8/5/2026
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
Waelti Wins 30th Lyco A-Main With AFS Badger Midget Series At Angell Park Speedway
It was Kevins’ Klassic Night at Angell Park Speedway on Sunday, August 2, where Brandon Waelti scored his 30th career feature win within the Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association. Waelti has the most wins among active drivers in the AFS Badger Midget ranks. 2026 marks his 30th season of racing.
THE PRELIMINARIES
Rhonda and Loren Olson, siblings of Kevin Olson one of the race’s namesakes, joined Father Dale Grubba and Badger officials on Bank of Sun Prairie Victory Lane where Rhonda shared thoughts on her brother and the other focus of the event Kevin Doty. The late Doty and Olson are Badger Midget Hall of Fame inductees and were very popular during their time with Badger.
Luke Wackerlin scored his second Rod End Supply Quick Time to kick off the action on the track.
Jake Dohner nipped Brian Peterson as they crossed the line on the second lap of Auto Meter Heat One and never looked back for the win followed by Mark Chisholm and Brian Peterson.
Hoosier Tire Heat Two didn’t get a lap in before Bryan Stanfill driving Zach Boden’s No. 51 got upside down in turn-four. He got out of the car on his own and would be back for the Lyco Manufacturing A-Main.
On the restart Matt Recheck surged to the lead from the fourth starting spot past Kyle Koch and Mike Unger. With two laps left Karter Stark caught either a rut, a tire or both on the inside of turn four. He then got tagged just slightly by Jace Sparks. Stark was out of the car in short order, looking over his newly purchased mount. Sparks was able to continue.
Recheck led the field to the next green where Cody Weisensel and he exchanged the top spot a couple of times before Weisensel prevailed with the win.
Behling Racing Products Heat Three saw Waelti split Bryon Walters and Nick Kilian at the line for the lead. Then Wackerlin did the same thing in turn one as he began to chase Waelti. In the end Waelti took the win by five lengths. Wackerlin’s second place run gave him Schoenfeld Headers Invert Draw honors.
WAELTI MAKES 30 LOOK EASY
It wasn’t quite a collective moan, but there were a few notes of discontent in the stands when the starting lineup was announced for the 25 lap Lyco Manufacturing A-Main. This sentiment was reminiscent of the last year when Parker Jones would have a lack luster qualifying run and get a advantageous draw. It was a little fan named Nolan, who was attending his first race, that made it happen for Waelti thanks to his pick of cards in the Schoenfeld Headers Invert Draw. Standing with Wackerlin, who was hoping for a six, Nolan drew a seven, putting Waelti on the pole.
When the green flag flew Waelti and the first couple of cars took off while Chisholm and the outside line appeared to be caught by surprise. As things started to shake out Waelti was enjoying a straightaway over the second place car of Derek Doerr.
At this juncture it was apparent that turns one and two were tricky no matter where one ran. Meanwhile, turns three and four were quick higher near the cushion and particularly hazardous in one spot low in turn four.
Seven laps in, Waelti was catching the back of the field and getting by with little issue. Doerr and Weisensel were well ahead of the rest of the pack in second and third. The cars behind them for the next seven spots were constantly battling nose to tail and side by side.
On the tenth circuit racing was stopped as Wackerlin caught that turn four rut and flipped high in the air where he flew over the mount of Eric Blumer. It first appeared Wackerlin might be alright as he was observed moving his arms and lifting his visor up. He did not get out of his mount quickly. While he did eventually walk to the ambulance, he was later transported to an area hospital as a precaution.
On the restart it was Waelti followed by Doerr, Weisensel, Chisholm and RJ Corson. Within a couple of laps of green flag racing Waelti, Doerr, Weisensel and Chisholm were pretty evenly spaced by about five lengths apiece. Chisholm was under attack by Corson.
With eight laps left they were encountering lappers again and fighting the first two corners with every car seeming to get jolted as they went through those turns. While Waelti’s lead was comfortable, Weisensel was giving Doerr all he could handle for the runner up spot. Those two cars seemed even with whoever got out of the first turns better gaining ground.
Coming to four laps left Weisensel finally took a chance and went low on Doerr coming out of turn four. He avoided the dreaded rut and powered past Doerr at the line to take second place. Doerr battled back going into turn one under Weisensel but was jostled to the point that his nose pointed toward the outside wall. Doerr saved the car but lost a lot of ground. Waelti went on to an easy win followed by Weisensel, Doerr, Chisholm and RJ Corson.
NOTES
To put a context to Waelti’s thirty years racing and thirty wins, consider who he has been up against during that time. The first time we find him in the top twenty in Badger points is the 1998 season. Among this campaign’s winners were Badger Midget Hall of Famers Dan Boorse, Randy Koch, Scott Hatton, Kevin Doty and Kevin Olson. He would find himself banging wheels with the bulk of that line up for about the next six years. Then the next batch of chargers would come along with the likes of Davey Ray, Brad Kuhn and Jerry Coons Jr. taking to the track every night. Couple all this with a retirement or two for Waelti and you can see his path to thirty wins has been well earned. He has won Badger A-Mains at no less than eight different tracks.
