Pickens tops Badger Angell Park field

By Bryan Gapinski Sun Prairie, Wis., June 15, 2008---New Zealand's Michael Pickens topped the 30-lap Badger Midget Series feature,Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. The victory extended Pickens streak to five consecutive seasons with at least one series feature.
Australian Matt Smith, running his first event this season in the US, paced the initial seven laps, before being passed for the lead by teammate Mike Hess. Two cautions between laps 9-11, kept the field close to Hess. Pickens passed Hess for the lead on the 13th lap, but Hess regained the lead before the start/finish line.
One lap later fast qualifier Jerry Coons Jr. drove under Pickens and Hess, passing both in one move exiting turn four for the lead. Pickens re-passed Coons for the lead on a lap 18 restart. Coons' engine began to misfire one lap later, and retired from the event running in second position on lap 22, during a caution for debris.
Pickens driving the Hans Lein owned Spike/Ford-Esslinger#2 maintained his length lead over Hess during the final eight laps, and finished 1.63 seconds ahead of Hess. Brandon Waelti, Bobby East and Davey Ray completed the top five. Coons holds a seven point lead over Hess heading into the 7th annual Knoxville Midget Nationals presented by Iowa Telecom at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway on June 20-21. Hess was the events inaugural winner in 2002, while Coons won the event, two years later.