8/26/2024
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
IT'S PARKER JONES IN A COMMANDING AFS BADGER MIDGET SERIES WILMOT WIN
The Advanced Fastening Supply Badger Midget Auto Racing Association point leader Parker Jones kept things rolling on Saturday at Wilmot Raceway in southeastern Wisconsin. Jones started fourth in the field of 18 and he led all but the first lap in a race that went green to checkers without a stoppage. In fact, the only yellow all night for Badger was during qualifying.
Brok Clifcorn, a rookie on the AFS Badger Midget Series trail, led the field down for the start of the Lyco Manufacturing Inc. A-Main. When the green dropped, he got a great jump but the advantage was short lived as his rowmate Aaron Muhle nosed to the lead in turn-one. When they came out of the second corner, Clifcorn took the point again and separated himself from Muhle.
By the third turn, Jones who started fourth, was past Muhle and eyeing up Clifcorn who led the first circuit. As they negotiated the second turn on the second lap, Jones powered by Clifcorn on the outside and that as they say, “Was all she wrote.” By the time Jones was at the start/finish line to begin the third lap he had a half a straightaway on Clifcorn. From there, Jones only bolstered his lead as he ran the rim winning by at least half a circuit over Todd Kluever.
The only real hiccup in Jones’ race came with about four laps to go when he either got a bit too high or caught a rut (of which there were few) coming out of turn-two. It jacked the rear of the car just a touch and if Jones even noticed, it wasn’t obvious. He went on to put eight cars a lap down in the win.
In his victory lane interview Jones thanked his crew and sponsors. He admitted he wasn’t sharp in qualifying. Regarding the point race he said the team just had to keep finishing races and hope it all plays out.
NOTES, AWARDS AND SIGHTINGS
There were good battles behind Jones in the feature, as the four closest cars chasing him in the point race were doing their best to stay in the hunt.
Todd Kluever finished second from his seventh starting spot. It was a battle and it took him until the half-way point to get to a podium spot before ending up in second. He is currently runner up in the point race.
Derek Doerr, the winner of this event in 2022, nailed the backstretch wall in qualifying and had obvious damage to the right side of his #20D. The car went back to the pits on the wrecker, but the team got it fixed and he ran a solid third place, gaining nine spots in the process earning him another ASM Motorsports Bob Tattersall Hard Charger Award.
Matt Rechek looked strong running the top and finished fourth after starting tenth in the Craig Dori #38. He sits fifth in Badger points, 184 behind Jones.
It’s been a tough year for Aaron Muhle who had a nasty flip to start the season. He missed a bunch of races but he hung in there all night at Wilmot and battled to a fifth place finish, just his third top-five of the year. Despite only making about half of the features in 2024 he finds himself in a respectable ninth in points.
Cody Weisensel seemed to be in the thick of it all night, but eventually fell back to finish ninth. He is third in points.
Clifcorn was looking good running the top and was poised for a second place finish when his car expired with about 15 laps to go having dropped a cylinder.
Fast qualifier Luke Wackerlin never really got going in the feature and his engine expired mid-race. He was in the #57 RAB car owned by Bill Ecker who is in the hunt for the owner’s title in Badger. The normal driver of the car Daniel Robinson was running his Micro on Saturday.
Jake Goeglein had a solid run finishing eighth, just his second top-ten of the season.
Rechek took Auto Meter Heat 1 from his front row starting spot and Simpson Heat-2 was won by Jones. Behling Racing Equipment Heat-3, VMS Rod Ends Heat-4 and Madison Extinguisher Service Last Chance Qualifier were not contested, nor was the High Performance Lubricants B-Main.
Re the Badger standings, 119 points are available to the driver that sweeps an event as an amount of points are available for qualifying, heats and the feature. With three races left, mathematically there are seven drivers who still have a shot at the Badger title.
For as strong as Jones was, it took him about 13 laps to catch the back of the field and start lapping cars.
Jones took the feature the night prior at Lincoln Speedway in MARA midget action also.
Last Place Bonus in Loving Memory of Addison Dahlke: Robby Wirth
Spankins Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Luke Wackerlin. He also won the Schoenfeld Headers Invert Draw.
