Marshall, Wisconsin’s Kyle Stark scored his first win of the season in Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association action. The victory was on night-one of the famed Firemen’s Nationals. The event marks the traditional end of the season for Badger and has been run since 1982. There was extra money on the line too, thanks to Advanced Fastening Supply. Stark's share of the purse was $2,000, while the rest of the field earned no less than $250 to start the A-Main.
PRELIMINARY ACTION
FIVEone Motorsports Fast Time went to Badger point leader Parker Jones, who led his nearest competitor, Todd Kluever in qualifying.
Auto Meter Heat-1 saw Mike Unger with a promising start to his night as he took the green from outside of row-one. Here Unger powered past row mate Jake Goeglein and led the first three laps with Nick Kilian in tow. A bobble coming out of the second turn was all it took to relinquish the lead to Daniel Robinson. Robinson had ten lengths on the field when with three laps left Brandon Waelti powered past Robinson to sail to the win. Unger faded and was relegated to the B-Main while Matt Rechek took the last transfer spot.
Eric Blumer pulled to the lead from the outside pole and led three-quarters of a lap before Todd Kluever, who started shotgun on the field, ran around Blumer and sailed to the Simpson Race Products Heat-2. Of note, Stark did not answer the call for the heat and would be relegated to the B-Main.
In Behling Racing Equipment Heat-3 Aaron Muhle led all but the last lap as Jones powered by him coming to the white flag. It was an important win in the point race for Jones. In his Bank of Sun Prairie Victory Lane interview with Zack Krueger, Jones thanked his crew, noting that his car was a bare chassis as the sun came up that morning, after flipping the night before at Sycamore Speedway.
Eleven cars took the green for the High Performance Lubricants B-Main, looking to finish in one of the top seven spots and earn their way into the Lyco Manufacturing A-Main. The race appeared to be delayed for Trey Weishoff who’s team worked hard and made the bell to start the race, although he was relegated to the last starting spot due to the delay.
Unger got the jump on Charles Rufi and the rest of the field, but Stark in Harlan Kittleson’s “Red Duce,” was on the march from tenth. A yellow, just a couple of laps in, helped Stark’s cause, bunching the field.
With six to go Rufi was leading with Stark on his tail tank. Rufi, got sideways in what looked like a sure spin out. Stark powered past, but Rufi kept going, yet the yellow was tossed. Rufi was relegated to the back of the pack. In the end, Stark took the win, Rufi raced into the A-main and Goeglein copped the final transfer over Harrison Kleven.
VMS Rod Ends Heat-4 and the Madison Extinguisher Service Last Chance race were not run.
LYCO MANUFACTURING INC. A-MAIN
Zach Wigal, in a USAC D-2 car, took the early lead in the Lyco Manufacturing A-Main after starting on the pole. Badger regulars were busy battling for every inch of turf behind him. Early on it was the #20’s of Cody Weisensel and Derek Doerr going wheel to wheel behind him.
With about ten laps in, things had sorted out up front with Wigal ahead of Doerr and Waelti with Weisensel under attack from Jones for fourth. Stark was starting to lurk blazing his own trail above the cushion.
Ten laps in Wigal was catching lapped traffic. With about ten to go, in the 25 lap race, a yellow came out for a stalled car. Doerr was nearly to the bumper of Wigal at that point. Jones was in third, Waelti next and Stark in fifth on the restart.
When the green flew it was Wigal again. With eight laps left he had about five lengths on Doerr. With seven left Stark was in third about half a straight behind the leader. Stark, who was better high, dispatched Doerr low in front of the stands and proceeded to reel in Wigal. With two to go, still cutting his own path up top, Stark marched past Wigal at the line. Wigal then jumped to Stark’s line, after substantially running the bottom, but it was too late. Stark won by half a straightway. Among his many thanks, Stark noted that Kluever gave him parts to get the #2 on the track for the B-Main.
As the rest of the field was completing their race, Rufi and another car made contact as they came to the start/finish line. Rufi went into the wall and then went over several times coming to rest just before the first turn. Social media reports indicate Rufi was sore and a bit dizzy, but basically alright.
Wigal finished second and one can’t help but think his run helped him as Wigal won the USAC Midget portion of Angell Park’s show.
AWARDS
ASM Motorsports Bob Tattersall Hard Charger Award: Kyle Stark
Last Place Bonus in Loving Memory of Addison Dahlke: Trey Weishoff.
The Hammer’s Auto Service Shop; Midwest Engine Service Hard Luck Award recipient was Luke Wackerlin. He also earned Spankins Motorsports Rookie of the Race honors.
Schoenfeld Headers Invert Draw: Parker Jones.
UP NEXT
This is it, tonight, Labor Day, Monday, 2024 and night-two of the Firemen’s Nationals. Parker Jones is poised to take his first AFS Badger Midget Series championship. There are great races behind him, assuming he can get it done.
