BD teen brings home racing title

Photo courtesy/Jeff Lechnir

Young Lions winner Brandon Schmitt is pictured with INEX executive director Darrel Krentz following his first place finish in October.

STANLEY, N.C. — The 13th annual INEX Legends Dirt Nationals held in Stanley, N.C., in late October had a Charter Raceway Park feel to it, including seeing 16-year-old Brandon Schmitt of Beaver Dam being crowned Young Lions champion.

“This is my first time here and my first feature win. And the weather’s still the same as in Wisconsin,” said Schmitt, as he was crowned the Young Lions winner at the East Lincoln Speedway.

Schmitt, who attends Lakeside Lutheran High School, started racing in the Legends Division at Charter Raceway three years ago. He finished eight overall this past season at Charter, but earned a guaranteed start in the nationals during a July qualifying race.

The race at nationals was the final for Schmitt as a Young Lion.

Schmitt, who also races at Sun Prairie and Chilton, will compete next season in the Semi Pro Division. He finished third overall nationally this past season as a Young Lion.

Four other Charter Raceway regulars also competed at Nationals in North Carolina.

Eric Barth finished third in the Masters Division and Brian Peterson was fifth in Masters. Drivers aged 40 and older compete in the Masters Division.

Also driving at Nationals with Charter ties were Luke Polzin, who competed in the Semi Pro Division and Waupun’s Mike Mueller, who saw a crash end his qualifying chances in the Semi Pro Division.

Jeff Lechnir, an employee at Charter Raceway Park, also played a role at Nationals. Between ‘wrenching’ for Wisconsin teams, he helped run the transponder system used at Charter, which computerizes the scoring.

“The driver gets a small device about the size of a digital camera placed underneath the car. It sends a triangular signal out and when it catches the antenna, it sends a signal up to our computer,” Lechner said. “The computer says ‘this is the order they’re coming across the start-finish line’.”

 Darrel Krentz, INEX executive director, was in charge of the national event.