1/13/2026
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
Kluever and PJR's Zorn Highlight Badger's First Night at 40th Chili Bowl Nationals
Tulsa, OK
Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Series fans had a lot to cheer for on opening night at the Chili Bowl whether they were in the building or watching live on FloRacing.
With five Badger cars racing there was a lot of action to be had with a couple of their cars rising to the top. Originally there were six cars slated to compete this night but Zach Boden chose to wait until Friday to open his weekend. Still, with five cars in the field the joke in the pits was with Badger's luck all of those cars will be in the same heat. As it turned out they all had their own race to highlight their efforts.
Trey Zorn, a last minute entry with Parker Jones Racing, opened a lot of eyes as he took the lead in Heat-2 on the first lap after starting fourth and went on to the win. Other than the car number, the only signage on his midget was literally a "For Sale" sign.
Todd Kluever started in the front row of the third heat and did his best to hold off Cannon McIntosh but finished a very respectable second to the USAC star.
The next Badger up was Eric Blumer who started on the pole for his heat. Blumer got a great jump and lead all but the last feet of the opening lap when he was passed by NASCAR announcer Dillion Welch. Blumer faded from there but held off the back half of the field to finish fifth.
Perhaps the most daunting task of the night was given to Dave Collins Jr. who was tasked with starting fifth in the sixth heat versus reigning NASCAR Cup Champion (and Chili Bowl champ) Kyle Larson. Larson and the rest of the field took off and Collins faded early.
A mid-race crash involving Larson and three other cars occurred in front of Collins who was able to swing low and avoid the melee. Collins inherited third on the restart, a spot ahead of Larson. Larson got by Collins shortly after the drop of the green, but Collins kept him in sight. In the end the Lake Mills, Wi, driver lost one spot finishing sixth.
Nathan Crane took some time to get his groove after starting shotgun on the field of seven cars. He managed to gain some headway late and came home fifth behind national drivers including Tanner Carrick and Jerry Coon Jr. a former Badger regular.
Crane's effort in his Sober Racing machine was good enough to put him in the qualifier but he couldn't gain much ground after starting ninth. He finished his night with a DNF in a B-Main battling as high as seventh before the early exit.
After enjoying not batting other Badgers the night changed after the heats.
In the C-Main Blumer started fourth, the goal spot to transfer to the B. Collins was right next to him. The pair fought for fourth on the opening laps. Blumer eventually pulled away. He was then under pressure with a few laps left for the transfer when he jumped the inner berm with a combatant to his outside. They collected each other in turn-four and Collins had nowhere to go and smacked into the pile. Blumer and Collins were done for the night.
Zorn started fifth with Kluever right behind him in Qualifier-1. The pair finished in basically the same spot. The duo got split up in the B's, which was good for the Badger faithful as they wouldn't both be competing for a top-four and a ticket to the A-Main against each other.
Zorn proved his worth battling for the lead and finishing second, the spot he started in. Kluever gained two spots in his B to finish third. They would start 19th and 22nd respectively.
To make the A-Main on a preliminary night is a big accomplishment for Badger teams. The competition every night of the Chili Bowl is another who's who of racing. Both represented the Badger brand well.
Kluever had bemoaned his previous luck in Tulsa but tonight there was no luck involved. He did what he had to after a low draw and from there just raced his race, earning everything that got him to the A-Main. Keep in mind there were 69 cars entered in the event, with only the top 24 making the last race of the night. In the end he started 22nd and finished 23rd. It was still a good night and his car was in one piece.
For Zorn's part, running the third-best car in the Parker Jones Racing stable, he wheeled the machine from 19th to 13th. With little to no midget experience he battled the whole race, running high or low, whichever was required at the time. He looked very comfortable.
Racing resumes tonight, Tuesday, Jan. 13. Fans can watch it live on FloRacing or follow live timing and scoring on the MyRacePass app.
Follow BMARA Racing of Facebook for more current updates on the Badger and MARA cars and drivers at the Chili Bowl.
Article by Bill Blumer Jr.
Photo by TRVideography
Submitted By: William Blumer