Coons cruises to Angell Park win

By Bryan Gapinski Sun Prairie, Wis., Aug. 23, 2009---Jerry Coons Jr. won the 50-lap Badger Midget Series feature victory Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. The victory was his second straight and fourth at the track this season.
Coons quickly passed six cars in the first two laps, moving into fourth place. Davey Ray passed Brandon Waelti for the lead on the fourth lap, and before the conclusion of the lap Coons moved into second place. The events first caution appeared on lap 6. On the restart Ray and Coons pulled away from the field. The pair battled wheel-to-wheel for the lead,with Ray holding a slight advantage. 
Ray began lapping slower cars on lap 15, two laps later Coons exited turn 2 with a slight advantage and took the lead from Ray on the backstretch. Waelti running third, flipped on lap 23, escaping injury. On the restart Coons with a clear track ahead, easily pulled away from Ray, and began increasing his advantage each lap.
Coons spent the final ten laps lapping the field up to fifth place at the finish. Coons driving the Ralph Wilke owned Spike/Toyota No. 5 finished 5.86 seconds ahead of Ray. The event was the first race for Ray, since suffering leg injuries on May 29 at the Knoxville Midget Nationals. Mike Hess, Dakoda Armstrong and Brad Loyet completed the top five. 
Series points leader Scott Hatton suffered engine failure late in the race snapping a 15-race top five feature finish streak this season, and now holds a 125-point advantage over Hess. Badger and the USAC National Midget Series will co-sanction the Hall of Fame Midget Classic doubleheader on Aug. 29-30 at Angell Park.