USAC: Coons, Kahne and Cottle score Midget car wins
18 July 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
REGIONAL DIRT-TRACK SERIES CONTINUES AT LINCOLN PARK
Jerry Coons of Tucson, Ariz. and Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw, Wash. captured MCI WorldCom National Midget Car races over the past weekend, while Shane Cottle of Oakland, Ill. became the first winner in USAC's brand-new Regional Dirt-Track Midget Car Series.
Cottle will try to protect his series lead when round two of the Regional Dirt-Track Series unfolds this Saturday night at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind. A 30-lap feature event is on tap.
Kasey Kahne extended his National point lead to 73 points over Jay Drake by winning Sunday's 25-mile feature at the Chicago Motor Speedway 1-mile paved oval in Illinois' windy city. He took the lead from Clay Klepper on the 20-lap circuit and led the rest of the way in his Wynn's/Ford/Beast/Performance Racing Industry machine. Ryan Scott took second at the checkered flag ahead of Tracy Hines, Klepper and Dave Darland. Ryan Newman, who set a new track record of 122 mph-plus during qualifying on Saturday, failed to finish Sunday's race due to mechanical problems.
Kahne finished second on Friday night at Hartford (Mich.) Speedway Park, losing out to Jerry Coons, Jr. on the final lap of the 30-lap race on the 1/2-mile dirt track. Coons and Kahne had battled back and forth during the closing laps before Coons made his winning move in the KECO-Hoosier Special. Aaron Fike, Jay Drake and Scott Hatton rounded out the "top-five" at the finish.
Dave Darland escaped injury when he flipped while leading on the ninth lap of the Hartford race.
Shane Cottle's victory in Saturday night's 30-lap race at the Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway came as he led the final 15 laps in his Gross Motorsports Fontana/Stealth. Critter Malone, who leads the suspended Kokomo, Ind. race which will be completed on August 27, finished second ahead of Tim Spindler, Rick Vaughn and Barry Reed. Malone leads the series standings by three points over Cottle going into this Saturday's race at Putnamville. Tim Spindler led the first four laps at Lawrenceburg, while Malone led laps 5-15. Rick Vaughn had fast qualifying time at Lawrenceburg.
USAC MCI WORLDCOM NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Kasey Kahne 507
2. Jay Drake 434
3. Michael Lewis 393
4. Dave Darland 389
5. A.J. Fike 291
6. Tracy Hines 272
7. Aaron Fike 266
8. Ryan Scott 250
9. Jimmy McCune 244
10. Ed Carpenter 239
USAC DIRT TRACK REGIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1. Critter Malone 72
2. Shane Cottle 69
3. Rick Vaughn 68
4. Tim Spindler 63
5. Michael Lang 59
6. Barry Reed 51
7. Chris Coers 48
8. Jerry Zike 42
9. Joe Justice 42
10. John Wolfe 38
Text provided by Dick Jordan
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