From Victory Lane to Graduation Stage: Vandermeir Wins Gary Vercauteren Memorial
- Arthur
- May 17
- 2 min read
KAUKAUNA, WI — It was a weekend Cameron Vandermeir will never forget.
On Saturday afternoon, Vandermeir captured the first Mid-Am Racing Series victory of his career by winning the prestigious Gary Vercauteren Memorial at Wisconsin International Raceway. Less than 24 hours later, the young driver traded his firesuit for a cap and gown as he graduated high school on Sunday.
The victory came at the birthplace of the Mid-Am Racing Series and in one of the organization's most meaningful events, making the accomplishment even more special.
The annual Gary Vercauteren Memorial honors one of the founders of Mid-Am Racing and serves as a homecoming of sorts for the series. Wisconsin International Raceway hosted the inaugural Mid-Am events in 1993 and remains one of the most historic stops on the schedule.
A strong field of 25 competitors signed in for the event, featuring former winners, championship contenders, veterans, and a growing crop of young talent.
Kenny Richards paced qualifying with a fast lap of 21.100 seconds, narrowly edging Josh Nelms by .114 seconds. Rookie Clay Curts continued to impress with the third-fastest lap of the session, while Mark Sontag Jr. and Kellen Arnold III completed the top five.
Heat race victories went to Jeremiah Senko, Daniel Calhoun, and John Ventrello.
When the green flag dropped for the 30-lap feature, the battle quickly became a showcase of what Mid-Am Racing is all about: experienced veterans battling door-to-door with the next generation of competitors.
Vandermeir put himself in position early and never relinquished control, turning back repeated challenges from Josh Nelms throughout the event. As the laps wound down, Nelms closed the gap, but Vandermeir remained composed and crossed the finish line just .194 seconds ahead of the Hawkeye Downs winner.
Nelms settled for second, while Tim Stewart completed the podium with another strong run in third. Richards backed up his qualifying performance with a fourth-place finish, while Connor Kosowski rounded out the top five.
The victory makes Vandermeir the second different winner in the first two Mid-Am events of 2026 and immediately places him squarely in the championship conversation.
The race also continued a strong start to the season for rookie Clay Curts, who recorded a seventh-place finish against one of the deepest fields assembled this year.
Gary Vercauteren Memorial Results:
Cameron Vandermeir
Josh Nelms
Tim Stewart
Kenny Richards
Connor Kosowski
Cody Clubb
Clay Curts
Rick Redig-Tackman
Matt Lee
Scotty Gardner Jr.
Daniel Calhoun
Bobby Gash III
Dan Janjan
Clint Evans
Shane Sapp
Jim Thorson
Jimmy Wilson
Tim Schmitt
John Ventrello
Josh Fehrmann
Phil Speciale
Kellen Arnold III
Jeremiah Senko
Andrew Meyerhofer
Mark Sontag Jr.
The Mid-Am Racing Series would like to thank Wisconsin International Raceway, the Vercauteren family, the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series, our competitors, sponsors, staff, and fans for helping make another successful Gary Vercauteren Memorial possible.
For Vandermeir, however, the weekend belonged to him.
Winning your first Mid-Am race is something every driver remembers. Winning the Gary Vercauteren Memorial at the birthplace of the series and then graduating high school the very next day is a story few racers will ever be able to match.