The Hammer’s Auto Service Shop; Midwest Engine Service Hard Luck Award recipient was not available at press time.
Badger veteran Kurt Mayhew came to the races at Wilmot just to spectate and catch up. He’s been absent all year and advises he has shoulder issues that have kept him out of the cockpit in 2024. He does not have a timetable for a return.
Jason Dull, another Badger vet, was pressed into service when Doerr tagged the wall. Dull was seen in the pits helping the Watertown, WI team get back on the track.
UP NEXT
It’s a tripleheader to finish the 2024 season for the AFS Badger Midget Series. This Saturday, they are at their home away from home, Sycamore Speedway. Sunday and Monday, it’s the Firemen’s Nationals at Angell Park Speedway. We’ll post more details as the week goes on.
FULL RESULTS:
Advanced Fastening Supply A - Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones[4]; 2. 55-Todd Kluever[7]; 3. 20D-Derek Doerr[12]; 4. 38-Matt Rechek[10]; 5. 24M-Aaron Muhle[2]; 6. 2-Kyle Stark[8]; 7. 31-Nathan Crane[13]; 8. 8-Jake Goeglein[11]; 9. 20-Cody Weisensel[6]; 10. 67U-Craig Lager[5]; 11. 68-Eric Blumer[16]; 12. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[18]; 13. 29-Harrison Kleven[17]; 14. 17-Nick Kilian[14]; 15. 59-Kyle Koch[15]; 16. (DNF) 51C-Brok Clifcorn[1]; 17. (DNF) 57A-Luke Wackerlin[9]; 18. (DNF) 15C-RJ Corson[3]; 19. (DNS) 51-Charles Rufi; 20. (DNS) 1W-Robby Wirth
Auto Meter Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 38-Matt Rechek[2]; 2. 24M-Aaron Muhle[3]; 3. 2-Kyle Stark[8]; 4. 15C-RJ Corson[4]; 5. 55-Todd Kluever[7]; 6. 20D-Derek Doerr[10]; 7. 17-Nick Kilian[6]; 8. 68-Eric Blumer[5]; 9. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr[9]; 10. (DNF) 1W-Robby Wirth[1]
Madison Extinguisher Service Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 41-Parker Jones[4]; 2. 51C-Brok Clifcorn[2]; 3. 20-Cody Weisensel[6]; 4. 57A-Luke Wackerlin[8]; 5. 67U-Craig Lager[5]; 6. 8-Jake Goeglein[9]; 7. 31-Nathan Crane[3]; 8. 59-Kyle Koch[1]; 9. 29-Harrison Kleven[10]; 10. (DNF) 51-Charles Rufi[7]
FiveOne Motorsports Fast Time Schoenfeld Qualifying (50 Laps): 1. 57A-Luke Wackerlin, 00:15.120[1]; 2. 2-Kyle Stark, 00:15.171[5]; 3. 51-Charles Rufi, 00:15.263[4]; 4. 55-Todd Kluever, 00:15.437[15]; 5. 20-Cody Weisensel, 00:15.456[12]; 6. 17-Nick Kilian, 00:15.548[13]; 7. 67U-Craig Lager, 00:15.609[18]; 8. 68-Eric Blumer, 00:15.686[6]; 9. 41-Parker Jones, 00:15.690[8]; 10. 15C-RJ Corson, 00:15.713[16]; 11. 31-Nathan Crane, 00:15.765[10]; 12. 24M-Aaron Muhle, 00:15.767[11]; 13. 51C-Brok Clifcorn, 00:15.800[20]; 14. 38-Matt Rechek, 00:15.906[9]; 15. 59-Kyle Koch, 00:16.143[17]; 16. 1W-Robby Wirth, 00:16.325[2]; 17. 8-Jake Goeglein, 00:16.439[19]; 18. 40JR-Dave Collins Jr, 00:16.723[14]; 19. 29-Harrison Kleven, 00:16.790[3]; 20. (DQ) 20D-Derek Doerr, 00:15.328[7]
Article: Bill Blumer Jr.
Photo: Bill Blumer Jr.
Submitted By: William Blumer
