By 
Fans at Brown County Speedway were treated to a unique weekend of racing Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12.
For the first time, the INEX Racing Series made a stop in Aberdeen.
INEX is the sanctioning body for U.S. Legend Cars International. Legend cars are five-eighths scale replicas of American automobiles from the 1930s and 1940s. More than 30 racers from the Semi-Pro Dirt series made laps around the local dirt oval last weekend.
Speedway supervisor and Aberdeen racer Kent Arment said the decision to bring the series to town was worth it.
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“The folks in Bismarck (N.D.) who run the series have been torturing me for about four years to run these cars, but I always hesitated because I figured as soon as we run ’em someone is going to want to buy one and then want me to run ’em all the time, but, honestly, this weekend they blew away my expectations,” he said Saturday night. “We were all totally impressed. They didn’t cause a lot of yellow flags, we had 35 (cars Friday) night and just about 30 tonight. We’re gonna run ’em again at our Winter National show at the end of the year.”
Arment credited the Legend car drivers for how they handled the track.
“You know, you add a new class with that many racers, you don’t want to end up running too late both nights and just dampen your overall program,” he said. “I’ll tell you what, though, they had no problems hot-lapping, getting done, then getting back out ready to go. The drivers were all great to deal with, it was just a great time, and they were professional and a lot of fun to be around.”
Gage Madler (700) tries to hold off his brother Noah during the INEX Semi-Pro Legends feature Saturday, July 12 at Brown County Speedway. Noah passed Gage and held on for the feature win. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
Madler brothers take Friday, Saturday features
Brothers Gage Madler, left, and Noah Madler of New England, N.D., currently sit first and second in the INEX Legends Semi-Pro Dirt Series points race. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo
Two Semi-Pro Dirt Series drivers out of New England, N.D., made their names known over the weekend.
Brothers Noah and Gage Madler swept the features.
Gage, who is 17 and the younger brother, currently leads the INEX Semi Pro Dirt Series points race and took the checkered flag Friday.
“It was a pretty fast race,” he said. “When I got out on the track for the first time I was thinking this is more of a circle and felt like I was turning the whole time. You learn pretty quick that you can’t go full throttle on the straightaways because it’s too circular for that. You’re turning all the time, but I definitely like this track.”
Noah, 19, held off Donavin Wiest of Wishek, N.D., by less than a second to win Saturday’s feature.
“It was pretty crazy, and I wasn’t sure I could hold him off and it wasn’t by much. I like this track, though, for sure. We’re used to more D-shape tracks on dirt, and this is more circular and so you’re constantly turning, but that’s a lot of fun. I thought overall for us it was a really good weekend,” Noah said.
According to their father Greg Madler, the brothers began racing on dirt tracks when they were quite young, albeit on two wheels.
“I got Noah and Gage into motocross when they were 4, 5 years old,” Greg said. “At age 6 they started competing for about three years until we quit after a few emergency room visits. We had always gone to the stock races at Dacotah Speedway (in Mandan, N.D.) and we thought, ‘Why not give the Legends cars a go?’ and away it went.”
Eyes on bigger, faster cars
While there’s no timetable, Noah and Gage plan to move to bigger, faster cars.
“Wherever we wind up racing, we’ll do it together,” Noah said. “We want to get a couple national championships and then move up to an (International Motor Contest Association, or IMCA) Modified, hopefully over the next three to five years.”
Gage recalls his first time inside his Legend car and how quickly he realized racing it was not easy.
“I actually won the pole (position) in my first-ever feature,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘Well, maybe I can just hold everyone off and I’ll do alright, but, nope, I got lapped right off the jump, so I realized it was going to take time and effort to get good at this.”
Noah Madler, top, holds off Donavin Wiest at the finish line for the win during the INEX Legends Semi-Pro Dirt feature Saturday, July 12 at Brown County Speedway. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
As the brothers’ success continues, the attention they get from other racers intensifies.
“We’ve noticed there are more drivers wanting to beat us a little more when we race. I think a lot of the drivers are a little tired of us (winning), but it’s a good feeling,” Gage said.
Their father has noticed the same thing.
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“I’m telling both that they’re constantly pissing off other drivers, but, hey, they’re here to compete, and they’re just really smart, clean racers and it’s been so much fun watching them. We’re creating some really special memories out here,” Greg said.
The brothers have grown to accept their current position.
“When we started racing, we would roll into the pits and feel a little intimidated and we still do a little,” Noah said. “Every driver is so good and it’s not easy to win, but no doubt it’s a cool feeling when you know that you’re the one people have to beat.”
Gage was hesitant to declare one brother a better racer.
“I know I’m leading the series right now, but we’re both pretty equal, really,” he said. “I’ve been better on certain tracks and this year has gone better for me so far, but Noah has always been right there. I think I’m better at some things and he’s better at others, but we’re pretty equal.”
Equal as they may be, both are still out to win.
Friday night, Noah was running second to Gage at times during the feature and thought what a slight nudge might do for him. But he also considered the bigger, more expensive picture.
“I was thinking about it (Friday) night, I sure was,” he said, laughing. “But if that nudge turns into a big push, it could take both of us out and there goes one-two, and there goes quite a bit of money.”
Huron’s Jayden Bogh passes Winner’s Broc Stour during the Street Stock feature Saturday, July 12 at Brown County Speedway. Bogh took home the checkered flag. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
WISSOTA feature races provide plenty of fireworks
Mike Stearns of Aberdeen sat on the pole for the Modified feature Saturday, but blew a tire and was forced to the back of the lineup. However, he navigated the 20 laps perfectly, eventually taking the lead on a restart to claim the win. He also won Friday’s division feature.
Jayden Bogh of Huron passed Winner’s Broc Stour with four laps to go to win his third Street Stock feature of the season on Saturday.
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Warner’s Trevor Nelson edged Curt Myers of Cameron, Wis., in the Saturday Super Stock feature. Jordan Henkemeyer of Sauk Rapids, Minn., claimed Friday’s Super Stock feature.
Chad Becker of Aberdeen topped the Late Model feature fields on both Friday and Saturday.
Watertown’s Todd Stark raced to the Midwest Mods feature victory on Friday.
For complete results, visit shorturl.at/FwSio online.