5/1/2019
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
Flashback: May 1, 1983 "Fox & Wilke rule Badger Midget Opener at Milwaukee Mile"
West Allis, Wis., Apr. 30 & May 1, 1983---After a seventeen year-plus absence Midget Auto Racing returned to the Milwaukee Mile in 1983, with the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association "front and center" in a doubleheader event with ASA Stock Car Series. The Wiseco Piston 50 was a NAMAR National point event, co-sanctioned by Badger and the World Wide Auto Racing (WWAR) group.
The most recent midget race at the famed facility was a 100-mile Badger sanctioned event on Aug. 21, 1965, which saw Jigger Sirois driving the Frank Kater Buick No. 77, finish ahead of Tom Bigelow and Dick Jones.
Saturday morning with temperatures in the high 40's, the midgets hit the track for one hour of practice before qualifications at 9:45 a.m. Veteran driver Sam Isenhower in the Wells#4 topped qualifying as eighteen drivers broke Todd Barton's existing one-lap track record. Midgets were pitted on the access road outside the paddock area, as a field of over 50 ASA cars jammed the pit area and overflow areas.
The midget feature pushed off at 1:00 pm Sunday afternoon, a chilled crowd of 14,220 watched, as the temperature was 45 Degrees, when the green flag was displayed for the 31-mile (50 kilometer) event. Fox driving the Wilke Racers Pabst Blue Ribbon VW No. 1 got the jump on Isenhower at the start leading the opening lap before Bob Cicconi took the lead, with Fox regaining the top position one lap later.
Both Fox and Cicconi had an advantage over the field as they previously competed in SCCA Super Vee events at the track, and were very familiar with one-mile paved tracks. Fox also had a midget feature victory at the Phoenix one-mile track, while Cicconi boosted a victory in Super Vee competition at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway.
Kevin Koch, and Marty Davis were the first two retirees from the event. The caution was displayed on lap 7, when oil was reported on the track. One lap after the restart Kenyon passed Cicconi for second position and closed in on Fox.
Kenyon passed Fox for the lead on Lap12 with Greg Nelson taking over third position. The leaders began lapping slower cars, three laps later. At the 20-lap mark Fox and Nelson led Kenyon and Cicconi. One lap later exiting Turn 4 Don Tyler driving the Mike Cascio Sesco#24 suffered a major engine failure, dropping a large amount of oil down the front straightaway, causing a long track clean-up.
On the restart Kenyon passed Nelson for second, as Dan Boorse and Bruce Field both retired from the event. With five laps remaining Kenyon began to slow and retired from the race one-lap later with magneto failure.
Nelson made a few attempts at Fox, getting a "bit sideways" a few times, heating up his right rear tire, allowing Fox to pull away. Fox then stretched his lead on the final two laps finishing ahead of Nelson. Cicconi placed third followed by Pat Sholtis, and 1969 Badger Champion Jim McClean. Nineteen cars finished the event.
Due to extra laps allowing cars to build up tire and engine heat, along with two extended cautions for track cleanup the event ran for over an hour and delayed the start of the 150-mile ASA event. Dick Trickle driving the Pabst Blue Ribbon sponsored Camaro won the ASA event finishing ahead of Rusty Wallace. After the race, Fox, and Trickle, giving PBR a sweep of both events, shared victory lane.
The event was the catalyst in Nelson's Badger Championship season. The Waukesha, Wis. driver captured four of the first five events at Angell Park, finishing 225-points ahead of Larry Hillerud who finished sixth at Milwaukee. The event was also one of three paved track events for Badger during the season, which saw McClean capture both features, at Slinger (Aug. 12) and Capitol (Oct. 8).
Bill Balog holds a twenty point lead over Kevin Olson entering the doubleheader weekend on Saturday May 18 at Sycamore (Ill.) Speedway, followed by Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie, Wis.) the following day Sunday May 19.
SUMMARY
Top Twenty-five feature finishers: 1. Stan Fox, $1,760; 2. Greg Nelson, $675; 3. Bob Cicconi, $525; 4. Pat Sholtis, $290; 5. Jim McClean, $270; 6. Larry Hillerud, $200; 7. Joe Corrigan, $295; 8. Charlie Ford Jr., $275; 9. Dave Wunrow, $140; 10. Dan Fredenberg, $125; 11. Steve Spencer, $115; 12. Jim Lothe, $115; 13. Brad Weber, $115; 14. Dale Cox, $115; 15. Bill Ripp, $115; 16. Bob Gunn, $110; 17. Dean Billings, $110; 18. Bill Thelaner, $110; 19. Bill Hudson, $110; 20. Jim Wartenberg, $110; 21. Mel Kenyon, $445; 22. Dan Boorse, $100; 23. Bruce Field, $100; 24. Don Tyler, $100; 25. Dick Billings, $100.
Fast Time: Sam Isenhower, 32.546 seconds
Lap Leaders: Fox 1, Cicconi 2, Fox 3-11, Kenyon 12-14, Fox 15-30
Article Credit: Bryan Gapinski