Kluever, looking for his first Angell Park Speedway win, is 113 points back from Jones, but only two ahead of Stark. Meanwhile, Cody Weisensel who’s been around the top-three all season needs some 50 markers to crack the top-three.
COMPLETE RESULTS
Advanced Fastening Supply A - Feature (25 Laps): 1. 2-Kyle Stark[16]; 2. 18-Zach Wigal[1]; 3. 3W-Brandon Waelti[5]; 4. 20D-Derek Doerr[4]; 5. 55-Todd Kluever[8]; 6. 20-Cody Weisensel[2]; 7. 57A-Daniel Robinson[7]; 8. 40-Jace Sparks[6]; 9. 41-Parker Jones[9]; 10. 38-Matt Rechek[3]; 11. 19E-Daltyn England[10]; 12. 51-Charles Rufi[21]; 13. 17-Nick Kilian[12]; 14. 68-Eric Blumer[15]; 15. 67U-Mike Unger[18]; 16. 5K-Jeremy Douglas[20]; 17. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[19]; 18. 8-Jake Goeglein[22]; 19. 29-Harrison Kleven; 20. 63-Cale Coons[11]; 21. (DNF) 24M-Aaron Muhle[14]; 22. (DNF) 7F-Aaron Fiscus[13]; 23. (DNS) 45-Trey Weishoff
High Performance Lubricants B - Feature (10 Laps): 1. 2-Kyle Stark[10]; 2. 45-Trey Weishoff[1]; 3. 67U-Mike Unger[3]; 4. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[7]; 5. 5K-Jeremy Douglas[9]; 6. 51-Charles Rufi[2]; 7. 8-Jake Goeglein[6]; 8. 29-Harrison Kleven[4]; 9. 59-Kyle Koch[5]; 10. (DNF) 1W-Robby Wirth[11]; 11. (DNF) 5-Bryon Walters[8]; 12. (DNS) 73W-Luke Wackerlin
Auto Meter Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 3W-Brandon Waelti[7]; 2. 57A-Daniel Robinson[8]; 3. 18-Zach Wigal[5]; 4. 17-Nick Kilian[4]; 5. 38-Matt Rechek[6]; 6. 67U-Mike Unger[2]; 7. 8-Jake Goeglein[1]; 8. 5K-Jeremy Douglas[3]; 9. 1W-Robby Wirth[9]
Madison Extinguisher Service Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 55-Todd Kluever[8]; 2. 63-Cale Coons[4]; 3. 40-Jace Sparks[7]; 4. 68-Eric Blumer[2]; 5. 7F-Aaron Fiscus[3]; 6. 51-Charles Rufi[5]; 7. 59-Kyle Koch[1]; 8. (DNF) 5-Bryon Walters[9]; 9. (DNS) 2-Kyle Stark
Behlings Race Products Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones[8]; 2. 24M-Aaron Muhle[2]; 3. 20D-Derek Doerr[6]; 4. 20-Cody Weisensel[5]; 5. 19E-Daltyn England[4]; 6. 45-Trey Weishoff[3]; 7. 29-Harrison Kleven[1]; 8. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[9]; 9. (DNS) 73W-Luke Wackerlin
FiveOne Motorsports Fast Time Schoenfeld Qualifying (100 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones, 00:14.398[6]; 2. 55-Todd Kluever, 00:14.760[2]; 3. 57A-Daniel Robinson, 00:14.984[1]; 4. 73W-Luke Wackerlin, 00:15.054[7]; 5. 40-Jace Sparks, 00:15.109[5]; 6. 3W-Brandon Waelti, 00:15.204[18]; 7. 20D-Derek Doerr, 00:15.303[23]; 8. 2-Kyle Stark, 00:15.319[26]; 9. 38-Matt Rechek, 00:15.423[16]; 10. 20-Cody Weisensel, 00:15.470[15]; 11. 51-Charles Rufi, 00:15.533[10]; 12. 18-Zach Wigal, 00:15.614[20]; 13. 19E-Daltyn England, 00:15.641[14]; 14. 63-Cale Coons, 00:15.679[17]; 15. 17-Nick Kilian, 00:15.716[24]; 16. 45-Trey Weishoff, 00:15.741[13]; 17. 7F-Aaron Fiscus, 00:15.808[19]; 18. 5K-Jeremy Douglas, 00:15.836[3]; 19. 24M-Aaron Muhle, 00:15.873[4]; 20. 68-Eric Blumer, 00:15.932[12]; 21. 67U-Mike Unger, 00:15.994[8]; 22. 29-Harrison Kleven, 00:16.162[11]; 23. 59-Kyle Koch, 00:16.215[9]; 24. 8-Jake Goeglein, 00:16.426[22]; 25. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr, 00:16.947[25]; 26. (DNS) 5-Bryon Walters, 00:16.948; 27. (DNS) 1W-Robby Wirth, 00:16.949
Photo: BMARA
Article: Bill Blumer Jr.
- William Blumer on Sep 02, 2024
- Article Date: 9/2/2024