He’s got a career-best 14 feature wins and two track titles to his credit, long with a big lead in the state points race.
But the cherry on top of Jayden Schmidt’s Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod season would be be qualifying for Saturday’s main event at the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
Seventeen years old and a senior at Seymour, Wis., High School, Schmidt got his first look at Boone Speedway when he pulled into town on Sunday. He was comfortable wheeling his way around Iowa’s Action Track and ready to get down to the serious business of winning Monday’s 16th heat.
“I’ve driven on similar tracks so I’m used to corners like they have at Boone,” he said. “I know the competition here is very good. My goal is to make the show on Saturday, then I’ll be happy.”
Sixth in current national standings and a contender for the Junior National Champion honors as well, Schmidt learned the racing basics in go karts before moving to the SportMod class. He’s got some time yet before deciding whether to go to work or continue his education after graduation from high school, with the ultimate dream, of course, of racing for a living.