3/6/2024
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
Meet AFS Badger Midget Driver Eric Blumer
Eric Blumer has been racing since he was six years old, almost 20 years now. He’s one of at least six AFS Badger Midget Series driver’s who attended Sun Prairie High School. 2023 was his rookie season with Badger and he hopes to build on his 23rd place finish in those standings.
Let’s get to know Eric Blumer.
Car Number: 68
Owner: Eric Blumer
Team Name: EBR /Eric Blumer racing
Sponsors:
Club La Mark
Storage & Handling Systems
Cartopia
Doral Equipment Rental
J.F. Ahern Co.
The Hill Bar & Grill
Melissa Folz In memory of Addison Dahlke
Northern Air Systems
BRS Radiator, Machine & Fabrication
North Central Utility
Fowler Heating & Air Conditioning
OWL
Hypersports
Ground Up Lifts
Fastenal
Legends.Direct
East Central Coin
Grandpa Blumer
(With more to come, we hope!)
Crew:Justin Hoium, Greg Leatherberry, Logan Stevens and my sister, Stephanie Stevens, who’s the social media director. (Bill Blumer Jr until BMARA took him from me.)
BMARA: Were you a fan of racing before you got behind the wheel and if so, who were your heroes and what tracks did you attend?
ERIC: Yes, I grew up every Sunday night at Angell Park, watching the likes of Brandon Waelti, Jerry Coons Jr, Aaron Fiscus, Jon LeJeune, Joe Wipperfurth, Greg Leatherberry, Cody Weisensel, Kurt Mayhew, Daniel Robinson in the #57 RAB car and Danny Stratton in The Red Duce.
I’d often go to the pits and get autographs. I still have them all!
BMARA: Give us a synopsis of your racing career:
ERIC: I started racing karts when I was 6 at the Badger Kart Club and Road America’s kart club, after a season of watching Stephanie race.
At around 12 years old, Joe Wipperfurth decided it was time for me to try some dirt racing, so I started racing his dirt kart. With the help of the Sainsbury family I was able to win a championship at Beaver Dam Raceway.
A few years later we made the jump to Legend racing, where I ran several seasons in Wisconsin and Iowa, winning several times, including the “Urbana 5 Memorial,” at Benton County Speedway in Vinton, IA. I won a regional championship in 2020.
Last season we decided to make the jump to Midgets. I ran the Legend and Midget, until a motor issue put me out for part of the year in the Midget.
BMARA: How much time do you spend on the car each week during the season?
ERIC: In season, if I’m not working at my job, or at the race track, almost all of my time is spent in the shop. Normally the crew will come out a few nights during the week to help. But I spend a lot of time doing maintenance and preparing the car myself, which is fine.
BMARA: What is your day job and how does racing fit in?
ERIC: I am a sales representative for Fastenal. They do a lot for my racing. From a sponsorship, to some great resources to get supplies and parts for my team and my boss is very generous with letting me get time off for racing. Everyone I work with does a lot to help me get time sensitive tasks done so that I am able to get to my shop or the racetrack.
BMARA: What's something interesting the fans might not know about you?
Bill Ecker gave me my first chance in a Midget, one night late in the 2022 season, at Angell Park. I raced my way into the feature.
Club LaMark has probably been on my kart or car every year since the beginning, along with Jim or Joe Wipperfurth.
I grew up playing hockey, my Sun Prairie High School team went to State my junior year. I played ACHA club hockey at UW-Platteville. My senior year I was the president of the club and team captain.
For a couple of summers in my teen years, I worked for Road America.
Article by: Bill Blumer Jr. with his kid, Eric Blumer
Photo by: Bill Blumer Jr.
Submitted By: William Blumer