Former AFS Badger Midget Auto Racing Association, Rookie of the Year, Harrison Kleven, has a lot of family history with the sanctioning body and his home of Angell Park Speedway.
He's the nephew of former car owner, Donnie Kleven, who's driver was the late Kevin Olson. His grandfather, Donald Kelven was a former Sun Prairie Volunteer Fire Department firefighter and worked at APS during the season.
He's run every Badger Midget Series race since 2018, a string of races few if any can match.
Let's meet Harrison Kleven:
Car # 29
Owner: Dan Kleven and Harrison Kleven
Team Name: Kleven Motorsports
Sponsors: Mid-State Equipment
Duffy Fleet Service
Duffy Grain
Waddell Farms
Stark's Garage
Big Mike's Automotive
The Barrel Inn
The Frog Pond
Earthscapes
First Supply
Seedlink
Patio Pleasures
Top Bid
Crew: Dan Kleven
BMARA: Were you a fan of racing before you got behind the wheel and if so, who were your heroes and what tracks did you attend?
Kleven: I have always been a fan of racing. My dad and grandpa loved racing, and from a young age I started going to races with them. We went to races at Angell Park, Oregon (Madison International today), Wisconsin Dells Raceway Park, Beaver Dam Raceway, and Jefferson Speedway.
I was lucky enough to get to go to NASCAR races with my dad and grandpa, including Michigan and Daytona. I also had the opportunity to meet a lot of racing legends. My dad and grandpa were huge Dale Earnhardt fans. Sadly, I was at the Daytona race with them when Dale Earnhardt was killed. The love fans had for him still makes an impression on me.
Closer to home, my parents grew up going to the races at Angell Park, my grandpa was a Sun Prairie fireman and worked at Angell Park during the races. He took his kids to the track with him. My dad loved midget racing and took me and my sister to the races.
BMARA: Give us a synopsis of your racing career.
Kleven: My uncle Donnie Kleven had a midget in the Badger series, and his driver was Kevin Olson. I spent a lot of time with my dad in the pits and learned a lot from Kevin. I started racing midgets in 2018 as a real rookie, the first thing I ever raced was my midget. I made every race and was named rookie of the year that year. I have raced every single Badger midget race, from 2018 to 2023, since my first race in 2018 at Beaver Dam. Last year, when MARA started, I raced in every MARA race.
BMARA: How much time do you spend on the car each week during the season?
Kleven: My dad, Dan, is my pit crew. He makes all repairs and changes to the car every week - he is so good at it, and I pretty much just get in his way. Thanks to my dad, I have never missed a Badger or MARA race since I started racing in 2018.
BMARA: What is your day job and how does racing fit in?
Kleven: My day job is driving a UPS package delivery truck. I work long hours in all types of conditions. I'm used to working in the cold and the heat. My job probably helps me avoid getting into some tangles on the track because I have to drive around all types of drivers every day.
BMARA: What's something interesting the fans might not know about you?
Kleven: When I'm not racing I play a lot of softball and basketball.
My dad is a farmer and I help him whenever I can with driving tractor, hauling loads during harvest, working up land, things like that.
Article Credit: Bill Blumer Jr. and Harrison Kleven
Photo Credit: Bill Blumer Jr.
- William Blumer on Feb 21, 2024
- Article Date: 2/21/2024