Late Pass Lifts Gardner Over Prietzel

MADISON, WI (Friday May 23, 2025) — Under the lights at Madison International Speedway, the Mid-Am Racing Series honored its founder in fitting fashion with a thrilling edition of the Gary Vercauteren Memorial — and it was Scotty Gardner who etched his name into the history books with a dramatic late-race pass to take the win.

After a caution with just a few laps remaining, Gardner restarted on behind longtime Mid-Am veteran Bill Prietzel. The two battled side-by-side, but Gardner found grip up top and surged ahead, clearing Prietzel and holding on for the win, delivering a signature win in front of a packed Madison crowd

Josh Nelms fought through adversity of his own, overcoming transmission issues early in the evening to drive through the field and secure a hard-earned third-place finish. Right behind him, five-time Mid-Am champion Ron Vandermeir Jr. showed his trademark consistency, bringing home fourth and continuing his march through the season standings.

Rounding out the top five was Rick Redig-Tackman, who wheeled a loose-handling Willingham Racing Ford to one of the team’s strongest finishes of the season. After a rough start to the year, it was a well-earned turnaround for the No. 11 crew.

One of the night’s breakout performances came from rookie Kyle Brick, who ran inside the lead pack for much of the race and brought home an impressive sixth-place finish, showing confidence and car control beyond his experience.

Fellow rookie Michael Gerike also had a solid showing, finishing 10th in a competitive field. Meanwhile, Josh Fehrman stayed tough through adversity — even after a dust-up under caution, he kept his focus and powered through to a 15th-place finish.

Daniel Calhoun, who earned the pole in qualifying, suffered a heartbreaking turn of events when mechanical issues struck as the car rolled onto the track. But the crew refused to give up — thrashing in the pits to make quick repairs and salvage valuable championship points despite the early setback.

The event paid tribute to Gary Vercauteren, the founder of the Mid-Am Racing Series, whose vision and dedication helped shape the tour into what it is today. His legacy was honored with exactly the kind of door-to-door, hard-fought racing he championed.

With Gardner’s clutch victory and a deep field of contenders showing strength, the 2025 Mid-Am season continues to heat up — and this chapter at Madison will be one to remember.

Final Feature Results:

1. Scott Gardner Jr

2. Bill Prietzel

3. Josh Nelms

4. Ron Vandermeir Jr

5. Rick Redig-Tackman

6. Kyle Brick

7. Cody Clubb

8. Bobby Gash

9. Greg Thorson

10. Michael Gerike

11. Andrew Meyerhofer

12. Jim Thorson

13. Shane Sapp

14. Rick Tackman Jr

15. Josh Fehrmann

16. Daniel Calhoun

17. Cameron Preisler DNS

Scotty Gardner Takes the Win