivers walked away.
On the restart it was Unger, Peterson, Waelti, Weishoff and Eric Blumer. By lap-three Waelti took to the point. Five laps in, Dave Collins Jr. came to rest on the track bringing out the yellow, erasing the straightaway advantage Waelti had amassed over Unger. The restart saw fifth now occupied by Weisensel.
With everyone having a dancing partner behind him, Waelti bolted once again on the green and had at least a half of the straight over Unger after a lap. From here Waelti set sail.
Behind Unger they went three wide between Peterson, Weishoff and Weisensel. Weisensel took the position and within a lap had Unger for second.
With 18 to go Blumer got under Unger for third. Meanwhile, Waelti was approaching a half lap advantage over Weisensel. Ten laps in, Waelti started to catch the back of the field as he ran the comfortable cushion.
With six laps to go Waelti was looking to lap Unger who was now in sixth. Two laps later, by Unger, Waelti now lapped Peterson in fifth. On the last lap Waelti dispatched his last lapper in Weishoff running fourth. Second place Weisensel was nowhere in site. It was one of the most dominating performances in recent memory.
While Waelti’s convincing win occurred on the track, it started thirteen days prior, the Monday after the last race. In that last event at Angell Park, Waelti exited early with an unknown mechanical issue. By Monday Waelti had his car almost totally disassembled. He even “had the head off (of the engine),” he told the crowd in his post-race interview.
Taking nothing away from his crew including Mike Hughes, Joey Rhone and Jim Schulenburg, among others, Waelti was in the shop every night preparing his Club LaMark car for this night. Waelti is a meticulous and tireless worker when it comes to his midget and it has a lot to do why he is always a favorite to win. “I wasn’t going to get out-worked this week,” he noted.
It was Racers’ Reunion and BMARA Hall of Fame Night. With that in mind, during his interview, Waelti gave a nod to Randy Koch who he watched race when he was a fan in the stands and car owner Harlin Kittleson with whom Waelti won a championship.
NOTES
A social media post Boden did “get checked out,” after his flip. He reports he has a concussion and bruised lungs, but is back home.
Derek Doerr’s socials don’t indicate any injuries but there is a lot of damage to his car.
We caught up with Sparks on Tuesday and he reported that other than being a little sore, he was alright and ready to get back to racing.
Chisholm and second fastest qualifier Wackerlin were unable to race into the top-five in their heats, so Waelti, who was third fastest inherited the Schoenfeld Headers Invert Draw bonus.
The CASM Hard Luck Award was given to Miles Doherty.
The Last Place Bonus in Loving Memory of Addison Dahlke went to Wackerlin.
Jake Dohner earned the Bob Tattersall Spankins Motorsports Hard Charger Award with a run to ninth from 22nd.
There was no Spankins Motorsports Rookie of the Race.
This win was the 27th of Waelti’s Badger career.
It was not only a historic Sun Prairie sweep of the podium, but Trey Weishoff, with a career best finish of fourth, made it four Sun Prairie products taking the top spots. It is the first time the top three drivers came from Sun Prairie, much less the first four.
The AFS Badger Midget Series thanks High Performance Lubricants and 1855 Saloon & Grill in Cottage Grove for their support.
UP NEXT
This Saturday, July 18th, the AFS Badger Midget’s will make their annual trip north to Eagle River Speedway. Follow Badger’s socials for updates on this event.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Lyco Manufacturing A – Feature (25 Laps): 1. 3W-Brandon Waelti[10]; 2. 5X-Cody Weisensel[8]; 3. 68-Eric Blumer[5]; 4. 45-Trey Weishoff[4]; 5. 7-Brian Peterson[2]; 6. 67U-Mike Unger[1]; 7. 17-Nick Kilian[11]; 8. 29K-Mike Stroik[13]; 9. 2-Jake Dohner[22]; 10. 3A-Chris Adrien[16]; 11. 29-Harrison Kleven[12]; 12. 1W-Robby Wirth[18]; 13. 59-Kyle Koch[14]; 14. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[3]; 15. 8-Jake Goeglein[21]; 16. 15C-RJ Corson[19]; 17. 31-Jace Sparks[6]; 18. 51-Zach Boden[7]; 19. 20D-Derek Doerr[9]; 20. 98-Jim Fuerst[20]; 21. 81-Mike Gebhard[17]; 22. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[15]
Auto Meter Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 3W-Brandon Waelti[6]; 2. 29-Harrison Kleven[2]; 3. 45-Trey Weishoff[4]; 4. 7-Brian Peterson[3]; 5. 59-Kyle Koch[1]; 6. 1W-Robby Wirth[8]; 7. (DNS) 73-Adam Taylor; 8. (DNS) 8-Jake Goeglein
Hoosier Tire Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[8]; 2. 5X-Cody Weisensel[7]; 3. 31-Jace Sparks[6]; 4. 17-Nick Kilian[3]; 5. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[4]; 6. 81-Mike Gebhard[2]; 7. 98-Jim Fuerst[1]; 8. 2-Jake Dohner[5]
Behling Racing Equipment Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 20D-Derek Doerr[7]; 2. 51-Zach Boden[6]; 3. 68-Eric Blumer[5]; 4. 29K-Mike Stroik[2]; 5. 67U-Mike Unger[3]; 6. 3A-Chris Adrien[1]; 7. 15C-RJ Corson[4]; 8. (DNS) 56X-Mark Chisholm
Rod End Supply Fast Time Qualifying (25 Laps): 1. 56X-Mark Chisholm, 14.865[11]; 2. 73W-Luke Wackerlin, 15.016[16]; 3. 3W-Brandon Waelti, 15.044[21]; 4. 20D-Derek Doerr, 15.082[7]; 5. 5X-Cody Weisensel, 15.090[13]; 6. 53-Miles Doherty, 15.127[14]; 7. 51-Zach Boden, 15.132[17]; 8. 31-Jace Sparks, 15.145[5]; 9. 73-Adam Taylor, 15.149[22]; 10. 68-Eric Blumer, 15.222[3]; 11. 2-Jake Dohner, 15.228[1]; 12. 45-Trey Weishoff, 15.387[15]; 13. 15C-RJ Corson, 15.395[2]; 14. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr, 15.424[4]; 15. 7-Brian Peterson, 15.443[25]; 16. 67U-Mike Unger, 15.481[26]; 17. 17-Nick Kilian, 15.688[19]; 18. 29-Harrison Kleven, 15.893[18]; 19. 29K-Mike Stroik, 15.953[23]; 20. 81-Mike Gebhard, 16.299[8]; 21. 59-Kyle Koch, 16.434[10]; 22. 3A-Chris Adrien, 16.452[24]; 23. 98-Jim Fuerst, 17.118[20]; 24. 8-Jake Goeglein, 17.284[12]; 25. (DNS) 68E-Michael Weber; 26. (DNS) 1W-Robby Wirth