4/27/2025
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
Parker Jones Takes AFS Badger Midget Series Opener at Beaver Dam
Parker Jones picked up where he left off in 2024 as the Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association kicked off its 90th season with the Glenn Hepfner Memorial at Beaver Dam Raceway. The weather was favorable and the crowd was big as Badger shared the card with the IRA Sprint Cars and Dirt King Late Models.
The action started with hot laps that were slated to serve as Rod End Supply Qualifying. A technical glitch didn’t allow for the scoring of laps and Badger had to resort to the initial pill draw to set heat lineups. Passing points from the heats were used to set the Mid-State Equipment/ Lyco Manufacturing Feature.
In Auto Meter Heat-1 Brandon Waelti got the jump at the green, but Matt Rechek powered by him before they hit the back straightaway. The pair checked out and put on an entertaining battle throughout the race, but the hometown driver never gave up the lead and Waelti finished second.
Dave Jones Plumbing, HVAC, Fire Protection, Electrical Heat-2 saw a pair of number 20’s on the front row with Derek Doerr on the pole with Cody Weisensel on his outside. At the drop of the green Doerr had the advantage but the other 20 was next to him by the first turn. The duo made contact in the next corner with Weisensel’s right rear tagging Doerr’s left front. Doerr’s car was upset enough that Trey Weishoff snuck by for second place. Doerr fell back and could not regroup. Weisensel and Weishoff broke away from the field with Weishoff getting close once, only to have Weisensel power away. Weisensel took the win by half a straightaway.
Behling Racing Equipment Heat-3 saw them four wide by the time they hit turn-four with Brian Peterson, Kevin Douglas, Kyle Stark and Todd Kluever all in the hunt. Peterson had the lead at the line and as things shook out, Jones was in the picture by the fourth corner of the second lap. Jones took the lead shortly thereafter and sailed to the win.
When the green flag dropped on the Mid-State Equipment/ Lyco Manufacturing A-Main, Stark was in the lead with Doerr keeping him in check on the low side. Stark started to put some distance on the field as the early laps progressed with Doerr, Waelti, Rechek and Jones battling each other for the next positions.
Dave Collins brought out the first yellow after a spin in turn-three. Rechek powered into the second spot when racing resumed while Stark started to amass a lead with the group behind him.
Rechek took second coming out of turn-two when they went green, but Stark was driving away. On lap-eight Stark caught rookie of the year contender Mike Gebhard. Gebhard, who has no racing experience in this car, did an excellent job keeping his line on the bottom and was very consistent all night.
With ten to go, Jones had raced his way into second over Rechek as more lappers were encountered . Jones made contact amid a gaggle of cars, catching the side of Tommy Colburn in the Sober Racing entry. Colburn got the worst of it and stalled out as Jones was able to keep going. It could have easily ended the night for Jones. The subsequent yellow erased the lead by Stark. On the restart it was Stark, Jones, Rechek, Waelti and Todd Kluever.
From there Stark took off while Jones and Rechek battled for second. Jones broke away from Rechek leaving a torrid battle for third behind him. Jones then caught Stark and got by him on lap-seven and started to amass a lead by the next lap.
With about five to go it was the second near disaster for Jones as he misjudged the Colburn car ahead of him that had an engine let go. As Colburn was slowing in the top grove Jones had been using, coming into turn-three, Jones maneuvered at the last second, avoiding a major collision. The caution flew once more.
On restart Stark was on the tail of Jones but caught the curb awkwardly and flipped a couple of times in the first corner. As soon as they got the car turned upright, Stark helped himself out of Harlan Kittleson’s Red Duce.
They didn’t complete a lap before the red was out again. This time for Weishoff who got sideways in turn-four. Nick Kilian had nowhere to go and tagged the rear tire assisting with what amounted to a tip over for Weishoff. The Fanaktive driver was out of his car in short order.
A one-lap run to the checkers was anticlimactic as the Jones Motorsports car went unchallenged.
AWARDS
With 21 cars signed in, there was no need for the Madison Extinguisher Service Last Chance Qualifier; Hoosier Racing Tire Heat-4; or the High Performance Lubricants B-Main.
Spankins Motorsports Bob Tattersall Hard Charger: Luke Wackerlin
Spankins Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Mike Gebhard
Schoenfeld Headers Invert Draw: Todd Kluever
Last Place Bonus In Memory of Addison Dahlke: Eric Blumer
2025 SPONSORS
Along with our sponsors for specific events, the AFS Badger Midget Series thanks these businesses who make our organization possible:
Rick’s Eastside Pub of Whitewater, WI
Engler
1855 Saloon & Grill (Cottage Grove, WI)
Cardinal Heating and Air Conditioning (Sun Prairie, WI)
Fusion Engineering
Industrial Truck Repair Inc.
MyRacePass
Horizon Develop Build Manage
Horizon Carpentry Inc.
Please frequent these supporters and let them know you appreciate their partnerships with the BMARA.
NEXT UP
The AFS Badger Midget Series takes a week off before resuming the action with a doubleheader starting Friday, May 9, at Kankakee Speedway (Kankakee, IL) and then
the next night at Sycamore Speedway (Sycamore, IL).
COMPLETE RESULTS
Mid-State Equipment A - Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones[8]; 2. 57A-Matt Rechek[6]; 3. 55-Todd Kluever[9]; 4. 20D-Derek Doerr[1]; 5. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[17]; 6. 3W-Brandon Waelti[3]; 7. 20W-Cody Weisensel[5]; 8. 7F-Aaron Fiscus[4]; 9. 15-Colton Anderson[10]; 10. 5K-Kevin Douglas[16]; 11. 7-Brian Peterson[13]; 12. 67U-Craig Lager[12]; 13. 29-Harrison Kleven[18]; 14. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[15]; 15. 81-Mike Gebhard[20]; 16. (DNS) 2-Kyle Stark; 17. (DNS) 45-Trey Weishoff; 18. (DNS) 17N-Nick Kilian; 19. (DNS) 31-Tommy Colburn; 20. (DNS) 68-Eric Blumer
Auto Meter Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 57A-Matt Rechek[3]; 2. 3W-Brandon Waelti[1]; 3. 7F-Aaron Fiscus[5]; 4. 15-Colton Anderson[4]; 5. 67U-Craig Lager[6]; 6. 68-Eric Blumer[7]; 7. 29-Harrison Kleven[2]
Dave Jones Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 20W-Cody Weisensel[2]; 2. 45-Trey Weishoff[6]; 3. 20D-Derek Doerr[1]; 4. 17N-Nick Kilian[4]; 5. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[3]; 6. 81-Mike Gebhard[7]; 7. (DNS) 31-Tommy Colburn
Behling Race Products Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones[4]; 2. 55-Todd Kluever[7]; 3. 2-Kyle Stark[3]; 4. 7-Brian Peterson[2]; 5. 5K-Kevin Douglas[1]; 6. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[6]; 7. (DNS) 29K-Jeremy Douglas
The “DNS” should read “DNF”.
Article by Bill Blumer Jr.
Photo by Roy Ophime Photography
Submitted By: William Blumer