By Bill Blumer
Another Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association first time winner appeared in Bank of Sun Prairie Victory Lane at Angell Park Speedway on Sunday, July 26. This time, after some 25 years of trying, Sun Prairie’s Cody Weisensel was able to add his name to the list of Lyco Manufacturing A-Main winners with the historic club. Driving the Jones-Spray No 5, the hometown driver bested the field of 20 cars in the 25 lap Salute to Bryan Gapinski race.
THE PRELIMINARIES
The night kicked off with opening ceremonies where Jenna Gapinski addressed the crowd and thanked Badger and Angell Park Speedway for continuing to honor her late husband’s memory. Bryan Gapinski was the longtime publicist for the AFS Badger Midget Series and was considered an expert on the subject of midget racing world wide. He succumbed to cancer in 2020.
Luke Wackerlin started the on-track activities by earning 15 valuable points for having Rod End Supply Fast Time. Jake Dohner, Weisensel, Brandon Waelti and Miles Doherty rounded out the top five, all of which received an amount of points also. Each of the top five in qualifying are in the top ten in the Badger point standings.
Auto Meter Heat One saw Mike Gebhard get the jump over his front row mate Mark Chisholm. Chisholm took the lead by the second corner and never looked back for the win. It was notable that Gebhard, who has had mechanical difficulties all year, held second place for about five laps. This allowed for an entertaining battle between RJ Corson and Weisensel for third. Weisensel finally won that scrum and then dispatched Gebhard as did Corson. Gebhard ended up in the final point paying spot of fifth behind Brian Peterson, yet it was a positive run for the second-year driver.
Despite a big bicycle by his ride as they exited turn-one, Nick Kilian gathered it up and led lap one of Hoosier Racing Tire Heat Two. By the second lap Doherty was by Kilian and Kilian was trying to hold off rookie Karter Stark and Eric Blumer. When it all shook out, Doherty had an easy win over Stark, in only Stark’s second night of racing a midget and Blumer who was third.
Another newcomer had the lead to start Behling Racing Products Heat Three when Jordan Miklas drove to the lead from the pole. He held the point through lap-three while four former Badger feature winners tried to chase him down. He was finally split by Wackerlin and Waelti, with Wackerlin beating Waelti for the win. Miklas faded to sixth.
WEISENSEL FINALLY WINS WITH BADGER
Starting over 140 feature events in his career, Cody Weisensel had been trying to win an AFS Badger Midget Series Lyco Manufacturing A-Main to no avail. He’s had many podium runs especially in recent years. Weisensel had the race won on June 28 at Angell Park before triumph turned to tragedy when his No. 5 became fuel starved with a lap and a half left while leading by a straightaway. This allowed Blumer to speed by. The fuel pump picked up the last drops of methanol just in time to refire and give Weisensel a heartbreaking second place finish then.
This night would be different for Weisensel. The action started with Derek Crane and Chisholm bringing them down to start the race. Crane got the big jump and had the early lead with Blumer who started behind him on his bumper. Shortly after lap one Blumer dove under the Sober Racing entry to take the lead.
Three laps in it was Chisholm, Crane, Waelti and Weisensel all battling for the runner-up spot while Blumer pulled away. In four more laps Weisensel got by Chisholm and set his sights on Blumer. Blumer was looking comfortable in his No. 68 and enjoyed about a half a straightaway lead at this point.
Coming to the line for lap ten Weisensel was on Blumer’s tail as they had just encountered lapped traffic. Without the value of the blue and yellow flag flying, the cars in the back of the field had no idea the leaders were upon them. This made for some dicey interactions.
While Weisensel barley got by one lapper on the high side going into turn one, Blumer had pinned himself behind another on the bottom. This allowed Weisensel to make the pick move and power around Blumer as they came out of turn two.
At the half-way point it was Weisensel by half a straight over Blumer with Waelti on Blumer’s tail. But now Weisensel came upon another unaware lapper in the middle of turn-two. Nearly tagging the tail tank of that car, Weisensel did get by. With the two behind him now side by side Weisensel didn’t give up much ground to second which was eventually occupied by Waelti.
With seven laps to go Weisensel had extended the lead to an entire straightaway over Waelti while Wackerlin was now setting his sights on Blumer.
More pockets of thick lapped traffic looked like they may give Waelti a chance as he cut the gap in half. Weisensel ended up negotiating the lappers a little better than Waelti and in the end it was Weisensel by the straightaway over Waelti. Out of the last corner Wackerlin caught Blumer for third. Chisholm came home a solid fifth.
As he took his cooldown lap the ecstatic fans could see Weisensel waving his had out of the cockpit. Once in Victory Lane, Weisensel told announcer Eric Huenefeld the experience was, “Pretty unreal and I think we have more to come.” He went on to point to the cheering hometown crowd and say, “This is all for you guys. This place is home to me and I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else.”
