From Charlene Meents – 1986 “Ten Years of MARA Racing” Yearbook
“The original MARA series, known as the Midwest Auto Racing Association, was conceived in the summer of 1977 in Springfield, IL. Under the direction of its first President, Dean Helmick, and a six member Board of Directors, MARA sanctioned its first auto race that summer at the Champaign County Fair, Champaign, IL. At that event, which featured 27 competing drivers, the thrust of MARA originated. Only one more race would be held that first year, but from that basic beginning, MARA rose to the one of the top midget organizations in the United States.
MARA sprang out from a group of Central Illinois midget owners and drivers who were dissatisfied with the club they were competing in. The two main purposes of this organization were to give owners and drivers some say in the running of their midget races and also promote the sport of midget auto racing in the Midwest.”
Original MARA Board of Directors in 1977; Ron Castleman, Rusty Kunz, Howard Lehman, Jerry Meents, Mike Motz and Dick Rhodes.
Original MARA Officers in 1977: Dean Helmick, President; Joe Dooling, Vice President; Ron Castelman, Secretary; George Anduskevitch, Treasurer.
Current - 2023
The original MARA series sanctioned midget races from that first season in 1977 until the end of the 2006 racing season. Since then, MARA has remained dormant, but always in the hearts of those who competed with the organization across nearly three decades.
In late 2022, a group of car owners approached the Badger Midget Auto Racing Association seeking help in forming a new series in Central Illinois for the 2023 season. Those owners were seeking a professional organization focused on midget racing and able to provide full sanctioning capabilities including technical inspection, scoring, officiating, marketing, etc.
The BMARA, having continuously sanctioned midget racing since 1936, agreed to be the sanctioning body. However, a series name was still needed. The BMARA along with the car owners and several families with ties to the original MARA agreed to re-launch the series under the Midget Auto Racing Association (MARA) name with a goal of preserving the history of the original series. Therefore, in 2023 and beyond we choose to race for all those who came before us under the original Midwest Auto Racing Association (MARA). We hope to make you proud and we invite you to join us in this motorsports endeavor.