From Bryan Gapinski
Sun Prairie, WI — (July 21, 2014) — Jerry Coons Jr. captured Sunday Night’s 1st annual “Norm Nelson Classic”, 30-lap Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series Feature at Angell Park Speedway. The victory for Coons was his 27th career feature victory at the track, eighth on the track’s all-time feature win list.
Pole sitter Kurt Mayhew paced the initial lap of the event, before Robbie Ray took the lead on the second lap. One lap later Coons moved into second position. Coons passed Ray for the lead on the next lap on the backstretch, and began increasing his advantage over Ray.
Coons’ Hans Lein Racing teammate Billy Balog moved into second place on Lap 7. Coons saw his three second lead over Balog erased, when a caution appeared on Lap 11 for a stalled car. Balog stayed on Coons rear bumper on the restart and pulled into the lead as the pair crossed the start/finish line on Lap 15, Coons regained the lead before the lap was completed. A caution with ten laps remaining bunched up the field.
On the restart Coons jumped to a two-car length lead. The final few laps saw positions behind the lead pair change several times in a tightly group field of cars. Coons driving the Hans Lein owned DRC/Stanton SR-11 No. 2 finished .083 seconds ahead of Balog. Ray, Mayhew, and David Gough completed top five. “It’s always great to get a victory here, the car was perfect on both the top and bottom groves” commented Coons.
Matt Paderta took the lead from Chad Bogar in the final ten-yards to capture his fifth Badger 600 Micro feature of the season. The margain of victory 0.074 seconds, the closest in the four-year history of the series. The pair exchanged the lead four times in the 20-lap event, with Paderta driving under Bogar exiting Turn 4 on the final lap for the winning pass. Will Gerrits, Norm Ehrke, and Tory Strauss completed the top five.
A doubleheader weekend looms for the series starting on Saturday July 26 at the Wilmot (Wis.) Raceway, with the eighth annual “Salute to Harry Turner”. The following evening Sunday July 27 action moves back to Angell Park Speedway for the “78th Anniversary Season” race presented by Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie for Badger at the famed 1/3-mile oval.
All US Military Personnel, past and present will be admitted free with proper Government Military ID. Both events will also carry an increased purse.
SUMMARY
MIDGETS
30-lap Feature: 1. Jerry Coons, Jr.; 2. Billy Balog; 3. Robbie Ray; 4. Kurt Mayhew; 5. David Gough; 6. Eric Johnson; 7. Aaron Schuck; 8. Buddy Luebke; 9. Scott Hatton; 10. Kevin Olson; 11. Dan Smith; 12. Mike Stroik; 13. David Budres; 14. Daniel Robinson; 15. Andrew Felker; 16. Katlynn Lehr; 17. Brandon Waelti.
10-lap Heat Race Winners: Coons, Felker.
Cars Present: 17 Feature Lap Leaders: Mayhew 1, Ray 2-3, Coons 4-14, Balog 15, Coons 16-30.
MICROS
20-lap Feature: 1. Matt Paderta; 2. Chad Bogar; 3. Will Gerrits; 4. Norm Ehrke; 5. Tory Strauss; 6. Zach Boden; 7.Brandon Sletten; 8. Dusty Gerrits; 9. Jason Dull; 10. Preston Benisch; . 11. Tyler Brabant; 12. Daniel Stefan; 13. Jake Goeglein; 14. Bobby Ollerman; 15. Dustin Stefan; 16. Vance Lein.
8-lap Heat Race Winners: Ehrke, W. Gerrits.
Cars Present: 16 Feature Lap Leaders: Bogar 1-8, Paderta 9-11, Bogar 12-19, Paderta 20.