Baur Ready To Seal The Deal On A Midwest Lights Win

Charlie Baur in action with the Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series. (David Sink photo)

FENTON, Mich. – Charlie Baur is hoping the third year is finally the charm when it comes to picking up his maiden Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series win.

The 18-year-old Baur, a native of Fenton, Mich., turned in a top-five finish during the crate sprint car tour’s season opener last month at Owosso Speedway in Ovid, Mich., but still has visions of his near-miss from last May at Birch Run (Mich.) Speedway and Event Center.

It was on Birch Run’s four-tenths-mile oval where Baur led all but the final 100 yards of a 25-lap main event, as he was overhauled coming to the finish line by Cody Gallogly, who went on to win his second straight championship at the end of last season.

While Baur would like to think points in his own right, he recognizes that his first target has to be a trophy – and that if he can start winning races consistently, the title chase will take care of itself.

“At this point, we’ve done everything we need to do since moving into the sprint car except put it in victory lane,” said Baur. “We’re here to win now. We know we’re capable – some of our runs last season proved that – but we have to seal the deal and we feel this is our time to do that.”

That’s not to say Baur’s effort in the first race of the year was lacking, by any stretch. He started from the pole at Owosso’s three-eighths mile on June 22, but battled a car that wasn’t quite handling to his liking and faded back early in the 30-lapper.

A second-half battle with longtime Midwest Lights veteran Josh Sexton and multi-time Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway track champion Luke Krick ultimately yielded fifth place, but Baur was overall pleased to leave his home track with a solid result and clean race car in a very competitive field.

“I think we just fought not working the car out fully, because with the rain delay we had there was no qualifying or heat races to dial in the setup,” Baur explained. “That’s on us, and as a driver, I should have stepped up a little bit more. Still, though, even if we’re pleased with a top five finish, we’re always looking to win. I’d say we’re happy, but not satisfied.

“All around, it was a good day, and I think we have a lot to learn from a day that might not have gone exactly like we hoped,” he added. “The positives are that the car’s in one piece and we never gave up, so we’ll keep pushing and see what we can do now that the season is really getting going.”

Baur would like to thank Motor City Pawn Brokers, Eddie Sachs Driver Development, FRAM, Autolite, Lucido & Manzella Attorneys at Law, All Star Performance, HMC Detailing, Race1 Wraps, Victory Fuel, Behind Your Design, and CB1 Motorsports for their support of his racing endeavors.

The Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series races Friday night, July 26 at Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway as part of the half-mile track’s annual Hy-Miler Nationals weekend. The racing card is co-headlined by the Must See Racing 410 Sprint Car Series and the International Supermodified Ass’n.

About Charlie Baur

Charlie Baur is an 18-year-old racer from Fenton, Mich., who competes full time in the Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series for 602 GM crate-engine sprint cars.

Baur cut his teeth racing go-karts and quarter midgets in his home state of Michigan before stepping up into a full-size sprint car for the first time in 2022, alongside fellow teenage standout Andrew Bogusz.

Though he’s still seeking his first Midwest Lights feature win, Baur has finished inside the top five in the point standings the last two years, and he also earned the tour’s Most Improved Driver Award for his progression during his sophomore season in 2023.

Baur and Bogusz are both coached by Eddie Sachs III, the son of the late Eddie Sachs Jr., a two-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500.

A website for Baur is under construction at https://charliebaur.com/, and fans can follow Baur on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) @Charlie_Baur, Instagram, and YouTube.