12/27/2024
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
Badger Midget Year in Review: Jones Sweeps Up Crown, Ecker Takes Owner's Points
In this last report on the 2024 Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association Year in Review, we turn to a very special day. July 28th was a full day for midget fans at Angell Park. Around the noon hour, the inaugural BMARA Hall of Fame banquet was held. That event honored some of the best Badger has had to offer. After that event, there was the annual Racer’s Reunion coupled with a nice collection of vintage midgets on hand for fans to peruse. Mother Nature was threatening again and while the gatherings were very well attended, the day would not have been complete without an actual race.
The weather was tenuous enough that some cars chose to stay home. Nonetheless a respectable count of 28 midgets were there to play before a good crowd. Derek Doerr led off the night scoring fast time. His night turned south in a hurry as his car had issues in the heat and he was relegated to the B-Main.
In the A-Main it was Parker Jones trouncing the field, leaving only eight cars on the lead lap. Rookie Luke Wackerlin had another solid finish in second and Doerr who started 17th, gained 12 spots to earn the Hard Charger Award.
Thirty-six cars signed in for the co-sanctioned event on August 4 at Sycamore Speedway. In a nod to nostalgia, Jerry Coons Jr. and his son Cale Coons each took heat race wins. Kyle Stark and Todd Kluever battled for much of the feature with Kluever taking his first win of the season while Jones was runner up. Of note, Mark McMahill took a nasty flip down the backstretch during the A-Main. The MARA regular was transported to the hospital and spent the night there. Gaining 11 spots and scoring a top-ten, Dave Collins Jr. took the Hard Charger honors.
Six drivers were in the hunt for the Badger title as they rolled into Angell Park Speedway for the August 11 tilt. In the A-Main, Lamont Critchett led early but yielded to Cody Weisensel. It was a run that had fans wondering if Weisensel, a Sun Prairie native, would finally take his first A-Main in Badger competition. It wasn’t meant to be as first Stark got by him and then Daniel Robinson. Robinson, Stark and Jones were all in the picture at the end with Robinson taking the checkers. The win helped his car owner Bill Ecker celebrate his 77th birthday.
Just nine points separated Parker Jones and Todd Kluever as they went into the scheduled doubleheader weekend starting at Sycamore Speedway. Unfortunately, rain forced the cancellation of the Sycamore go and sights were set for Angell Park on Sunday, August 18.
Sun Prairie’s annual Sweet Corn Festival and the brightly lit carnival were the backdrop for a gorgeous night of racing. Charles Rufi was a name of note as he captured the third heat in Zach Boden’s #51 over Stark, Jones and Kluever. In the A-Main it was Robinson nipping Jones at the line for his second BMARA win in a row.
August 24 saw the AFS Badger Midget Series make their annual visit to Wilmot Raceway. One-off tracks in a given year tend to even the playing field and sometimes allow for an unexpected winner. Such was not the case this night. Rookie Brok Clifcorn paced the first lap, but Jones got by him on lap-two and never looked back. Clifcorn was looking good, and it appeared he might earn a career best second place finish only to have his car expire about half way through the race. Jones won putting eight cars a lap down in the process.
The season would come to a close with a daunting three race Labor Day weekend. The action started at Sycamore Speedway. While most eyes were on the point race between Jones and Kluever, it was Daniel Robinson who stole the show scoring his third win in four races. The MARA co-sanctioned event saw Tyler Roth take the runner up spot with Stark passing two cars on the final corner to place third.
The weekend and season came to an end with the two-night Firemen’s Nationals. Thanks to title sponsor AFS, the first night was a $2,000 to win, $250 to start affair. Here, Stark piloted the historic “Red Duce,” owned by Harlan Kittleson, to the big pay day. Jones was poised for a good night taking fast time and his heat, but electrical issues caused his engine to falter, and he only mustered a ninth-place finish in the A-Main. He’d need to wait another day to be crowned champion.
It wasn’t going to take a lot for Jones to wrap up his first championship. But the “Blue Mounds Bullet” wasn’t about to do any cautious point racing as he swept the field to put a bow on his championship night. Of note in that race, Daltyn England was runner up. Veteran Cody Weisensel capped off his best season on the Badger trail with a podium finish, solidifying fourth place in the club’s point race.
Robinson and Ecker were also celebrating as Ecker earned the prestigious owner’s title with Badger. It should be noted that despite the wins for Robinson, you won’t find his name in the point standings as he is not a BMARA member.
Nick Killian’s season was noteworthy as the Sun Prairie native scored his first top ten in the Badger standings. Aaron Muhle in ninth was another driver who stuck out as having great runs when he was running. Considering some of this tough luck during the season, his placing was notable.
2023 Badger champion Aaron Taylor couldn’t catch a break all season between mechanical issues and crashes, he was a disappointing 21st in points.
The top five in the standings were Jones, Kluever, Stark, Weisensel and Matt Rechek.
The AFS Badger Midget Series would like to thank all of their partners, fans, drivers, tracks and officials for a successful 2024 season. Look for the 2025 schedule to be released just after the new year and then prepare for several updates on the Badger and MARA contingent every day of the Chili Bowl Nationals.
Photo credit: Stan Kalwasinski
Article by: Bill Blumer Jr.
Submitted By: William Blumer
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