For the first time in track history, three drivers repeated as track champions in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. Zack Riddle (NASCAR Late Models), Ray Hellenbrand (Dave’s White Rock MISfitz), and Nick Schmidt (Pellitteri Waste Systems Bandits) all took home back to back titles in 2022.
Zack Riddle Races to Fourth Title
For Riddle it was his fourth track championship at Madison after winning in 2015, 2018, and 2021. In 2022 he finished with eight feature wins and eleven out of twelve top five finishes for a total of 1262 points He took home a checkered flag every Friday night the NASCAR Late Models competed and overall won eight of twelve starts. Riddle also set fast time on four nights, won a heat race, and took home two wins in the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash Series in which he was also the overall champion. In his career at Madison, Riddle now has 28 Late Model wins which places him third on the all-time list behind Rick Nelson and Dave Phillips. Add in a pair of wins in the Madison Late Models and a checkered flag in the Midwest Trucks and he has 31 wins on Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile.
Bobby Wilberg finished second in points this season with 1104 points powered by two feature wins, a heat win, and one fast time. He finished in the top five in eight out of twelve starts. For his career, Wilberg now has 21 Late Model career victories and five Late Model championships which ties him with Jeremy Miller for most titles in the division. Shaun Scheel finished in third place with 957 points including five top five finishes.
Ray Hellenbrand Wins MISfitz Championship
For the second straight season, Ray Hellenbrand won the track championship in the Dave’s White Rock MISfitz finishing with 1101 points. For the season he picked up two wins, set fast time twice, won two heat races, and finished in the top five in ten of eleven starts. He also picked up three wins in the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash where he finished second overall. For his career at Madison, he now has five MISfitz wins to go along with a win in the Sportsman division.
The top two stayed in the family as Ray’s son, Mason, finished second overall as well as took home Rookie of the Year honors. Hellenbrand had four wins, a heat win, and finished in the top five in all eleven starts to finish with 1060 points. Rick Coppernoll finished third in points with 1037 with three feature wins, a heat win, and eight top five finishes. Coppernoll is the winningest driver in the three year history of the MISfitz with a total of nine wins. He also won the overall title in the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash.
Four in a Row for Nick Schmidt
Nick Schmidt accomplished something that no other driver has done at Madison regardless of the division when he won his fourth straight track championship in the Pellitteri Waste Systems Bandits. Schmidt tallied 1090 points fueled by seven feature wins which gives him twenty-three in the all-time standings placing him second behind Chester Ace. He was the only driver to set fast time doing it on seven nights plus added one heat race win. He also earned three wins in the RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash Series and was overall champion.
Bart Brockmann finished second in points with 983 which included a feature win and ten of ten top five finishes. He also had two RA Heating and Air Conditioning Dash wins and finished second in the overall points. Finishing third in the points was Nick Newton who accumulated 943 points which included one win and a perfect ten of ten top five finishes. He also had one win in the Dash Series.
Madison’s entry level division, the Roto Rooter 6Shooters, does not maintain point standings.