7/25/2019
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
“Norm Nelson Classic Sunday at Angell Park Speedway” “Badger & IRA honor The Great Dane”
Sun Prairie, Wis., July 25---On Sunday Night July 28 Angell Park Speedway, honors one of Wisconsin’s greatest drivers, and one that holds a special place in the tracks seventy-three year history.
The "6th annual Norm Nelson Classic" is slated for Sunday Night and will feature three divisions: The IRA Bumper to Bumper Outlaw Sprint Cars Series, Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie Badger Midget Racing Series, and the Wisconsin Dirt Racing Legends.
The race honors Nelson who won the first-ever midget feature at the track on June 2, 1946. Nelson won five career Badger features at four different tracks (Angell Park, DePere, Rice Lake, and Slinger) in his Badger career. Nelson turned his attention towards stock car racing in 1948.
Nelson's career is best remembered for winning three USAC National Stock Car Championships (1960, ’65, ’66). He also runner-up four times for the division championship, including falling short of the 1974 title by thirty-points (equivalent of three finishing positions).
His thirty-five USAC Stock Car wins places him third on the all-time trailing only Don White and A.J. Foyt. Nelson also eleven stock cars at the Milwaukee Mile then known as the Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway. Nelson won short and dirt paved ovals, along with pavement and dirt mile victories. Nelson also on several event on road courses.
Nelson known as the “Great Dane” also raced modifieds in Southern Wisconsin, and Northern Illinois for many seasons. Nelson won the IRA Championship during the series inaugural year of 1959. Nelson for many years oversaw one of the major racing programs for the Chrysler Corporation in the 60’s-70’s, when USAC rivaled and sometimes was a step above NASCAR. Nelson scored six USAC Stock Car Owner Championships and has one NASCAR Monster Energy victory as an owner, capturing the 1966 Atlanta 500, with Jim Hurtubise.
The Angell Park Grandstands open at 4:30 pm, practice beginning at 5:30 pm, with racing to follow. The doubleheader weekend for Badger starts on Saturday Night July 27 at Beaver Dam Raceway. Badger joins the track’s Modified, Sport Mod and Legends divisions on the racing schedule. Grandstands open at 4:30pm, with Schoenfeld Headers qualifying at 6pm, with racing starting at 6:30pm. Admission at BDR is $25 per carload, with “all people seat belted in”, or $13 for a single ticket.
Article Credit: Bryan Gapinski
