By Bryan Gapinski
Jerry Coons Jr. drove the Wilke-PAK#11 to runner-up honors in the 58th annual 100-lap Hut Hundred USAC Midget event at Tri-State Speedway on Saturday May 8, just falling short of posting the teams fourth career victory in the midget classic. Coons has now moved into fifth place in the USAC National Midget Series points, and is currently atop the National Midget Driver of the Year point standings. The team will now focus on three races in seven days with three different sanctioning organizations.
On Saturday May 15, the team will compete in the Badger Midget Series event at the Wilmot (Wis.) Speedway, where the team has captured previous feature victories with Kevin Olson and Dan Boorse as drivers. The following evening they will compete at Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie,Wis.) in a APSARA sanctioned event.
USAC National Midget Series competition continues at midget racing’s fastest oval The Iowa Speedway on Saturday May 22, as part of an event showcasing all three USAC National events.The team placed fifth in last year’s Iowa Speedway event. A USAC 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.
Leader Card Racers – A Dynasty Of Speed Book Copies available for purchase at Wilmot, Sun Prairie, & Iowa
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
Welcome to our newest sponsor: Safety First USA
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 15 Wilmot (Wis.) Speedway
May 16 Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie, Wis.)
May 22 Iowa Speedway (Newton, Iowa)
May 29 ‘O Reilly Raceway Park @ Indianapolis (Clermont, Ind.)