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Thiel USAC/Badger Event Renews Traditions
By Bryan Gapinski
Beaver Dam, Wis., Mar.19--Two long-standing race traditions will be renewed on
Friday June 1 during the running of the 6th annual Mid-State Equipment Sue
Thiel Memorial Classic. The USAC National/Badger Midget Car Series
co-sanctioned event will be run at the Dodge County Fairgrounds.
The event will be the first of six co-sanctioned events run during the season,
and the first in over fifteen years between the two racing associations. The
most recent USAC/Badger event saw Page Jones edge Tony Elliott and Dan Boorse
to win a 100-lap feature event on May 29, 1992 at the now closed Hales Corners
Speedway (Franklin, Wis.).
The Thiel race which ran for the first four years as a winged sprint car race
before switching to midgets last year at the 1/2-mile dirt oval, will also
revive the tradition of Friday Night midget racing in Wisconsin the weekend
following the Indianapolis 500-mile race.
Starting in 1966-2000, with the exception of a few seasons a USAC, and /or
Badger Midget event was held at Hales Corners Speedway on the Friday Night
before the traditional USAC and then later CART sanctioned Indy Car race at
the Milwaukee Mile (West Allis, Wis.). This year the IRL IndyCar Series will
sanctioned the ABC Supply A.J. Foyt 225 at the famed one-mile oval on June
1-3.
Previous feature winners of the traditional Friday Night event include: Mel
Cornett, Tom Bigelow, Bob Tattersall, Chuck Arnold, Pancho Carter, Steve
Cannon, Steve Lotshaw, Sleepy Tripp, Kevin Olson, Rich Vogler, Kevin Koch,
Jones, Kevin Doty, Randy and Aaron Fiscus, and Boorse. Many drivers competed
in both the midget and Indy Car events during the same weekend, however Carter
is the only winning midget feature driver to also compete the same weekend in
the Indy Car race, turning the feat in 1976.
A twenty-four car invitational open competition modified race will also be
held during the evenings events featuring the state's top modified drivers
from surrounding tracks.
For further information including information on lap sponsorships contact race
organizer Dan Thiel at (920) 319-0177.
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