Coons Wins At Beaver Dam

By Bryan Gapinski Beaver Dam, Wis., Aug. 31, 2007---Jerry Coons Jr. continued his hot streak, capturing the "6th annual Mid State Equipment Sue Thiel Memorial", Friday Night at the Dodge County Fairgrounds. The event was co-sanctioned by the USAC National and Badger Midget Car Series. Early race leader and runner-up Brad Kuhn and his car owner Michael Quin clinched the Badger Midget Championship with two events remaining.
Coons and Kuhn shared the front row, with Kuhn getting the jump into the lead at the start. By the fifth lap Kuhn enjoyed a five car length lead, as the top six cars separated themselves from the field. Kuhn's lead was erased when Darren Hagen stalled at the midway point.
One additional lap was completed before a three car tangled occurred in turn three. Brad Sweet running second then spun on lap 17, bringing out another caution. On the restart, fast qualifier and heat race winner Ricky Stenhouse, looking for the clean sweep bonus hit turn 1 and flipped escaping injury, while running in third place.
Coons, who slid back as far as fifth place during the early running, now lined up on Kuhn's bumper for the restart. Coons made a perfect slide job work entering turn one on Kuhn for the lead. The pair were even exiting turn two, with Coons pulling ahead down the long backstretch of the half-mile track. Within two laps Coons enjoyed a 1.6 second lead over Davey Ray and Kuhn. Fourth place running Michael Pickens stalled on lap 21 bringing out the caution.
A spirited multi-car battle then took place over the remaining laps for second place, while Coons increased his advantage each lap. Coons driving the Wilke-PAK Motorsports Spike/Mopar#11 finished 3.16 seconds ahead of Kuhn, Darren Hagen who restarted from last position at the midway point, Levi Jones and Brady Bacon.

Feature Lap Leaders: Kuhn 1-17, Coons 18-30.
**Scott Hatton flipped during practice. Stenhouse flipped on lap 17 of the feature.