COONS TEAM TAKES 13TH “FUN AT FASTIMES”

From Dick Jordan, image courtesy of Jan Dunlap

USAC Triple Crown driving champion Jerry Coons Jr. of Tucson, Ariz. anchored the winning team in Saturday’s 13th Annual “Fun at Fastimes” three-hour karting enduro in Indianapolis, Ind, saluting the life of the late Crocky Wright and benefiting the USAC Benevolent Foundation.

Coons and co-captain Shannon McIntosh scored a narrow 7.3-second victory in the event at the two-story indoor karting facility. Winning team members also included 2009 USAC Kenyon Midget Champion Dillon Welch and recent USAC/SMRS Fort Worth, Tex. feature winner Danny Stratton, plus Chris Wilner, Nick Bushmann. Tim Kreech and Andrew Thather. The first and second-place teams completed 380 laps each.

Books chronicling the first 50-years of USAC and team championship medals were presented to members of the winning team, along with gift certificates from the Pit Stop Barbeque and Grill in Brownsburg, Ind., USAC hats and Winner’s Circle tee-shirts.

Runners-up included team captain John Heydenreich, plus Mike Fedorcak, Geoff Kaiser, Carl Olsen, Tom Brewer, Eddie Kelley, Cory Setser and Eric Gillespie.

Co-sponsored by the Tony Stewart Foundation, Hoosier Racing Tires and Mechanix Wear, the event featured 10 teams of drivers, with each team required to make a minimum of 10 pit stops. USAC race drivers participating, in addition to those already mentioned, were Justin Marvel, Caleb Armstrong, Billy Wease, Donnie Adams, Jon Stanbrough, Kyle Hamilton, Stephanie Mockler, J.T. Stapp, Rex Norris III, Aaron Pierce, Kris Deckard, Cole Carter, Tyler Cottongim, Joe Liguori, Jimmy Simpson, Chase Barber and Patrick Bruns. Norris posted the fastest lap of the race.

The event was held in honor of the late Crocky Wright, who participated in the sport for nearly three-quarters of a century and authored many significant historical books, including a six-volume history of East Coast Midget racing. Wright passed away in December at age 90.