Coons Wins In Badger Midget Photo Finish

By Bryan Gapinski, Sun Prairie, Wis., July 24, 2004--In one of the closest finishes in recent history, Jerry Coons captured the 25-lap Badger Midget Series feature, Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. Coons edged Davey Ray by approximately one foot at the line. Electronic timing, and scoring showed the victory margin at 0.0185 seconds.
The event got off to a rocky start, series point leader Scott Hatton stopped on he opening lap, and restarted at the tail of the field. On the restart a seven car accident blocked the track, all cars restarted the event. Finally underway A.J. Fike jumped into the lead with Coons moving into second on the fifth lap. Hatton who restarted in 16th place passed nine cars in the first four laps. A caution on lap eight for a stalled car bunched up the field.
On the restart Coons passed Fike for the lead. Ray moved into third on the 11th lap, and passed Fike for second place one lap later. The pair entered lap traffic with ten laps remaining, and Hatton was in third. Coons, and Ray raced through the field, on an extremely tricky track surface. Ray shadowed Coons by one to two car lengths during this time.
New Zealand Midget champion Michael Pickens, and Chad DeSelle tangled on the final lap. The event was stopped to pick up debris setting up a two-lap shootout. Coons driving the Karl Warnke owned Stealth-Fontana ran the cushion with Ray on the the bottom on the final circuit, with Coons edging Ray at the line for his sixth career feature win at the track. Hatton, Brad Kuhn, and Fike completed the top five. Hatton holds a 157 point lead over Ray heading into the July 31 event at the facility.