WISE SWEEPS BELLEVILLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                  JULY 31, 2006

Contact: DICK JORDAN/MICHAEL HARKER                                                                                                       06-205

 

 

SALEM'S "O'CONNOR-JAMES CLASSIC" AUGUST 12

WISE "SWEEPS" 29TH "MOPAR BELLEVILLE MIDGET NATIONALS"

 

 

            The USAC National and Western Midget Car Series are "off" this week as they prepare for their next events after competing in three Kansas races last week.

 

            Jerry Coons Jr. will lead the National Midgets to the Jasper Engines & Transmissions "Joe James/Pat O'Connor Classic" at Salem, Ind. Aug. 12 and Jerome Rodela will lead the Western Midgets to Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, Calif. September 2.

 

            Coons won Tuesday's 30-lap National/Western race at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kan., leading the final six laps in his Team Mopar/Speedway Motors Spike/Stantin Mopar. Bryan Clauson, Brady Bacon, Wise and Tom Hessert III rounded out the "top-five." Levi Jones led the first 24 laps before yielding to Coons.

 

            Defending USAC National Midget Champion Josh Wise of Riverside, Calif. "swept" the 29th Annual "Mopar Belleville Nationals" in Kansas Friday and Saturday. He passed Danny Stratton on the final lap of Friday's race in his Mopar/Bass Pro Shops Eagle/Mopar, then led the final 12 laps of Saturday's 40-lap finale after passing Bryan Clauson on lap 29. He becomes the fifth driver to repeat as a Belleville champion, following Stan Fox, Sleepy Tripp, Steve Knepper, Dave Darland and Kasey Kahne.

 

            Danny Stratton finished second in both Belleville features, while A.J. Fike, Adam Clarke and Clauson completed Friday's "top-five" and Bud Kaeding, Jones and Teddy Beach trailed Wise and Stratton in the Belleville finale.

 

            Coons holds a slim seven-point over Jay Drake in the latest National standings, while Rodela's Western lead over Tyler Brown stands at 14. The top-four drivers in the National series are separated by only 29 points.

 

 

USAC NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS

 

      1.
     Jerry Coons Jr.
     568
      
     6.
     Levi Jones
     453
     
      2.
     Jay Drake
     561
      
     7.
     Brad Kuhn
     390
     
      3.
     Bryan Clauson
     544
      
     8.
     Brad Loyet
     386
     
      4.
     Dave Darland
     539
      
     9.
     Bobby Santos III
     385
     
      5.
     Josh Wise
     497
      
     10.
     Dave Steele
     385
     

 

USAC WESTERN MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS

 

      1.
     Jerome Rodela
     722
      
     6.
     Scott Pierovich
     377
     
      2.
     Tyler Brown
     708
      
     7.
     Shannon McQueen
     354
     
      3.
     Chase Barber
     596
      
     8.
     Garrett Hansen
     339
     
      4.
     Chris Rahe
     406
      
     9.
     Garratt Boyden
     327
     
      5.
     Greg Bragg
     396
      
     10.
     Ryan Kaplan
     315