BEAVER DAM, Wis. — Cole Whitt survived five restarts to win the 30-lap Mid-State Equipment Sue Thiel Memorial Friday night at Dodge County Fairgrounds.
The event was co-sanctioned by the USAC Mopar National and Badger Midget Car Series. Mike Hess clinched the Badger Midget Championship, with one race remaining, placing eighth in the event.
Whitt jumped into the lead at the start and led a four-car breakaway from the field when the event’s first caution appeared for a stalled car on lap nine. Whitt led Brady Bacon and Levi Jones for the next three laps before another caution appeared again for a stalled car. Jerry Coons, Jr., trying for a third-straight victory at the track, flipped on lap 16. 
One lap after the restart, Bacon moved into second. Bacon trailed Whitt by one car length for the next few laps, closely followed by Jones and Brad Sweet. Sweet, who set a track record in qualifying, stopped with five laps remaining, causing the final caution flag.
Bacon stayed on Whitt’s bumper, but couldn’t pull off a pass for the lead during the final five circuits.
Whitt, driving the Keith Kunz-owned Billet/Ford-Esslinger No. 71, finished two car lengths ahead of Bacon. It was Whitt’s first USAC midget triumph. Jones was third ahead of point-leader Tracy Hines and Darren Hagen.
Brad Loyet flipped hard during qualifying. Loyet was transferred to Beaver Dam Memorial Hospital for observation.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Brad Sweet, Kahne 49, 20.425; 2. Chad Boat, Boat 30, 20.454; 3. Brady Bacon, Kahne 99, 20.517; 4. Brad Loyet, Loyet 05s, 20.521; 5. Kody Swanson, Nine Racing 19, 20.529; 6. Levi Jones, Stewart 20, 20.537; 7. Cole Whitt, Kunz 71, 20.566; 8. Brad Kuhn, B & T 07, 20.588; 9. Davey Ray, RFMS 32, 20.590; 10. Bobby East, Klatt 4, 20.647; 11. Tracy Hines, Stewart 21, 20.653; 12. Darren Hagen, Nine Racing 9, 20.667; 13. Jerry Coons, Jr., Wilke-Pak 11, 20.728; 14. Dakoda Armstrong, C & A 7a, 20.798; 15. Dustin Morgan, Kunz 67, 20.961; 16. Mike Hess, Hardy 4x, 20.967; 17. Scott Hatton, Huston 15, 21.023; 18. Gary Altig, Mecum 67x, 21.072; 19. Joe Wipperfurth, Imhoff 19x, 21.203; 20. Chad DeSelle, RAB 57x, 21.272; 21. Tim Noble, Fiscus 71x, 21.356; 22. David Gough, Hardy 14g, 21.532; 23. Matt Westfall, Bordner 14, 21.598; 24. Aaron Fiscus, Fiscus 7x, 21.688; 25. Aaron Fike, RFMS 69, no time.
First Heat (8 laps): Sweet, Hines, Hatton, Armstrong, Swanson, Westfall, DeSelle, Kuhn.
Second Heat (8 laps): Altig, Boat, Morgan, Noble, Ray, Hagen, Jones.
Third Heat (8 laps): Whitt, Wipperfurth, Coons, East, Bacon, Hess, Gough.
Feature (30 laps): Whitt, Bacon, Jones, Hines, Hagen, Hatton, Altig, Hess, Morgan, Boat, Ray, Swanson, Sweet, Kuhn, Wipperfurth, Gough, Westfall, Noble, Coons, Fiscus, Armstrong, DeSelle, East.