4/14/2025
Midget Auto Racing Association
Alex "The Missile" Midkiff Trounces Lincoln Speedway MARA Field
After a late night at Coles County Speedway in Mattoon, IL, the Midget Auto Racing Association (MARA) teams had a quick turnaround for Sunday’s go at Lincoln Speedway (Lincoln, IL), with a special 6 p.m. starting time. A couple of cars headed home after Coles, while an equal number of drivers were picked up for Lincoln making a respectable field of 14 midgets each night.
MARA action at Lincoln kicked off with group qualifying where Charlie Kunz took his new car, fresh out of the box, and set the Rod End Supply fast time.
Fusion Engineering Heat-1 was halted just two laps in when cars went three wide just after completing lap-two. Here, Parker Jones was caught on the outside of the three car run and smacked the bulk of the right rear quarter of his Speedquip Motorsports car into the tractor tires protecting cars from the end of the wall that begins the guardrail of turn-one. Seeing the crash live, between the speed, sight and sound it made, the crash was much worse than it appeared when seeing it on BadgerTV which was broadcasting live. With the car coming to a rest on its side, Jones could be seen moving right away and he walked to the ambulance under his own power. In fact, to the surprise of many, the car was repaired in time for the A-Main.
When racing resumed Alex Midkiff enjoyed a substantial lead mid-way through the race while Greg Ross was busy picking his way through traffic after starting in fifth. With four laps to go he broke away and set his sights on Midkiff. Within a couple of laps he caught the leader and with two circuits to go Ross took the lead and held on for the win.
Horizon Carpentry Inc Heat-2 was another entertaining event where Brian Peterson held the lead while exchanging slide-jobs with Jace Sparks in the middle of the eight lap event. Peterson got the advantage and started to pull away, only to have Sparks battle back once again working next to Peterson. In the end, Peterson nipped Sparks at the line.
As they lined up for the 20 lap AgVenture/Wehmeyer Seed A-Main fans were surprised to see Jones line up in the last row as the cars rolled out. It would remain to be seen what kind of shape the car was in.
The Horizon Develop Build Manage Invert Draw didn’t go well for fast qualifier Kunz. Drawing the right card would have put him in the sixth starting spot. Instead he drew the least advantageous card, a ten, marking his starting position. It was good for Alex Midkiff as he inherited the pole position.
On the start Midkiff jumped to the lead as side by side battles ensued behind him. This allowed the Belleville, IL driver to amass nearly a straightaway lead. The advantage was quickly erased just a couple of laps in as Dominic Bruns spun in turn-three bringing out the caution.
On the restart Bret Tripplett went deep into the first corner and was unable to hang on as his car got sideways and slid up the banking and into the path of the oncoming field. The net result was Mark McMahill rolling gently several times. McMahill later reported that neither he nor the car were in too bad of shape, but he was done for the night. Tripplett’s night was also done.
Teenager MIchael Hermacinski had been holding his own in third and was caught up in the melee. While he got pushed off but apparently had an issue due to the contact and had to roll his car into the pits too.
When racing resumed Midkiff picked up where he left off and quickly amassed a big lead. It helped his cause as most everyone behind him had a side by side battle going. At about the lap-seven mark, it was Nolan Kiefer, Jace Sparks and a charging Daltyn England putting on a show as they sliced and diced between the trio. At the halfway mark of the race things shook out and it was Midkiff, Greg Ross, Sparks, England and Kiefer.
With five laps to go, Midkiff enjoyed at least a straightaway advantage and other than a spirited battle in the back of the pack between three cars it was all Midkiff to the checkers.
In his Victory Lane interview “The Missile” admitted he had no clue his lead was so substantial. After a DNF the night before at Coles County, it was a satisfying win for the driver who builds his own Missile chassis.
The Schoenfeld Heat-3 and Hoosier Racing Tire B-Main racers were not contested.
Daltyn England took High Performance Lubricants Hard Chargers honors.
Next up, the MARA series will be in action May 3 at Coles County and the following week, May 9, for a co-sanctioned event at Kankakee County Speedway with the AFS Badger Midget Series.
Look for a mid-week report for MARA including the current point standings.
Complete results:
AgVenture / Wehmeyer Seed A - Feature (20 Laps): 1. 05-Alex Midkiff[1]; 2. 99R-Greg Ross[7]; 3. 40-Jace Sparks[9]; 4. 19E-Daltyn England[13]; 5. 75-Parker Jones[12]; 6. 97N-Nolan Kiefer[2]; 7. 7-Brian Peterson[4]; 8. 12C-Dominic Bruns[11]; 9. 4K-Charles Kunz[10]; 10. 18-Tyler Roth[5]; 11. (DNF) 7X-Bret Tripplett[6]; 12. (DNF) 71H-Michael Hermacinski[3]; 13. (DNF) 11K-Mark McMahill[8]; 14. (DNS) 5-Jacob Sollenberger
Fusion Engineering Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 99R-Greg Ross[5]; 2. 05-Alex Midkiff[1]; 3. 18-Tyler Roth[4]; 4. 11K-Mark McMahill[6]; 5. 97N-Nolan Kiefer[2]; 6. 12C-Dominic Bruns[3]; 7. (DNF) 75-Parker Jones[7]
Horizon Carpentry Inc Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 7-Brian Peterson[3]; 2. 40-Jace Sparks[6]; 3. 7X-Bret Tripplett[4]; 4. 4K-Charles Kunz[7]; 5. 71H-Michael Hermacinski[2]; 6. (DNF) 5-Jacob Sollenberger[1]; 7. (DNF) 19E-Daltyn England[5]
Rod End Supply Fast Time Qualifying (100 Laps): 1. 4K-Charles Kunz, 00:14.154[2]; 2. 75-Parker Jones, 00:14.210[8]; 3. 40-Jace Sparks, 00:14.245[3]; 4. 11K-Mark McMahill, 00:14.349[5]; 5. 19E-Daltyn England, 00:14.440[7]; 6. 99R-Greg Ross, 00:14.541[6]; 7. 7X-Bret Tripplett, 00:14.568[4]; 8. 18-Tyler Roth, 00:14.591[10]; 9. 7-Brian Peterson, 00:14.646[13]; 10. 12C-Dominic Bruns, 00:14.711[1]; 11. 71H-Michael Hermacinski, 00:14.893[11]; 12. 97N-Nolan Kiefer, 00:15.191[9]; 13. 5-Jacob Sollenberger, 00:15.464[14]; 14. (DNF) 05-Alex Midkiff, 00:16.000[12]
Photo credit: Lincoln Speedway
Article by: Bill Blumer Jr.
Submitted By: William Blumer