6/18/2018
Badger Midget Auto Racing Association
"Ray returns to Angell Park victory lane"
Sun Prairie, Wis., June 17--- Former Badger Midget Series Champion Davey Ray won the 20-lap Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie Badger Midget Racing Series feature Sunday Night at Angell Park Speedway. The event was co-sanctioned with the POWRi Lucas Oil Regional Midget Series. The victory for Ray, was his first in a Badger sanctioned event since June 12, 2010.
Zach Boden took the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Ray passing two cars in the opening lap. Boden continued to lead, with Ray advancing through the field. Ray was third at the completion of lap six, and took over the runner-up position, two laps later passing Kevin Olson for the position.
Ray closed to Boden’s rear bumper, when the event was stopped one lap short of the halfway point of the race, when Ray Seach flipped. On the restart, Ray passed Boden entering the third turn to take the lead. Ray increased his lead each lap, and began lapping the tail of the field, with five laps remaining.
One lap later a caution appeared for a spun car. On the restart Ray driving the Mark Ray owned DRC/Honda No. 3 went unchallenged for the lead, finishing 2.71 seconds ahead of Boden. The victory was the fifteenth career feature win at Angell Park for Ray. "It’s always special to win a feature here my Godfather Mark Ray had the car perfect all night" commented Ray.
Olson finished third, with Scott Hatton claiming the Advance Race Suspensions Passing award improving seven starting positions finishing fourth. Mitchell Davis completed the top five finishers.
Nineteenth place finishing Eric Reibenstein won the Howard Law Cash Draw, a bonus for a randomly selected feature finishing position. Hatton holds an eight-point lead over Olson heading into the Saturday June 30 Badger event at Wilmot (Wis.) Raceway.
SUMMARY
20-lap Feature: 1. Davey Ray; 2. Zach Boden; 3. Kevin Olson; 4. Scott Hatton; 5. Mitchell Davis; 6. Andy Baugh; 7. Chase McDermand; 8. Tyler Baran; 9. Ryan Probst; 10. Mike Stroik; 11. Jack Routson; 12. Kurt Mayhew; 13. Kurt Mayhew; 14. Kyle Koch; 15. Dennis Smith; 16. Brad Weber; 17. Shay Sassano; 18. Kyle Brinkman; 19. Eric Reibenstein; 20. Pat Hensen; 21. Marty Saso; 22. Ray Seach; 23. Scott Zane.
8-lap Engler Machine Heat Race Winner: Saso.
8-lap DMI Heat Race Winner: Seach.
8-lap Service Specialists Heat Race Winner: Ray.
Fast Time: Ray, 15.261 seconds.
Cars Present: 27 Feature Lap Leaders: Boden 1-9, Ray 10-20.
Current Badger Midget Series Points: 1. Hatton 386; 2. Olson 378; 3. Baran 364; 4. Probst 303; 5. Boden 279; 6. Jeff Zelinski 223; 7. McDermand 221; 8. Andrew Felker 212; 9. Mayhew 173; 10. D. Smith 164.
RACE NOTES
---The win was Ray’s fifteenth at the track, and fifth different feature winning car owner he has driven to victory lane at Angell Park.
---The runner-up finish for Boden was his best at the track in a midget and tied his career best series feature finish. Boden won the Badger 600 Micro Series feature at the track, two weeks ago.
---Veteran driver Brad Weber made his first series start since the 2001 season finale, finishing 16th in the feature.
---Rookie driver Kyle Brinkman made his midget racing debut in the event.
---Mitchell Davis who finished fifth in the feature, also placed sixth in the feature for the Auto Meter Wisconsin wingless Sprint Car Series, which ran after the Badger feature.
Article Credit: Bryan Gapinski