NOTES
The morning after the race Weisensel reported that things still hadn’t sunk in. He was heartened by the messages and congratulations from his fellows drivers and team. His phone was blowing up with messages from friends and fans with congratulations on the win.
It was important that Weisensel’s maternal grandmother who will turn 90 soon was at the race and able to get down to the pits afterward. “She’s been waiting,” he noted.
Lastly, he was appreciative of Eric Huenenfeld’s work on the mic that helped make it a special moment.
It was another smooth sailing event for Badger as the field managed to go green to checkers for the second time in three races. The middle of those three events went with one brief caution early in the race for a stalled car.
Weisensel stopped Waelti’s three race win streak. There have now been eight different winners in the 12 Badger races in 2026.
In his post-race interview Waelti noted that Weisensel’s first BMARA run was in Waelti’s back up car in the early 2000’s. The veteran also expressed some frustration with the lapped traffic.
Bob Tattersall Spankins Motorsports Hard Charger honors went to Matt Rechek who finished tenth gaining 11 spots.
Spankins Motorsports Rookie of the Race went to Stark who finished 11th.
The Last Place Bonus in Loving Memory of Addison Dahlke and CASM Racing Products Hard Luck Award both went to Dave Collins Jr.
The AFS Badger Midget Series would like to thank 1855 Saloon and Grill and High Performance Lubricants for their support of the series.
UP NEXT
Next Sunday, August 2, the AFS Badger Midgets will be back in action for Kevins’ Klassic at Angell Park where Kevin Olson and Kevin Doty will be remembered. The MSA 360 Sprint Cars and Wisconsin wingLESS Sprint car Series are also on the card.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Lyco Manufacturing A – Feature (25 Laps): 1. 5X-Cody Weisensel[8]; 2. 3W-Brandon Waelti[7]; 3. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[10]; 4. 68-Eric Blumer[3]; 5. 56X-Mark Chisholm[2]; 6. 15C-RJ Corson[5]; 7. 2-Jake Dohner[9]; 8. 45-Trey Weishoff[4]; 9. 7-Brian Peterson[11]; 10. 57-Matt Rechek[21]; 11. 92-Karter Stark[22]; 12. 17-Nick Kilian[12]; 13. 51-Jordan Miklas[15]; 14. 29-Harrison Kleven[17]; 15. 3A-Chris Adrien[16]; 16. 57R-Jake Neuman[14]; 17. 8D-Miles Doherty[6]; 18. 29K-Mike Stroik[18]; 19. 81-Mike Gebhard[13]; 20. 31-Derek Crane[1]; 21. (DNS) 59-Kyle Koch; 22. (DNS) 40JR-Dave Collins Jr
Auto Meter Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 56X-Mark Chisholm[4]; 2. 5X-Cody Weisensel[6]; 3. 15C-RJ Corson[5]; 4. 7-Brian Peterson[3]; 5. 81-Mike Gebhard[1]; 6. (DNS) 29-Harrison Kleven; 7. (DNS) 57-Matt Rechek
Hoosier Tire Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 8D-Miles Doherty[5]; 2. 92-Karter Stark[7]; 3. 68-Eric Blumer[4]; 4. 2-Jake Dohner[6]; 5. 17-Nick Kilian[3]; 6. 3A-Chris Adrien[2]; 7. (DNS) 59-Kyle Koch
Behling Racing Produts 3 (8 Laps): 1. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[6]; 2. 3W-Brandon Waelti[5]; 3. 57R-Jake Neuman[8]; 4. 31-Derek Crane[3]; 5. 45-Trey Weishoff[4]; 6. 51-Jordan Miklas[1]; 7. 29K-Mike Stroik[2]; 8. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[7]
Rod End Supply Fast Time Qualifying (25 Laps): 1. 73W-Luke Wackerlin, 15.451[12]; 2. 2-Jake Dohner, 15.613[1]; 3. 5X-Cody Weisensel, 15.768[2]; 4. 3W-Brandon Waelti, 15.805[15]; 5. 8D-Miles Doherty, 15.841[11]; 6. 15C-RJ Corson, 15.853[18]; 7. 45-Trey Weishoff, 15.869[8]; 8. 68-Eric Blumer, 15.889[16]; 9. 56X-Mark Chisholm, 16.016[20]; 10. 31-Derek Crane, 16.022[19]; 11. 92-Karter Stark, 16.082[22]; 12. 7-Brian Peterson, 16.093[6]; 13. 29K-Mike Stroik, 16.119[10]; 14. 17-Nick Kilian, 16.135[4]; 15. 29-Harrison Kleven, 16.145[3]; 16. 51-Jordan Miklas, 16.337[14]; 17. 3A-Chris Adrien, 16.505[9]; 18. 81-Mike Gebhard, 16.647[17]; 19. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr, 16.762[13]; 20. (DNS) 59-Kyle Koch; 21. (DNS) 57-Matt Rechek; 22. (DNS) 57R-Jake Neuman