SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — Brad Kuhn executed a late-race pass to win Saturday night’s 30-lap National Midget Hall of Fame Classic opener at Angell Park Speedway. The event was co-sanctioned by the USAC Mopar National and Badger Midget Car Series.
Levi Jones moved into the lead at the start, with Jerry Coons, Jr. grabbing second on lap two. Two separate spins two laps later involved Tracy Hines and Brad Sweet, both of whom restarted from the back of the field.
Jones and Coons again pulled away from the field, with Coons gaining the top position on lap seven. Within a lap, Coons moved to a one-second lead. Three more cautions slowed the pace, with Coons slowing with engine problems during the lap-13 yellow flag.
Jones reassumed the lead over Kuhn on the restart. The next nine laps Jones ran the cushion, while Kuhn chose the bottom groove. Jones held a slight advantage when fast-qualifier Bobby East flipped on lap 22.
On the restart, Jones and Kuhn again continued their battle for the lead using two different grooves. Kuhn drew even with Jones at the start/finish line on lap 26 and took the lead before the completion of the lap. Kuhn increased his lead each lap.
Kuhn, driving the Tanya Mentgen owned Spike/Fontana No. 07, finished four car lengths ahead of Sweet, who battled back through the pack to finish second. Jones, Cole Whitt and Davey Ray rounded out the top five.
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Bobby East, Klatt 4, 14.779; 2. Brad Loyet, Loyet 05s, 14.827; 3. Chad Boat, Boat 30, 14.842; 4. Jerry Coons, Jr., Wilke-Pak 11, 14.895; 5. Brad Sweet, Kahne 49, 14.917; 6. Brady Bacon, Kahne 99, 14.925; 7. Tracy Hines, Stewart 21, 14.950; 8. Levi Jones, Stewart 20, 14.959; 9. Mike Hess, Hardy 4x, 15.010; 10. Brad Kuhn, Mentgen 07, 15.018; 11. Davey Ray, RFMS 32, 15.024; 12. Joe Wipperfurth, Imhoff 19, 15.114; 13. Gary Altig, Mecum 67x, 15.131; 14. Brandon Waelti, Waelti/Schuelenberg 3, 15.168; 15. Cole Whitt, Kunz 71, 15.204; 16. Dave Darland, Lein 2, 15.206; 17. Critter Malone, Jones 41, 15.214; 18. Tim Noble, Fiscus 71x, 15.220; 19. Chad DeSelle, RAB 57, 15.234; 20. Scott Hatton, Huston 15, 15.245; 21. Dustin Morgan, Kunz 67, 15.261; 22. Dakoda Armstrong, C & A 7a, 15.264; 23. Chase Barber, Barber 90, 15.321; 24. David Gough, Hardy 14, 15.372; 25. Aaron Fiscus, Fiscus 7x, 15.446; 26. A.J. Fike, RFMS 69, 15.526; 27. Kody Swanson, Nine Racing 19, 15.556; 28. Ricky Ehrgott, Rev 1 8, 15.563; 29. Buddy Luebke, Bulldog 43, 15.615; 30. Darren Hagen, Nine Racing 9, 15.634; 31. Kurt Mayhew, Mayhew 21k, 15.693; 32. Robbie Ray, Scheffler 21f, 15.785; 33. Paul Perkins, Perkins 63, 16.449; 34. Zach Daum, Daum 5d, no time.
First Heat (10 laps): Fiscus, East, Morgan, Sweet, Hess, Altig, Malone, Luebke, Perkins.
Second Heat (10 laps): Loyet, Bacon, Hagen, Fike, Noble, Kuhn, Armstrong, Waelti.
Third Heat (10 laps): Hines, Barber, Whitt, D. Ray, Swanson, Boat, DeSelle, Mayhew.
Fourth Heat (10 laps): Hatton, Coons, Ehrgott, Darland, Wipperfurth, Jones, Gough, R. Ray.
Semi (12 laps): Jones, Boat, Kuhn, Altig, Hess, Noble, Malone, Waelti, Swanson, Gough, Armstrong, DeSelle, Luebke, Mayhew, Perkins, R. Ray, Wipperfurth.
Feature (30 laps): Kuhn, Sweet, Jones, Whitt, D. Ray, Bacon, Hines, Noble, Fike, Fiscus, Morgan, Darland, Hess, Ehrgott, Boat, Hagen, East, Barber, Coons, Loyet, Hatton, Altig.