Bob Tattersall Spankins Motorsports Hard Charger honors went to Karter Stark who regrouped after his flip put him in the twenty-third starting spot where he battled to an eighth place finish. He was also the Spankins Motorsports Rookie of the Race.
The Last Place Bonus in Loving Memory of Addison Dahlke went to Bryon Walters.
Charles Kunz was the recipient of the CASM Racing Products Hard Luck Award.
As of Wednesday, Wackerlin was still sore but improving every day with no bones broken.
The AFS Badger Midget Series would like to thank 1855 Saloon and Grill and High Performance Lubricants for their support of the series.
UP NEXT
The AFS Badger Midget Series has next week off. They will be back in action Sunday, August 16, for the Norm Nelson Classic with the Midwest Legends Dirt Series and IMCA Modifieds on the card.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Lyco Manufacturing A - Feature (25 Laps): 1. 3W-Brandon Waelti[1]; 2. 5X-Cody Weisensel[3]; 3. 20D-Derek Doerr[5]; 4. 56X-Mark Chisholm[2]; 5. 15C-RJ Corson[4]; 6. 68-Eric Blumer[9]; 7. 57-Matt Rechek[10]; 8. 92-Karter Stark[23]; 9. 31-Jace Sparks[6]; 10. 7-Brian Peterson[15]; 11. 2-Jake Dohner[11]; 12. 45-Trey Weishoff[8]; 13. 51-Bryan Stanfill[22]; 14. 67U-Mike Unger[14]; 15. 29-Harrison Kleven[20]; 16. 81-Mike Gebhard[18]; 17. 1W-Robby Wirth[16]; 18. 17-Nick Kilian[12]; 19. 29K-Mike Stroik[19]; 20. 59-Kyle Koch[17]; 21. 53A-Spyder Akright[24]; 22. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[7]; 23. 5-Bryon Walters[21]; 24. (DNS) 11K-Charles Kunz
Auto Meter Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 2-Jake Dohner[4]; 2. 56X-Mark Chisholm[6]; 3. 7-Brian Peterson[2]; 4. 20D-Derek Doerr[7]; 5. 45-Trey Weishoff[5]; 6. 81-Mike Gebhard[1]; 7. 29-Harrison Kleven[3]; 8. 53A-Spyder Akright[8]
Hoosier Tire Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 5X-Cody Weisensel[6]; 2. 57-Matt Rechek[4]; 3. 67U-Mike Unger[2]; 4. 11K-Charles Kunz[3]; 5. 31-Jace Sparks[7]; 6. 59-Kyle Koch[1]; 7. 92-Karter Stark[8]; 8. (DNS) 51-Bryan Stanfill
Behling Racing Products 3 (8 Laps): 1. 3W-Brandon Waelti[6]; 2. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[8]; 3. 68-Eric Blumer[5]; 4. 17-Nick Kilian[4]; 5. 15C-RJ Corson[7]; 6. 1W-Robby Wirth[2]; 7. 29K-Mike Stroik[3]; 8. 5-Bryon Walters[1]
Rod End Supply Fast Time Qualifying (25 Laps): 1. 73W-Luke Wackerlin, 15.225[15]; 2. 31-Jace Sparks, 15.446[8]; 3. 20D-Derek Doerr, 15.466[11]; 4. 15C-RJ Corson, 15.470[7]; 5. 5X-Cody Weisensel, 15.473[16]; 6. 56X-Mark Chisholm, 15.514[10]; 7. 3W-Brandon Waelti, 15.547[3]; 8. 51-Bryan Stanfill, 15.576[4]; 9. 45-Trey Weishoff, 15.648[2]; 10. 68-Eric Blumer, 15.690[20]; 11. 57-Matt Rechek, 15.693[18]; 12. 2-Jake Dohner, 15.695[24]; 13. 17-Nick Kilian, 15.720[23]; 14. 92-Karter Stark, 15.800[26]; 15. 11K-Charles Kunz, 15.951[13]; 16. 29-Harrison Kleven, 15.988[22]; 17. 29K-Mike Stroik, 15.990[1]; 18. 67U-Mike Unger, 16.056[5]; 19. 7-Brian Peterson, 16.079[12]; 20. 1W-Robby Wirth, 16.488[21]; 21. 59-Kyle Koch, 16.643[19]; 22. 81-Mike Gebhard, 16.750[9]; 23. 53A-Spyder Akright, 17.226[14]; 24. (DNS) 5-Bryon Walters; 25. (DNS) 73-Logan Wackerlin; 26. (DNS) 3-Will Gerrits
Photo by Roy Ophime (L-R: Doerr, Waelti, Weisensel)
Article by Bill Blumer Jr.
Submitted By: William Blumer
