Two straight for Coons in Badger at APS

Ferns & Resch make history at track

By Bryan Gapinski

Sun Prairie, Wis., July 24---Jerry Coons Jr. scored his second straight victory Sunday Night in the 30-lap Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series feature at Angell Park Speedway. The win was Coons' 25th career feature victory at the track moving him into eighth place all-time on the tracks feature win list.
Polesitter Cody Weisensel took the lead at the start over Matt Smith and Brad Kuhn at the start. The caution appeared for a stalled car on Lap 5 erasing Weisensel's lead. On the restart Weisensel jumped to a size able margin over the trio and Coons who moved into fourth place. Weisensel led Smith by one second on Lap 10. Two laps later Travis Berryhill escaped injury in a flip, bringing out the red flag.
On the restart Weisensel withstood the challenge from Smith for the lead until Lap 16. Kuhn took over second position one lap later. Smith continued to pace the field, with Coons passing Kuhn for second place, with ten laps remaining. Coons closed to Smith's rear bumper on Lap 25. One lap later Coons took the lead entering Turn One.
Coons spent the final two laps in heavy lapped traffic allowing Smith and Kuhn to close to within a one-car length. Coons driving the Ralph Wilke owned Spike/Toyota No. 5 finished two-car lengths ahead of Smith, Kuhn, Brandon Waelti, and Taylor Ferns. Ferns' finish marks the best ever feature finish by a female driver at the track.
Twelve-year old Robby Resch also made history winning the Badger 600 Micro Series feature over: Jake Reif, Chad Bogar, George Knudsen and Preston Benisch. Resch becomes the youngest feature winner in track history. Kuhn now holds a 48-point lead over Bubba Altig heading into the Aug. 13-14 doubleheader weekend at Wilmot (Wis.) Raceway and Angell Park.

NOTES
---Coons' 25th feature win moved him eight place on the track's all-time feature win list. Owne Snyder is seventh with 31 wins. Dan Boorse leads all drivers with 66 feature wins at the track dating back to 1946. Coons has 17 wins for Wilke at the track with four each coming while driving for Mike McNulty and Karl Warnke.
---For Smith the second palce finish, caps off his 2011 US campaign. Smith was hoping to become the third Aussie feature winner at the track.
---For Weisensel it marked his first career feature laps led.
---Well-know open wheel writer Rob McCune became the fourth different driver in Jerry Hardy's No. 1 in the Micro division this season. Over heating problems prevented McCune from starting the feature.
---The event marked the return of Hans Lein as a car owner. Davey Ray drove the familar black No. 2, but suffered mechanical problems in the heat race.
---Resch became the track's youngest feature winner ever. Previously Dustin Morgan (17 years, 4 months, 25 days) who won the Badger Midget feature on June 4, 2006 at track held the record.
---Kuhn increased his series points lead and now has feature finishes of 1-3-1-1-1-2-3, after skipping the first three races of the season.


Cars Present: 17 Feature Lap Leaders: Weisensel 1-15, Smith 16-26, Coons 27-30.

Robbie Resch Won the Micro Feature