From Bryan Gapinski
Belleville, KS — (August 3, 2012) — Jerry Coons Jr. won theโPrelude to the Bellevilleย Midget Nationalsโ 25-lap feature, Thursday Night on the quarter-mile dirt ovalย inside the Belleville High Banks. The event marked the first ever midget race onย the track.
After setting fast time, Coons started from the pole position and quickly jumpedย into lead at the start. The events only caution appeared on the third lap for aย stalled car. On the restart Coons began slowly increasing his lead over Darrenย Hagen and Zach Daum. Close action racing occured behind Coons for all positions.ย Coons held at 1.6 second lead at the midway point, and increased the advantageย to two seconds, with ten laps remaining.
Coons began lapping sower cars with six laps remaining. On Lap 22 Daum passedย Hagen for second place. Coons driving the Joe Dooling owned Spike/Ford-Esslingerย No. 63 finished 2.38 seconds ahead ofย Daum, Hagen, Brad Kuhn and Rico Abreu.
“It was a racy track, the car was perfect, I cant wait till we run the big trackย tomorrow night” commented Coons.
Several car owners opted to “save” their equipment for Friday Night whenย actions switches to the half-mile track, as a full field is excepted to competeย for starting positions in Saturday Night Championship Feature.ย Blake McMillian topped Wyatt Burks and Curtis Spicer to win theย JayHusker 600 Micro Series non wing feature, while Jake Galusha finished aheadย of Shon Pointer and Chad McWirither in the Winged feature.
SUMMARY
Qualifications: 1. Jerry Coons Jr., Dooling#63-12.182; 2. Darren Hagen,ย RFMS#3-12.285; 3. Chris Windom, Wilke-PAK#5-12.360; 4. Zach Daum, Daum#5-12.442;ย 5. Casey Shuman, Lein#2-12.503; 6. C.J. Johnson, Martin#45-12.558; 7. Brad Kuhn,
RW#17-12.589;ย 8. Chet Gehrke, Mattson#11-12.655; 9. Terry Goodwin,ย Goodwin#2-12.850; 10. Randy Boyer, Boyer#69-12.882; 11. Rico Abreu,ย Kunz#67-13.037; 12. Vance Lein, Lein#7-13.234; 13. Jeff Stasa, Stasa#91-13.377;ย 14.Patrick Stasa, Stasa#19-15.035.
10-lap Heat Race#1: Daum, Hagen, Johnson, Gehrke, Lein, Boyer, P. Stasa.
10-lap Heat Race#2: Abreu, Coons, Kuhn, Windom, Goodwin, J. Stasa, Shuman.
25-lap Feature: 1. Jerry Coons Jr.; 2. Zach Daum; 3. Darren Hagen; 4. Brad Kuhn;ย 5. Rico Abreu; 6. Chet Gehrke; 7. C.J. Johnson; 8. Terry Goodwin; 9. Randyย Boyer; 10. Chris Windom; 11. Jeff Stasa; 12. Vance Lein; 13. Casey Shuman.
Feature Lap Leaders: Coons 1-25.
*Goodwin flipped during practice, uninjuried.