From Bryan Gapinski
USAC National Midget competition resumes on Sunday Afternoon April 11 for Wilke-PAK Motorsports and driver Jerry Coons Jr., when the team travels to Anderson (Ind.) Speedway for a 100-lap race on the 1/4-mile high banked paved oval. The team has one previous Anderson Speedway feature victory a 100-lap feature won by Johnny White on Sept. 13, 1963. The track’s 100-lap race record still stands from that event at 23 minutes and 14 seconds, despite several long distance race events run in the preceding four and half decades.
A feature victory would break the tie between Steve Lewis and Wilke’s who both have an all-time USAC record of 133 total USAC National feature wins to their credit. A win would also be the eleventh 100-lap midget feature victory for the team.
The series most recent event was on March 24 at Hickory (N.C.) Speedway where the team placed seventh in the feature. The March 25 event was rained out after qualifying. Coons currently ranks sixth in USAC points.
Leader Card Racers – A Dynasty Of Speed
Leader Card Racers is the remarkable story of one family’s four-generation passion for auto racing. Beginning with a team of midgets before WW II, successful paper manufacturer Bob Wilke, his son Ralph, and now his Grandsons have owned and sponsored winning racing cars on the Championship trail, on dirt track, and currently with a successful return to midgets. The Wilke Family won the Indy “500” three times. Leader Card Racers also has 6 USAC Indy Car National Championships, 2 USAC Silver Crown Championships along with Wilke Pak Motorsports 9 Midget Championship titles.
The book is 10 x 10 inches, hard cover, 235 pages with over 200 pictures, dust jacket, sewn, archival paper and fully indexed. Also included with your book purchase form WilkePakMotorsports.com, you will receive A Complete Victory and Championship Log & Driver Roster. Please send $55.00 + $5.00 shipping, total $60.00 payable to:
Leader Card Racers, 901 South 5th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204, Attn: Mark Wilke
TEAM INFO
Team: Wilke-PAK Motorsports, Milwaukee,Wis.
Driver: Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
Chassis: Spike
Engine: Toyota
Sponsors: Toyota, Toyota Racing Development, QTM, Autonet Mobile, Gary Stanton,Racing Optics, Speedway Motors, Hoosier Racing Tires, K & N Filters, Schoenfeld, Kwik Change, BMRS, Fuel Safe, Spike, Autometer, DMI, EFI Ignitions, Sanders, Kenny’s Components, Hepfner Racing Products, Behling Racing Equip, Joe Gibbs Racing Oil, Maxwell Industries, Scott Shop Towels, Butler Built, Engler, Afco
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 11 Anderson (Ind.) Speedway
April 30 Tri-City Speedway (Granite City,Ill.)