Bogusz Ready To Energize Midwest Lights Title Chase

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

SHELBY TWP., Mich. – Coming off a runner-up finish in last month’s season-opening Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series crate sprint car event at Owosso Speedway, Andrew Bogusz is ready to kick his pursuit of a championship into high gear.

Bogusz, 18, was second to 2020 titlist J.J. Henes at the three-eighths-mile oval in Ovid, Mich., courtesy of a late-race charge in his No. 17 Motor City Pawn Brokers-backed sprinter.

The “Macomb County Bandit” started third and was among the podium runners for the entirety of the 30-lap feature, making a pass of two-time defending series champion Cody Gallogly with six laps left to lock down the runner-up honors.

It was a solid end to a whirlwind day that saw Must See Racing teams go straight from practice to feature racing after a two-hour rain delay interrupted the proceedings early on.

While the kickoff race wasn’t the win he’d hoped for, it did give Bogusz’s team an early shot of momentum as he looks to wrest the crown away from Gallogly in his third season of asphalt sprint car racing.

“Owosso was a wild one; I think it honestly threw everyone off a little bit … but we just had to adapt as best we could,” said Bogusz. “We lined up third on an early restart and people threw some blocks that got a little frustrating … but we’ll get everything sorted out.

“The car was tight. I was struggling to drive it; I couldn’t be as fast [through the corners] as I needed to be, but we still salvaged a solid finish,” he added. “Overall, it was a pretty good starting point. We got second and know what we need to get done going forward, so we’ve regrouped and we’re ready to attack at Sandusky.”

The good news for Bogusz is that Sandusky (Ohio) Speedway, where the Midwest Lights head Friday night, July 26, is a venue he’s had past success at.

Bogusz took the victory during a 30-lap Midwest Lights feature at Sandusky’s half-mile oval on Oct. 1, 2022, for his second of two wins during his rookie-of-the-year season.

With that confidence in his back pocket, Bogusz hopes to grab his first trophy of the season during Sandusky’s prestigious Hy-Miler Nationals weekend and begin his climb to the top of the point standings.

“We’re excited about Sandusky; when you go somewhere that you’ve won before, it always makes you feel a little more comfortable,” he noted. “Hopefully we can represent for the Michigan faithful and take back one of these wins from the Ohio guys this weekend.”

Bogusz would like to thank Motor City Pawn Brokers, Fast Company Motorsports, Eddie Sachs Driver Development, Villa Penna Banquets, Leslie Tire Service, Lucido & Manzella Attorneys at Law, Justice Brothers Quality, USA Plumbing, RAM Engineering Midwest, Integra Racing Shocks, and Awesome Racewear for their support of his race team.

About Andrew Bogusz

Andrew Bogusz is an 18-year-old pavement racer from Shelby Township, Mich., who is in his third year of asphalt crate-engine sprint car competition with the Must See Racing Midwest Lights Series.

Bogusz graduated out of go-karts in his home state of Michigan and moved into a full-size sprint car for the first time in 2022, winning in his second-ever Midwest Lights start at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway during the prestigious American Speed U.S. Nationals.

The talented teenager earned two victories that season en route to a fourth-place finish in points and rookie-of-the-year honors. He added his third career feature win in 2023, topping the Bob Frey Classic at Lorain (Ohio) Raceway Park.

With his father Terry – who was a crewman on Tracy Leslie’s 1988 ARCA Menards Series championship-winning car – as his crew chief, Bogusz is part of one of the Midwest Lights’ steadiest family-run teams and carries aspirations of eventually making the jump to Must See Racing’s 410 sprint car ranks.

Bogusz’s driver coach is Eddie Sachs III, the son of the late Eddie Sachs Jr., a two-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner.

For more information, visit https://www.andrewbogusz.com/ or follow Andrew Bogusz Racing on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Sponsorship inquiries can be directed to [email protected].