By Bryan Gapinski
Belleville, Ill., July 2—Brad Kuhn captured the 30-lap POWRi Lucas Oil Nat’l Midget/ Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series co-sanctioned feature at Belle-Clair Speedway on Saturday Night. Kuhn finished third in the opening night feature, which was part of the two-day FanFest presented by Budweiser.
Kuhn and Chet Gehrke made up the front row, with Gehrke getting the jump at the start. Kuhn passed Gerhke on lap 5 for the lead exiting Turn 2 using the high groove around the 1/5-mile high-banked clay oval . Kuhn’s lead was erased for a caution one-lap before the midway point. On the restart Kuhn pulled away from the field, while Gehrke was passed for the runner-up position by Tony Roney on Lap17.
Kuhn driving the RW Motorsports owned Beast/Fontana No. 17 collected $3,000 for the victory, finishing five-car lengths ahead of Roney, Austin Brown, Andrew Felker who won the accompanying 600 cc Micro Sprint feature, and Friday’s winner Nick Knepper. Bubba Altig holds a 12-point lead over Mike Hess heading into the next Badger event Sunday July 10 at Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie, Wis.).
SUMMARY
30-lap Feature: 1. Brad Kuhn, 2. Tony Roney, 3. Austin Brown, 4. Andrew Felker, 5. Nick Knepper, 6. Chett Gehrke, 7. Mike Hess, 8. Dave Camfield, 9. Thomas Meseraull, 10. Ryan Criswell, 11. Alex Bright, 12. Daniel Adler, 13. Daniel Robinson, 14. Tim Siner, 15. Bryon Walters, 16. Bubba Altig, 17. Danny Frye, 18. Hud Cone, 19. Cody Weisensel, 20. Darren Kingston, 21. Tyler Robbins, 22. Brett Anderson.
15-lap Semi Feature Winners: Weisensel, Robbins.
10-lap Heat Race Winners: Bright, Kuhn, Hess, Brown, Roney.
Cars Present: 45 Feature Lap Leaders: Gehrke 1-5, Kuhn 6-30.