By: Kevin Ramsell
(Wisconsin Dells, WI) – On Friday, August 15th, Harley Jankowski was making preparations to head to Grundy County Speedway the next morning to compete in the ASA Midwest Tour’s Wayne Carter Classic 100.
Around 11:30 p.m., he got a phone call. A phone call he has been waiting for five years…they found a match for a kidney transplant.
The race was on to UW Hospital in Madison from his home in Sparta, Wisconsin and arrived at 3 a.m.
While the Wayne Carter Classic was underway, Jankowski was recovering from a five-hour surgery.
Three days later, he was released from the hospital.
“I’m doing good, enjoying my three-month retirement,” Jankowski said with a smile. “I was in the hospital for three days, my body accepted my new kidney right away.”
The former ASAMT Rookie of the Year is home recovering where he can’t lift more than 10 lbs and says that other than that, he feels he is 95% back to normal.
Speaking of the number 95, which is Harley’s car number, there is a 95 with the last name of Jankowski on the entry list for this Saturday’s Jim Sauter Classic 200 presented by Don’s Auto Truck Center & Habelman Bros. Company at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells, WI.
Harley’s uncle, 2009 Dells Raceway Park track champion Corey Jankowski, will get behind the wheel for the marquee event this Saturday night.
Corey will have someone with a lot of knowledge about the car on top of the pit box.
“I will be there, but not to drive,” Harley Jankowski explained. “But I will be the crew chief on Saturday.”
Corey Jankowski is ready to take over the wheel this Saturday night.
“He is going to be the best. My plan is to go faster than everyone else and turn left,” Corey Jankowski said with a grin. “I do have to say that Harley is very smart about all of this racing stuff. I just hope someone else, besides us, sees that.”
Harley Jankowski also would like to express his gratitude for all of the well wishes he has received from family, friends, and the racing community.
Tickets for this Saturday night’s Jim Sauter Classic 200 presented by Don’s Auto Truck Center & Hableman Bros. Company are on sale now by clicking here.
***CLICK HERE FOR THE EXPECTED ASA MIDWEST TOUR ENTRY LIST***
About Jim Sauter: Jim Sauter won back-to-back ARTGO Challenge Series Championships in 1981 and 1982. Over the course of his career he recorded twenty ARTGO feature wins and seven ASA National Series wins before heading south where he made seventy-six NASCAR Winston Cup Series starts, recording four top-tens in the process. Over the course of his career, he won some of the biggest short track races of the day including the North Star 500 at the Minnesota State Fair, Rockford’s National Short Track Championship and the All-American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds.
Schedule of Events for Jim Sauter Classic, Saturday August 30, 2025:
12pm Pit Gate Opens
2pm Spectator Gates Open
2pm Practice Begins
4:30pm Qualifying Begins
6pmRacing Begins
Ticket Pricing: ***CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS***
Adults: $25 advance / $30 Day of Race
Senior (65+), EMS and Military $20 advance / $25 Day of Race
Students (ages 13-17) $12
Kids (ages 6-12) $5
Children ages 5 and under Free
Family Pack (2 adults and up to four youth ages 17 and under) $60
Divisions: The ASA Midwest Tour will be joined by the Midwest Truck Series and 602 Outlaw Late Models.
Location: Dells Raceway Park is located at N1070 Smith Road in Wisconsin Dells, WI. For additional information visit www.dellsracewaypark.com or call 608-253-7223
Past Winners Jim Sauter Classic
2021- Rich Bickle, Jr
2022- Gabe Sommers
2023- Ty Majeski
2024- Max Kahler
Other Past ASA Midwest Tour Winners at Dells Raceway Park
2007- Kenny Richards
2008- Donny Reuvers
2009- Steve Carlson, Frank Kreyer
2010- Tim Schendel
2013- Dan Fredrickson
2014- Travis Sauter
2016- Derek Kraus
2017- Ty Majeski
2018- Johnny Sauter
2019- Ty Majeski
2020- Johnny Sauter
