The Speed
Quickest in time trials. A Sunday win from the front row. Three features, all on the lead lap.
Nick Schneider in Victory Lane at Jefferson Speedway after winning a Sunday 602 Late Model feature at the 46th Wisconsin State Championships.
Photo: Roy Ophime Photography
Rain pushed Round 2 of the 46th Wisconsin State Championships back from September. When it finally ran, on the first weekend of October, the No. 26S was ready.
The 602 Late Models had three features to race at Jefferson Speedway: one Saturday night and twin features Sunday afternoon. The best combined finish over all three decides the overall, with qualifying breaking ties.
Nick Schneider left Cambridge with the fast time, a feature win and three lead-lap finishes.
A year after he won a State Championship feature at Jefferson, he did it again.
The Clock
Eleven 602 Late Models took time on Saturday, October 3.
Nick turned a 13.963-second lap. On the unofficial Race Monitor sheet, sorted by best lap, that was the fastest time in the field. Waylon Robinson was next at 14.044, and Tanner Berge was third-quickest at 14.153.
That lap also beat Jefferson Speedway’s posted 602 Late Model track record of 14.049 seconds by nearly a tenth. It’s an unofficial new track record until the track confirms it.
That didn't buy him a front-row start. The posted lineup put the No. 26S 11th, last on the grid, for Saturday's feature.
Nick Schneider (No. 26S) on track at Jefferson Speedway. Unofficial timing had him fastest of 11 602 Late Models in time trials at 13.963 seconds.
Photo: Roy Ophime Photography
Saturday Night
Feature 1 of 3 went 35 laps.
Tanner Berge won it. Waylon Robinson was second, Pete Moore third, Charlie Bates fourth, and Brady Liddle fifth.
From the back of the field, Nick worked up to eighth and finished all 35 laps on the lead lap. His best lap was a 14.303 on Lap 25.
It wasn't where the fast time pointed. It did keep him in the fight with two features left.
Championship Sunday
Sunday's twin features were posted at 30 laps each.
For the first, the posted lineup put Danny Church Jr. on the pole and Nick on the outside of the front row.
He made it count.
Nick Schneider won the feature. He beat Berge to the line by 0.928 seconds, with Robinson third, 1.431 seconds back. Jon Reynolds Jr. was fourth and Pete Moore fifth.
Nick also ran the fastest lap of the race, a 14.129 on Lap 12.
Checkered flag in hand, Nick Schneider (No. 26S) takes his victory lap after winning the first of two Sunday 602 Late Model features.
Photo: Roy Ophime Photography
“I don’t often have a car this fast. It sucks that I couldn’t make the most of a big weekend like that. I’m not satisfied with stats; I want results.”
The Finale
The weekend's last 602 also went 30 laps.
Waylon Robinson won it, with Berge second and Brian Johnson third. Reynolds was fourth and Moore fifth.
Nick finished seventh, again on the lead lap. He saved his quickest lap of the weekend's features for late in the race: a 14.126 on Lap 28, the race's fastest lap.
Two Sunday features. Two fastest laps.
By the Numbers
Jefferson Speedway | 46th Wisconsin State Championships, Round 2
Dates: October 3–4, 2026
Class: 602 Late Model
Time trials: Fast time, 13.963 seconds (11 cars), an unofficial new track record
Saturday Feature (35 laps): Started P11 | Finished P8 | Lead lap
Sunday Feature 1 (30 laps): Started P2 | WON | Fastest lap 14.129
Sunday Feature 2 (30 laps): Finished P7 | Lead lap | Fastest lap 14.126
Laps completed: 95 of 95
2026 602 Late Model Wisconsin State Champion: Tanner Berge
Nick's overall State Championship finish: 5th, per Jefferson Speedway’s official overall results
Feature and time trial results are unofficial (Race Monitor). The State Champion is from Jefferson Speedway's official Round 2 recap.
What We Learned
The speed was there all weekend.
Nick was fastest on the clock Saturday and had the fastest lap in both Sunday features. He finished every lap of all three features on the lead lap.
And when he started up front, he won.
That's a good weekend to build on.
Behind the No. 26
Partner logos ride along on the No. 26S in the pits at Jefferson Speedway.
Photo: Nick Schneider
Nick Schneider Racing is proud to thank our 2026 partners:
Lynde Brothers Inc. – South Beloit, IL
Darlene Wagner
In Motion Automotive – Machesney Park, IL
Dicio Transport – Beloit, WI
C&T Transport – Rockton, IL
Lefthander Performance – Roscoe, IL
Johnson Racing Shocks – Roscoe, IL
Nason's Landscaping – Roscoe, IL
Bilderback Auto Parts – Rockford, IL
Legend & Legacy – Harvard, IL
Fast time, a feature win, and 95 laps on the lead lap—you helped make each one possible. Thank you.
Next Episode
A fast time, a feature win, and speed in every session—the No. 26S leaves Jefferson with plenty of momentum.
Stay tuned to the Wild Child Wire and the Nick Schneider Racing Facebook page to see what's next.
